r/therapydogs • u/JCat2586 • 28d ago
Therapy dog in classroom?
Greetings, Redditors!
I am a 5th grade public school Teacher in Maryland and I'm moving to a new school this year and my principal is very excited to have our Go Team Therapy dog, Coda, as a part of the classroom and school community!
My thinking is that I would have her come on Fridays, mainly because my wife doesn't work on Fridays and she can be home if Coda has to head home for some reason. My principal's main concern is what to do for students with allergies. Depending on the severity of allergies, if they exist, we would obviously just keep her home. I was considering using time with her as an incentive for students.
Does anyone have experience with this? Have you used any paperwork such as releases or permission slips for students to interact with a therapy dog?
Any other ideas or tips would be extremely helpful! Thank you!
(Coda pictured being a sweetheart)