Meet Some of the Very Good Doggos Helping Students Around the Country

They work in schools to help assist students in the day, but after work, they play.

Assistance animals and therapy animals have been increasingly popping up in schools around Australia and the world due to their ability to de-stress any student around crucial times. They're also so damn cute.

It's not hard to see why giving these loveable balls of floof a belly-rub or head-pat can calm the nerves.

Aside from pulling your heartstrings, they do also undertake a very important job, which involves supporting students with behavioural and emotional challenges by trying to regulate their emotions. 

So, in the spirit of exemplary journalism, we decided to talk to the human parents of some playful pooches around Australia to see what they love about their job and what they get up after they sign off for the day. Prepare yourself for a cuteness meltdown.

Humphrey

Photo: Supplied (The Bidgee School)

School: The Bidgee School, NSW

Human parent: Marianne, the school principal

Age: Three

Breed: Labrador

Likes (aside from food): Fetch, stealing socks and being chased by the kids (because he always outruns them).

Dislikes: Running out of food.

A day in the life: Humphrey starts by greeting the students at the gate in the morning and playing chasey with them. He then heads off to class with the students and looks for any who might be in a challenging mood, sitting in their lap to help them feel better. "Students will be sitting with a book open and he will sit beside them and he'll put his face down on the book and lift his head when they go to turn a page," Marianne explains. After helping out in the classroom, he gets to have a few breaks in the staff room, where he looks for anyone who'll give into his charms and feed him treats.

What they get up to on their day off: When it's time to relax, Humphrey really is a professional. "He's crazy about his stuffed toys," Marianne confesses. "Particularly those that squeak." Aside from playing with loud toys, he likes to lounge on the couch and hang around the house and will only go outside for potty breaks.

Favourite memories: When Humphrey notices that things are getting a bit tense, he likes to pick out something random from the bin, like a piece of paper, and run around with it so that the kids have a bit of fun and get distracted. "A lot of the time, he just likes to be a puppy," Marianne says.

How they've helped students: Marianne explains that Humphrey helps to defuse situations in a positive manner and has offered the students unconditional love and companionship. For that, he gets a big "great doggo" award from us.

Phoebe

Photo: Instagram (phoebe_learns)

School: Berry Street School, VIC

Human parent: Samantha

Age: Two

Breed: Golden Retriever

Likes (aside from food): Puddles, swimming in shallow water and chasing ducks at the local pond.

Dislikes: Baths and deep water.

A day in the life: Phoebe's days start early. She runs around the school "like a maniac" until the other staff arrive, according to Samantha. The staff have breakfast which Phoebe loves because she sometimes gets slipped a sneaky bread crust. Later on, she joins classes for about 30 minutes and she'll walk around the students for pats. She also loves recesses and lunches because she sometimes can score a few prohibited scraps from the students.

What they get up to on their day off: She loves to let her fur run free at the local dog park where you can find her rolling the mud, playing with the other puppers or lying in the shallow parts of the pond. (She's still a bit scared of going in water deeper than her tummy.)

Favourite memories: One time she escaped and ran into a bushy lot at the back of the school. Samantha explains that she saw Phoebe stuck in a blackberry bush, happily eating away at the blackberries she could reach, mid-way down a steep hill that Samantha couldn't reach easily. "I had to go all the way to the bottom [of the hill] and then climb back up the hill," Samantha says. "She didn't really want to be rescued. I did fall over and get lost in the grass for a while."

How they’ve helped students: Simply just due to her presence, she's helped make a positive environment for the students by giving them someone fluffy and adorable to pat and play with.

 

I get so bored on days without my students! #dogswithjobs #sometimesyouhavetomakeyourownfun #sillydog #goldenretriever #goldensofig #goldensofinstagram #educationassistant

A post shared by Phoebe Berry (@phoebe_learns) on Sep 12, 2017 at 11:50pm PDT

Koda

Photo: Facebook (Berry Street)

School: Berry Street School, VIC

Human parent: Doug

Age: Five

Breed: Border Collie

Likes (aside from food): Food, going to the beach and playing catch.

Dislikes: Sheep and toddlers.

A day in the life: Koda's days vary; he could spend one day at the office, or could spend a day on Berry Street bush camps, river rafting with the kids. 

What they get up to on their day off: Koda likes to eat, sleep and chase a ball. She also can be found hanging out with her human friends and dog friends.

Favourite memories: Doug explains that his best memory with Koda was when a little girl came in to give a statement to a lawyer about a traumatic experience. The little girl spent five minutes with Koda before entering the room with the lawyers. When she left, the lawyers said that she was very calm while giving the statement and even drew a picture of Koda on the whiteboard. "It's the joy she brings to the kids without even trying," Doug explains.

How they’ve helped students: Much like the other dogs we've profiled, Koda's biggest asset is her ability to de-stress a situation and make young students with emotional challenges feel at ease.

Bonus Doggo: Sox

Photo: Supplied (Sophie Scherer)

If you've somehow made it to the end of this article without fainting from adorabili floofitis (the scientific term for fainting from pupper cuteness), head to Assistance Dogs Australia support page to see how you can assist them to help more kids.

Photo: Instagram.com/@phoebe_learns, Facebook.com/BerryStreet, Facebook.com/HumphreyTheEducationalSupportDog