Let’s Chat: The dog days of summer, a wrap-up

By Linda Tooth on August 23, 2023.

When I first thought of teaching Organizational Behavior to the Service Dog cohort, I really had no idea what to expect.

Would the dogs come to class?

What would I do with a classroom of students and dogs?

I’m glad to say that as we wrap up this four-week summer session, I feel I am the one who learned the most.

First, when the students brought their dogs to class the mood of everyone, especially me changed. The calming effect and happiness of everyone in the class was felt.

Pet therapy is a hot topic among educational institutions. Students and staff come to school every day carrying a burden like I have never seen before. These dogs though in training can put a smile on peoples faces.

I have spoken with the executive and management teams at Medicine Hat College about a cat café for that very same reason. I have met with a bit of resistance on the implementation of a permanent structure on campus, but rest assured I will continue. Students have moved away from home, most for the first time and have left not only their families behind, but they have also left their pets.

Excluding the Service Dog cohort, pets are not allowed in residences so for many they are going back to their rooms, and it is a very lonely experience.

Second, not all students are alike and as an educator you must be aware of that and amend your teaching expectations to fit the needs of the learner. This cohort has a desire to be the first to train these dogs so they may go on to live a life helping those who truly need them.

The commands and actions of these students are amazing as they work with their dogs in my classroom. Even though I deviated from what I originally thought I would teach at the beginning of August, I feel what we discussed and implemented in Organizational Behavior will help them as they navigate their way through this ever-changing world.

I’ve had a couple of what I call ‘life changing’ events happen in my classroom over the years, and I feel that this experience is one of the top three.

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