Therapy dogs join classroom to boost student well-being

Mel and Fusta are two dogs that have become regular companions for the students at Institut Lacetània in Manresa.

With 1,800 students, this high school in central Catalonia is considered a high-complexity center, and has a high enough ratio of students with special educational needs to qualify for an SIEI (Intensive Support for Inclusive Schooling) unit within the school.

Dog therapy is one of the activities carried out with pupils by this specialized team.

The animals help "to improve social skills," according to the SIEI coordinator, Èric Sanmartí.
"The students are already used to the dogs being part of the classroom. They're just another member of the group," he says.

Collaboration with canine school

Although the dog-assisted therapy initiative was initially designed to improve the emotional well-being of students with special educational needs, other students at the school can also take part.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Els Tres Pins, a canine school responsible for training the dogs.

Enric Bruch and Marta Vallverdú are therapists from the canine school and affirm that, beyond play and petting, working with dogs helps create positive bonds that promote emotional and personal well-being for the students.

With dogs, "you can work on anything," says Enric Bruch, one of the therapists at the canine school: "Self-confidence, self-esteem, patience, the ability to give constructive feedback, among others," Bruch says.

"Any aspect you want to work on, it works much better with dogs." 

Dog therapy beneficial for all

He adds that canine therapy can help reduce anxiety and improve the pupils’ mood, “thanks to the affective contact and sense of calm that the animals transmit.”

The dogs can also help improve mobility, balance, and coordination, and Vallverdú says that dog therapy is “good for everyone”, not only those with special needs.

Pau and Montserrat are two of the students at the high school who are happy with the initiative: “We’re very satisfied,” they say.

The initiative is not the only one the school has created to help its special needs pupils. A cooking class has also been created to “strengthen the sense of responsibility, patience, and working together, while it also fosters healthy habits and creativity among the students.