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A school's best friend Dogs assist social workers, nurses and teachers
Feburary 3, 2005 Students at Pine Bush Elementary School in Guilderland , Albany County , sit with their favorite dog, Miss Siggy, named after the father of psychoanalysis. On her daily sojourn to Pine Bush Elementary, Miss Siggy walks the hall proudly, her soulful eyes softening the gazes of those who pass by. Students visit her for her calming hugs. When a young student has a burden her narrow shoulders can't bear, she can head to the office of social worker Catherine Ricchetti and burrow into the soft, tawny tufts of Miss Siggy's coat. The school's new therapy dog is ready. "Some kids can't talk with people about problems," said Alex Luciano, a fourth-grader. "Dogs can't laugh or tell other people." "Yeah, and when a dog kisses you, they're glad that you told them," added Ryker Bodo, a third-grader at the school in Guilderland. Dogs calm students who are sick, acting out, shy or frustrated. Some just need unconditional affection. "In this crazy, mixed-up world, if you can find something to make things gentler, you should use it," said Ricchetti, sitting in a wee chair at a student table, Miss Siggy at her side. "She's my magic wand." Named after Sigmund Freud, Miss Siggy is an 11-month-old golden doodle, a mix of poodle and golden retriever. Ricchetti keeps the dog in her office at the end of a long hall insulated by color-zapped lockers. Homework Before succumbing to puppy love, Ricchetti did what students do: homework. She researched breeds, choosing the golden doodle for gentleness, intelligence and distinction as a service dog. Its hair is less likely to agitate allergies than fur. With the support of principal Martha Beck, she asked the school board to allow the program. Then Ricchetti's local, the Guilderland Central Teachers Association, embraced her plan with a $500 grant. The 490-member union has a grant program called Our Heart's Desire, funding projects or conferences to enhance members' personal and professional growth, said President Chris Claus. Helping to purchase and train Miss Siggy was a perfect fit. The Community Foundation of the Capital Region added money for spaying, construction of a fenced-in area behind the school and training. Pine Bush students did a "Pennies for the Puppy" fund-raiser. Miss Siggy is trained to walk up to another dog and stay calm, and be left with a stranger. Like the students, she has exams to pass: an upcoming Therapy Dog International certification includes the ultimate test of walking past a toddler with a hot dog. A convert Helping Ricchetti with the dog's training is second-grader Leonard Bopp, who was initially reluctant, having once been bitten by a dog. Working with his mother, Ricchetti started by keeping the dog in its crate whenever Leonard visited. Eventually, he warmed up to Miss Siggy. "There are several children with dog fears," Ricchetti said. "I have met each of them personally and told them I would memorize their faces and keep myself between them and the dog whenever I saw them in the hall." To alleviate allergy concerns, Ricchetti brushes the dog's hair daily at home. Miss Siggy has met all students, who have been taught basic commands. She goes to reading class, where apprehensive students can pet her while sounding out words. The purebred is a regular in the office of school nurse Anne Mastro, who has a crate for her. The dog calms sick children. "Sigmund is school-based, not just for social work," Ricchetti said. The puppy's powers of transformation have made their mark. When a girl who is school-phobic was having a tough day, Ricchetti left the dog with her in the nurse's office and went to call her mom. Then she took the tyke outside to play fetch with Miss Siggy. "I let her run out her anger and anxiety," Ricchetti said. But she still didn't want to go class. "I said, 'You're a student, and students go to class, so you need to go.' She said "Can Miss Siggy walk me?'" Off they went. "Without Miss Siggy, it could take two hours of work to get this little girl to class," said the soft-spoken Ricchetti. Another day, a learning-disabled boy was throwing tantrums. "They asked me to bring the dog. I went in and said 'Miss Sigmund heard you crying and was worried.' Within five minutes he calmed down. I asked him to come down to my office and get her a toy, to give him a break and get him out of the environment." Because his teaching assistant, Jill Dodo, is a dog trainer, the boy returned to class with Miss Siggy for a half-hour. "Now if he's getting upset, they ask him if he wants to see Miss Sigmund," Ricchetti said. — Liza Frenette |
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