Children at Woodbury Library Reap Benefits of New Therapy Dog Program

Can you remember just learning how to read? It was exciting, and yet also a bit like the first half block on a two-wheel bike. Success is exhilarating, but the prospect of failure and skinned knees is so close you can taste it.

For the young reader, gaining confidence and skills is achieved by reading aloud, often to a patient teacher or parent who can gently correct or coach the child through difficult words. Not everyone is brave enough to lead the group at reading circle.  So, imagine the comfort of reading to a dog that will listen patiently, never laugh, smirk, or grow impatient.

The Children’s Library of Woodbury has initiated 15-minute sessions with Tashi, a therapy dog, so that beginning readers can try out their stories in a comfortable way.

“It’s another way to reinforce skills,” said Bonnie Knapik, Children’s Librarian. Tashi, the pet of Renee and Christopher Laux of Woodbury, is a therapy dog, trained to be a companion for people who don’t have their own pets.

“Tashi is certified by the Delta Society, has earned the Canine Good Citizenship Award, and did well in dog training,” Mr. Laux explained. “He is a good, gentle dog, and always brings a smile to people’s faces.”

Tashi started training at about five years old, and began his “companion” career by visiting the Watertown Convalarium.  His job, the owner said, was “to bring joy to people’s lives.” Tashi is a 7-year-old Tibetan Terrier and is hypo-allergenic, possessing hair, not fur.

The use of Therapy Dogs in children’s libraries has been gaining in popularity. At Woodbury children sign up ahead of time for 15-minute segments. Tashi’s time limit is maybe an hour to 90 minutes, the length of time when he can sit quietly and listen. Children have one on one sessions, with Tashi’s owner close by.

Therapy dogs have gained popularity as an antidote to stress and are in use at Oberlin College in Ohio, Tufts University in Massachusetts, and UC San Diego, and most recently at the Yale Law Library. Thirty-minute visits with dogs have proven to promote calmness, reduce stress, and generally improve a person’s emotional well-being. The concept transfers nicely to an environment like a children’s library.

Dogs have been used in hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers, bringing comfort to people who are ill. While Yale has piloted their program, dogs have started showing up in other libraries across the country, with Woodbury among the first.

It’s a bit like having Mom or Dad holding the bike seat – you are safe, no one laughs, but you experience the rush of success. Young readers can try out strange new words, funny noises, and voices of storybook characters without feeling judged. Although the idea is to encourage reading in children who may feel less confident about their skills, the benefits are obviously there for anyone who finds a bit of comfort in a furry friend who doesn’t talk back. And, the idea is that the child gets to pick the book -- often something they feel a dog will enjoy. For this age group, the goal is to give young readers practice, help them learn to enjoy reading, and to associate the activity with positive emotions.

Tashi is at the Woodbury Library on Tuesdays, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., for children in grades Kindergarten through fifth.  Call (203) 263-3502 for more information.