Children struggling with reading and reading out loud now will soon have some help from furry, four-legged friends with the new program Listening Tails (LT) at the Chestermere Public Library.
“They are called man’s best friend and they truly are,” said LT organizer Steve King.
He said when a child struggles with anything, but reading in particular, parents tend to feel stress about it and will often inadvertently put pressure on the children that can make it more difficult for the child.
“Dogs are non-judgmental,” King wrote in a press release. “They won’t criticize the child if he or she mispronounces a word and they love the attention they get when being read to. (It’s) a true win-win situation.”
The program, set to start March 18, already has four dogs that have been assessed for temperament, obedience, their reactions to things such as pulling on the ears and to determine if they are medically fit.
These reading buddies will be brought to the library once a week from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. where they will provide an audience for children as kids spend 15 minutes reading out loud to the dogs.
“It’s really exciting,” King said. “We’ve been really well received.”
The free program already has five children signed up for, which can take up to eight kids with the number of dogs they have currently.
“People seem to fall in love with the program, which is just fantastic,” King said, adding similar programs in Calgary have seen success with children gaining confidence in reading and presenting skills but also in increased social confidence.
King said with the response LT has had so far, he wouldn’t be surprised if the program expanded in the near future but added that would require more dogs.
LT is not breed specific and will take any dog that has the right temperament and passes the assessments.
“The kind of dogs that do well in therapy work are very gentle and exude a positive aura,” he said, adding the handlers will also be assessed and given a police check as well because they will be with the dog and the child during each session.
The dogs are leashed at all times and will have special mats to sit on in the library each week that will be cleaned after each visit to help prevent allergy attacks to others in the library.
They will also wear LT bandanas to signify their special importance as working dogs while at the library. Even though the dogs are there for a specific reason, the children can still pet and bond with the dog during the session.
“I think it’s the instant rapport,” King said of the effectiveness of dogs in this capacity. “It really doesn’t take long for any dog to want to be friendly and feel that rapport.”
King is a certified dog trainer and has been involved in the Chestermere Lion’s Club and the Lion’s Club International guide dog service for about seven years.
LT is a not-for-profit organization and relies on donations to further the program. Donations can be made online by going to www.legup.ca and selecting Listening Tails, or can be sent to the Chestermere Public Library and clearly marked as a Listening Tails donation.
To register for the LT program at the Chestermere Public Library, call the library at
403-272-9025.
For more information on LT, visit learningtails.ca
