Many schools are seeking new and innovative ways to promote a healthy and vibrant school culture. One program that continues to grow in popularity is visiting dogs, or dogs that are trained to accompany their handlers into facilities with the purpose of improving the wellbeing of those with whom they come into contact. Though these programs are becoming more and more common in schools, research is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives of educators related to the potential for and actual impact of the integration of visiting dogs in schools. Using both an online survey and focus groups, educator reflections related to their prior experiences and suggestions for future dog-visitation programs were captured. A total of 31 individuals with and without experience with visiting dogs completed the survey and a total of 19 individuals with experience with visiting dogs participated in the focus groups. Results suggest educators were supportive of visiting dogs. Both students and teachers appeared to benefit from interacting with visiting dogs and their handlers. Benefits included social connection, improved focus, and an understanding of safe human-animal interactions. Educators indicated that being informed about the program and being involved in planning and decision-making would enhance effectiveness for their students. In particular, they felt that students would benefit from predictable routine visits and autonomy in visiting dog interactions. Taken together, findings can be incorporated into visiting dog program planning for safe, collaborative, and effective implementation.
Nieforth et al. (Mon,) studied this question.