A new, fluffy, four-legged member has been added to the Uron family’s home on campus. Nurse Billie Jo Uron welcomed her new dog “Boone” into the family a few weeks ago and plans for him to have a career as a therapy dog.
The eleven-week-old Bernese Mountain dog came from one of Uron’s friends, who is a breeder, in New Paris, Pennsylvania. The Uron family plans to get Boone certified as a therapy dog so that they can take him to nursing homes and similar places. However, before he can start his training, Boone has to get used to being a dog in general, growing into his big paws and fluffy coat and learn how to walk without sitting in the road.
This new addition is exciting for almost everyone in the Uron family. Their youngest cat, Weasley, enjoys playing with the puppy. However, the older cat, Nymphadora Tonks, does not enjoy Boone’s company at all and tends to hiss at him. While Tonks might not be the biggest fan, Uron’s sons were thrilled about the puppy. “Kian has asked for a dog for ten years,” Uron says, “so he’s very excited to have a dog.”
The horses on campus are not too sure of Boone walking on their road, but he is certainly interested in them and is still looking for a horse to befriend.
Students are welcome to play with Boone anytime they want. He will also be one of the dogs on campus–joining Dr. Findley’s dog Lizzie and Dr. Boudreau’s dog Auggie–that kids can walk for added deportment points. Hejust needs to get used to walking on a leash first.
Therapy dogs in school settings have already had great effects on the student body at Grier. Ms. Crago, the Dean of Counseling, Wellness, and Residential Life, added a new addition to her home before the start of the school year. Daisy Sunshine Crago hangs out in Ms. Crago’s office during the school day and is available to provide comfort for students who need something cuddly, cute and loving to pick up their spirits.
Research has proven that there are major benefits of human-animal interactions. The NIH’s News in Health noted in 2018 that over half of U.S. households have a pet and these have been linked to enhance social skills and social emotional health. Additionally, a 2017 research paper from Georgia Southern University, shows that dogs can help students relax and become more open to learning. The paper says, “Students from the dog group read at a significantly higher reading comprehension age than the students in all three other groups.”
While Boone will have therapy dog training in the future, right now his training is not too different from any other puppies. He is still learning the basics, including potty training, walking on a leash, and socializing with strangers whom he doesn’t know. Uron is teaching him to sit before receiving attention early on because he will end up being a very big dog. He will be starting puppy school as soon as he is fully vaccinated, and any student is encouraged to come say hi and pet him now, as this interaction will help with his training.
Uron saw first hand the benefits of having a therapy dog when she worked in a long-term care facility. She also saw them when working with special needs students at another school. “It always brightened their day,” Uron said, “and I want to be a part of making people happy.”
