Meet Margo! She is our Nursery Dog Mentor
The Power of the Dog Mentor programme can help our children improve their abilities to:
- pay attention and focus
- calm down when upset or stressed
- make better decisions
It also helps them develop:
- awareness of inner and outer experiences
- the ability to recognise their thoughts as ‘just thoughts’
- the ability to recognise when their attention has wandered
- strategies and tools for impulse control
Parent Testimonials on Margo:
Good morning,
I just wanted to say how incredibly grateful we are for the positive impact that Margo, the nursery’s support dog, has had on our daughter, Bonnie.
Before Bonnie met Margo, she was very wary of dogs and, in fact, most animals. We never imagined how much her confidence could grow in such a short space of time. Since attending nursery and spending time around Margo, Bonnie has become so much more relaxed, confident, and comfortable with animals. We truly believe this is a direct result of having Margo as part of the nursery environment.
Margo has such a calm and gentle nature, and it’s easy to see the positive influence she has on all the children. Having her at the nursery is such a wonderful addition, and we’re so thankful for the care and reassurance she has given Bonnie.
Thank you, Margo, for helping Bonnie overcome her fears and for encouraging her to love dogs more than ever. Her affection for all animals has grown so much, and it’s been amazing to watch. We couldn’t be more grateful!
Kindest regards,Mr & Mrs Burgess
I just wanted to send a few words over about how much of an asset Margo has been for Morgan.
As I’m sure many other parents can relate to, there is the odd occasion where your little one is feeling fragile in the morning and can sometimes struggle to say goodbye and head into the nursery. Although Morgan adores her classmates and teachers, this has happened a few times recently where she’s been very reluctant to let me go, especially when I’m also dropping Chris off in Buds next-door! Margo has been an incredible help when it comes to these little transitions first thing in the morning. Even when Margo isn’t around to take Morgan’s mind off saying goodbye, a simple suggestion from staff members such as “Can you help me get Margo’s breakfast?” is often just enough to encourage her into nursery.
We also don’t have pets in our household (yet..). Whilst we’ll often take the children to farms and zoos, having an exposure to Margo is a massive confidence booster for Morgan at this age and will help with how to handle dogs in the future. There is also the aspect of responsibility – having Morgan look after Margo helps her understand how to care for others in a calm and loving way.
The list could go on for ages! I know many settings have animals for their little ones but having seen first hand how you use Margo at Hednesford, I genuinely feel she’s an invaluable asset and a very-much loved member of the team!
The Dog Mentor programme has developed further the benefits of the human-animal bond by providing children positive experiences with dogs that can help them educationally, developmentally, emotionally and socially.
Since its creation, The Dog Mentor programme has been proven to have a positive impact on children in many areas including self-esteem, behaviour, peer relationships and better engagement skills. These improvements can then result in an improved in academic achievement.
Visit The Dog Mentor’s website and Facebook page for more details, and to see how other schools that have introduced dogs into their school and please see the links below:
