A pilot study: What is the impact of daily sessions with a therapy dog on the attitudes of anxious pupils towards school?

Rationale In May 2018, a cockapoo puppy, aged nine weeks old, was introduced to Our Lady’s Catholic High School, Lancashire. The dog was undergoing training to become a school therapy dog. To date, feedback suggests that the dog is having a positive impact on both pupils and staff members, but no quantitative data has been produced thus far. The purpose of this project is to investigate whether the school therapy dog is having a measurable positive impact on pupils. Summary of the literature There is research that supports the idea that a therapy dog can reduce anxiety. Several studies have concluded that therapy dogs are helpful for relaxation and destressing. Baun et al. (1991), Huss (2012), Shiloh et al. (2003) and Demello (1999) have all found that ‘cardiovascular measures reduced significantly more during conditions where a pet was present’. Andrea Beetz (2013) investigated the impact of a classroom therapy dog on children’s socio-emotional experience, including depr