Reading to the animals Reading to the animals (November 29, 2002)

Library program uses dogs as listeners
by Teresa Brown

It was an uncommon sight at the Pleasanton Public Library - children quietly sitting on over-sized pillows here and there on the floor, each deep in concentration and reading to a furry, four-legged partner and its companion.

It was all part of Paws to Read, an innovative pilot reading program that uses therapy dogs to increase reading skills among children between grades one to five.

"As the library staff, we're enjoying being involved with the program," said Kathy Maio, head of children's services at the library.

The program was patterned after one launched in Salt Lake City in 1999, she explained. "They did some tracking of scores and working with the schools. The dog teams went to the schools. For the kids that participated on a weekly basis, their reading scores improved tremendously. Their social skills also improved, as well as their confidence."

The library and Valley Humane Society jointly sponsor the program, which has participating children pair off with a trained therapy dog, coupled with the dog's handler, who is known as the "Big Buddy," for a one-on-one 20-minute reading session.

"The first five minutes the kids get to know the handler and the dog and then they pick out a book and read to the dog," Maio said. "We even had one child reading in Chinese."

As in other therapy programs, the handlers accompanied the well-groomed dogs, which have been tested and evaluated for health, personality and temperament. All of the dogs are from the humane society's Pet Therapy program, she said, which was organized in 1991. Through the program, dogs and their handlers visit Tri-Valley hospitals, convalescent facilities and adult day cares.

The handlers also received special training. They learn how to listen to the children read, what to do if the children get stuck on a word, or what to do if a child picks out a book above his or her reading level.

"Everything went much more smoothly than expected," Maio said of the first sessions. "The dogs caught on really fast. They are used to a more active routine, walking from bed to bed, but they fit right in and didn't miss a beat."

The canines ranged from a pint-sized shih tzu and a stout basset hound to golden retrievers and mixed breeds.

Although the sessions were not heavily publicized (to keep the dog and children ratio balanced evenly), the sessions were well attended. "We're pleased with the response," Maio said. "We had more people than we thought."

Not only are parents calling to get their children into the program, dog owners are responding. "I had people e-mail us last week. We've had a lot of response real fast." Maio said they now have 19 dog teams volunteering for the sessions.

During any one session, from five to 10 dogs were available to partner with a child. Although the pilot sessions ended Nov. 21, Maio said, the program will probably return permanently after the first of the year.

Pleasanton's is one of the first California public libraries to offer the program, which has been adopted by schools and libraries in 15 states. The program is based upon the belief that people benefit from the use of therapy animals.