Dogs Connect is an Australia-first learning program that helps improve the culture in schools by focusing on student well-being and connectedness.

Former Bendigo primary school teacher and Dogs Connect founder, Grant Shannon, launched the program in 2015 with a passion to make a positive change in schools. 

“After working as a primary school teacher for over a decade, the need for Dogs Connect was born to help students feel more connected and engaged in their school environment,” Mr. Shannon said.

Dogs Connect is based on academic research around student wellbeing and applied learning combined with experience in a broad range of teaching and behavioral management practices.

Unlike the therapy dog programs, this program involves introducing a dog as a permanent member of the school’s community as a teaching and learning tool. The Dogs Connect team work very closely with the school to design a program to meet the specific needs of the students and staff. This could be anything from sadness and anxiety, to not wanting to go to school, hyperactivity, tantrums or being easily distracted. The main learning themes covered in the program are empathy, awareness of others and self, self-regulation and reactivity.

“We are thrilled that ten regional Victorian schools have used the program to help their students feel more connected to their school environment, to help them to cope with negative emotions, to be calmer and happier and achieve deeper learning,” he said.

Program data shows a significant decrease in anxiety and stress, and improvement in school attendance. Further, a substantial increase in students’ understanding of empathy, relationship between heart rate and emotional states, and how to practice regulation. Other results indicate an increase in engagement, attentiveness towards teachers, and a general calming effect for students and staff.

The Dogs Connect program is currently working on a research partnership with La Trobe University Bendigo to contribute to the growing evidence that supports the use of dogs as tools for teaching and learning support in school settings.

“Schools are complex organisations with growing numbers of learners with special needs and challenging behaviors. The Dogs Connect Program utilises dogs as a tool for improving and engaging (cognitively, behaviorally and affectively) students in their learning”, says Dr. Bruce Pridham, Lecturer in Learning Theory and Indigenous Education La Trobe University Bendigo.

“The program helps build learner self-efficacy with a focus on building emotional intelligence and resilience. Through the Dogs Connect Program we have identified improvements in student behavior, attitudes towards learning and their connection to school, he said.

Dogs Connect has been working with a variety of Catholic, State Primary schools and Secondary schools, including schools funded through School Focused Youth Services

Co-ordinators through the Berry Street Child and Family Services Organisation and Kildonan Uniting. This semester seven schools in Victoria have joined the Dogs Connect community.

Andrew Frawley, Principal California Gully Primary School.

“Wellbeing for California Gully Primary School is an area for consistent development and the goals of Dogs Connect aligned perfectly with our current initiatives. Like all schools a continual focus of all children being ‘ready to learn’ sets up positive experiences for all at school. Working with Grant to further develop and build strategies for individual students, classes and our wider community underpins our connection with Dogs Connect.  We recognise the need to build authentic experiences for all and strongly believe that Dogs Connect will significantly support this goal,” said Mr Frawley.

Mr. Tim Moloney Principal of St Francis Primary School, Strathfieldsaye.

“It’s not just about bringing a dog into the classroom, it goes to a much deeper level than that. The benefits to students and staff have been extraordinary.”

Anna Garlick, Wellbeing Worker, St Peter’s Primary School Bendigo

“I had been working one on one with a young man in Grade 5 who was continually displaying harmful behaviors and was disengaged from his classroom.  I had heard about Grant’s work with Sonny and arranged for the young man and I to visit the school to spend some time with them.  Grant spent over half the day with this boy and with Sonny.  The result after such a short time was truly amazing. The young fella made a poster about Sonny and presented it to the class – it was the very first time he had stood up in front of this own class.”

For further information, please contact Grant Shannon on 0438 374 759 or grant@dogsconnect.net.au.