A co-pedagogue on four paws

Abstract

Corona has proven once again how valuable and profitable working with a school therapy dog in the classrooms of all types of schools is, as the learners show to some extent strong deficits in social and emotional competences as well as in self-competence. At Ricarda-Huch-School, therapy dogs do not only provide valuable services by just being present but additionally, they are also an integral part in science classes as a learning object. In cooperation with our local veterinarian Dr. med. vet. Gregor Schroth, who attends to the dogs, we have developed a concept of how to sustainably enhance scientific thinking and working of the learners as well as the animal welfare idea through the planning of ethological experiments on the cognitive performances of the school dogs Jolie, Tamino, and Tesseo. Needless to say, the welfare of the animals has always top priority.