Meet Charlie: Highlands School District's first-ever therapy dog

Trotting through the halls at Highlands Middle School in Harrison, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever is the district’s newest tool to help improve student success.

The puppy, Charlie, will be tasked with more than looking cute.

“He will increase the overall well-being for students,” said the dog’s owner, Principal Becky Bragan.

“With just coming out of the pandemic, Charlie is expected to increase socialization and students’ desire to be in school.”

Charlie spent his first official day in school Monday after returning from a two-month stint at the Lone Duck training facility in New York.

The pup earned his Canine Good Citizen certification, with handler Bob Owens commending Charlie’s “great personality.”

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“He did very well and has mastered everything that he needs to succeed at the middle school,” Bragan said.

Some of those tasks include not reacting to loud noises and unwarranted petting or tail-tugging.

Charlie’s next steps will be to learn to use his skills in a school setting and build his capacity to work with kids.

A handling team will be trained to use calls and cues. Therapy dogs work in a team with handlers to perform their classroom duties.

Highlands joins the ranks of schools across the country that employ therapy dogs.

The school board approved the program in September, motivated by data that dogs are almost guaranteed to ease anxiety and provide other social and emotional benefits for students.

A study by the National Institutes of Health revealed the use of therapy dogs in the classroom helps alleviate stress and promote positivity.

The simple act of petting a dog has the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rate, according to the study.

All of this helps shift kids’ attention more toward learning, middle school Assistant Principal Cory Sakolsky said. The goal of having a therapy dog is to help outcomes for all students and to build an environment where kids want to learn and grow, he said.

Children who work with therapy dogs have increased reading fluency by a median 21%, according to the online site We Are Teachers.

Charlie, in addition to providing comfort, is expected to build children’s self-esteem and teach acceptance.

Students who might struggle with social settings often have an easier time reading or studying with a dog because there’s no judgement. That allows the child to practice social skills in a low-risk environment, Bragan said.

Charlie will not be roaming the halls, she said.

He will be part of the district’s team and will work with students in a supervised setting.

“As he gets acclimated to the middle school as a working dog, we will be creating what his schedule will be and when he works with students,” she said.

Bragan spent time with Charlie in training and was wowed by all that he is capable of.

“Charlie is so smart and is going to help so many kids,” Bragan said.