Mabel the therapy dog: Te Rōhutu Whio school, Rolleston
One Rolleston school has an unusual staff member. Mabel works full-time as a therapy dog and reading buddy.
At Te Rōhutu Whio school in Rolleston, one of the most reassuring faces belongs to Mabel, a therapy dog who for three years has been offering students comfort, companionship and a patient audience.
“I’m certain she’s our most popular member of staff,” says Kaihautū Principal Kate Morgan.
The decision to introduce Mabel as a school dog was to support emotional well-being, foster empathy, and promote responsibility among students, Kate says, pointing to international research that highlights the positive effects of dogs in educational settings. Interacting with therapy dogs has been shown to significantly increase activity in the the prefrontal cortex of the human brain, which helps regulate social and emotional processing, attention and stress reduction.
“Using the prefrontal cortex gives children an advantage to learn their maths and literacy skills,” Kate says.
Mabel’s training for her role was done by an expert dog handler from Husky Rescue, which trains the team of huskies that work at the International Antarctic Centre. “She’s exceptionally well trained,” says Kate. “She will not steal a Marmite sandwich.”
Mabel’s work is often as simple as a cuddle and sympathetic ear. “If a student has had a bad day, they’ll lie down and snuggle with her,” Kate says.
Mabel also goes out for walks with the children and has a special role with reluctant readers. “She’s great for those kids who are really shy and won’t read to anyone. They will read to Mabel instead,” Kate explains. For a child who’s feeling self-conscious, she makes a great listener: she doesn’t rush them or mind if they stumble.
A much-loved part of the school day, Mabel’s latest training is learning commands in te reo Māori. “Because she’s got all the English words sorted,” Kate says.
She’s featured on the Te Rōhutu Whio website and has done so well that the school is bringing in more therapy dogs. By 2027, there will be four dogs across the school. To find out more, go to terohutuwhio.school.nz.
