Dogs in Educational Settings : Applications, Benefits, and Challenges

Bridging the gap between scholarly research and practice, Dogs in Educational Settings: Applications, Benefits, and Challenges provides readers with essential theory and real-world applications underlying the incorporation of dogs into schools. Teachers, administrators, and school staff are implementing therapy dog programs in exciting and innovative ways. However, we might ask, "How are these dogs incorporated? What do the dogs do?" This book answers these questions by reporting on the types of applications, benefits identified, and challenges faced. The book is unique in that information was derived from published literature, school site visits, interviews, surveys, and most critically, a series of mini-chapters where educational professionals share specific applications from their schools. These examples range in grades from preschool to high school, employ various dog/handler models, provide a range of interactions from casual "meet and greets" to highly structured therapy sessions, and showcase programs for students who are typically developing or with disabilities. While foundational information is provided as to history, theory, models, documented benefits, challenges, and best practices, the real-world applications will inspire and support professionals currently using or interested in incorporating school-based therapy dogs.