I would like to introduce you to our newest member of staff here at St. Columba’s Comprehensive School in Glenties, Co. Donegal – “Oreo”, our Community Dog. Oreo is the first Community Dog in Donegal and only the 14th provided by Irish Guide Dogs to schools across Ireland. We feel very fortunate that Irish Guide Dogs approved his appointment in our school in July last year.
The idea to bring a Community Dog to our school started a couple of years ago as a result of conversations between myself and a colleague about therapy dogs I had seen being used very successfully in schools in the UK. Our conversations snowballed over time into an application to Irish Guide Dogs for a “Community Dog”. I was unaware at that time, that in addition to providing people with Guide Dogs to assist those who are visually impaired, the charity Irish Guide Dogs also provide “Assistance Dogs” to families with children who have autism and “Community Dogs” to work as an education or therapy aid in schools.
From our earliest consultation and assessment meetings with the staff at Irish Guide Dogs, I was struck by how calm and controlled the interactions are with Community Dogs. While they are “at work” in schools, Community Dogs are on a lead and under the control of their handlers. Students, staff and visitors must ask permission from Oreo’s handler to “say hello” before they are allowed to interact with him. Oreo was chosen as a Community Dog for his temperament – he is a social dog with a very gentle disposition. Three of our staff were trained by Irish Guide Dogs as handlers and Oreo lives full time with one of those colleagues.
Oreo is only allowed to work with students for a maximum of four periods per day to ensure that he does not become burnt out. Consequently he spends his remaining time resting in designated spaces within the school – he has an enviable work life balance. He is a “working dog” with his own timetable which evolves based on student needs, but when he is at home, he enjoys a fantastic social life with daily walks and interaction with other dogs.
Since his arrival, Oreo has had a significant impact on our school community, particularly for some of our most vulnerable students. Oreo has become a key part of the learning process and he can assist in a range of ways.
Some students spend their break or lunch times grooming him and reinforcing his training, which reduces their anxiety and stress levels. Other students will take Oreo for a walk with a handler so it provides the student with a movement break and helps them to regulate their emotions and manage their behaviour. He will sometimes lie beside a student while they sit in their classroom, which brings a sense of grounding and comfort for those who need this support. For students with barriers to learning who do not want to come to school, Oreo will meet and greet them in the morning and help them attend school or attend their lessons. For some students he is the reason they come into school each morning and a session with Oreo is a real highlight on their timetable. We have recently opened our first autism and multiple disability classrooms and Oreo is a wonderful addition to the supports we can provide our students. Some of our students have made a very strong bond with him over a short period of time.
Oreo was two years old last December and as one of the most popular members of staff, he was spoilt rotten!
I really want to shine a light on the wonderful work of the charity Irish Guide Dogs and I would encourage any school who is curious about Community Dogs to contact Irish Guide Dogs about their application process (Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind | Guide and Assistance Dogs) and discover what might work best for your students. All the staff at Irish Guide Dogs have been very helpful and supportive throughout this process and we can’t thank them enough for trusting us with Oreo – he really is a very special addition to our school community and we feel very thankful to have him.
Brendan O’Mahony.
Principal, St. Columba’s Comprehensive School, Glenties, Co. Donegal.