Finals are one of the most difficult times for students who are often lacking for sleep and severely stressed out. Some are so exhausted they fall fast asleep on the keyboard of their computers. Emory University in Georgia is no exception – other than in the Jones Room.
The Jones Room at Emory has hosted famed poets such as Billy Collins and Mary Oliver, but occasionally a dog is its featured attraction. Henry, the “spokesdog,” works for Canine Assistants which is a non-profit out of Alpharetta that trains and provides service dogs to people with disabilities.
Henry, along with human handlers, make visits to schools as well as hospitals during their training. The golden retriever is said to be so smart it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him recite some poetry too. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our dogs could have a conversation with us? Of course, many of them do a good job trying.
The volunteer dogs at Emory take two hour shifts with students lining up for their chance to have ten minutes with them. In this situation, the dogs are used to help promote calm and ease the pain and stress of finals for the students. The trend is becoming popular with numerous campuses across the nation providing this wonderful opportunity. Some other colleges that have dogs on campus are UC Berkeley, Marquette University and Columbia University.
The students are often seen smiling, which is a rare occurrence around finals time, but it helps them to keep things in perspective and reduce all of the academic stress that’s placed upon them. Spending just minutes with a dog is said to help clear their head.
Many dog owners already know what studies have confirmed. Having a pet like a dog can help decrease anxiety and even lower blood pressure. Petting them or caring for them can help divert attention away from all types of fear and anxiety. Have you ever found yourself in an extremely stressful situation? Research has proven that an overload of stress can impair the memory. This can be a problem for students during finals. The dogs have made a difference in helping students retain memory by reducing stress.
An Emory senior who was working on medical school applications as well as finals said she was “all studied out” and that petting a dog named Wesley was exactly what she needed. The university got the idea of dog therapy from another library and it seems to be a huge hit with everyone. Of course, the dogs probably don’t mind the attention either!
While the dogs aren’t “hard at work” they live on a farm in Milton, Georgia and also spend time in the homes of volunteers to learn manners. They are taught about 90 different commands, mastering all before becoming certified. The home volunteers teach them to get used to certain sounds like a vacuum cleaner, to slowly walk up stairs and to ride in an escalator and elevator in order to make sure they are calm in all types of future situations.
The dogs are often visibly relaxed which also helps to relax the students who pet them. The volunteers who help train them get benefits, too. One trainer remarked, “they make me happy all day and always making me laugh.”
Some students return again and again for the chance to engage with the dogs. With family far away and with hours of time spent studying, a student who had three finals remaining said, ” Just ten minutes with one of the dogs helps to carry me through it all.” He expressed that those moments are the “happiest” of his entire week.
The dogs are truly appreciated as the ideal “medicine” to get through finals. Isn’t it wonderful what the love of a dog can do?
Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/19/health/students-therapy-dogs/
