Libraries, kids, books ... and dogs?

Dogs lend nonjudgmental ears to developing readers

By Deb Stone
The Portland Upside
January 2010

Photo by Robert Holcomb

The Read to the Dogs Program provides a relaxed atmosphere where students like 11-year-old Lili Morrisey can develop their reading skills.

If a dog went to the library for story time, what kind of book would he likely hear? We asked to tag along as Alan Mitchell, a volunteer with the DoveLewis Animal Assisted Therapy and Education Program and his dog Wally partnered up for a day at Belmont Library. Alan is an attorney specializing in construction law. Wally is a 7-year-old Golden Retriever. Every three to four weeks the dog-and-handler team listens to children read aloud.

Although Wally was one of 14 pups in his litter bred and trained for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the standards demand a rigorous combination of health, skill, and behavioral qualities. After two years of training, only three dogs in Wally’s litter qualified. The other 11, including Wally, entered the guide dog Career Change Program. When Alan and his wife Lynn Davis adopted Wally at age two, they made a commitment to keep him involved in some type of community service. Alan thought he would like to volunteer at the children’s hospital, but the requirements for the program were incompatible with his and Lynn’s work schedules. Then he heard about DoveLewis’ Read to the Dogs Program. He loved the idea.

“I’m a library geek,” says Alan. “I love to read, and the Belmont Library is close enough for Wally and I to walk.”

The pair attended training at DoveLewis to certify Wally as a therapy dog. He was tested on his ability to sit quietly, engage gently with a variety of ages and personalities of people, and tolerate occasional rough handling in a chaotic environment. Wally passed with flying colors.

The award-winning Read to the Dogs Program provides a relaxed environment and nonjudgmental listeners for children learning to read aloud. Research shows that being in the presence of a dog decreases physiological stress. The mere presence of a dog can moderate cardiovascular responses such as blood pressure and rate of respiration. The ability of dogs to use facial cues in human attention creates a sense of social support. Sociological studies in the late seventies showed that therapy dogs acted as catalysts to smooth social encounters by providing support and nurturance with eye contact, friendly licks, and a willingness to be held and petted.

Other studies have shown that reading aloud to peers increases stress in early readers because children fear being judged by their peers and evaluated aloud by adults. In such cases, children may become avoidant readers. But unlike peers, dogs never tease or belittle readers. The child always knows more than the dog about the book being read. This provides an opportunity for the child to be the one who knows most. It is an opportunity, says program director Heather Toland, for children to “be a star.”

According to Heather, DoveLewis has about 40 active Read to the Dog teams in the Portland area, serving 12 library branches and a handful of elementary schools. The teams operate through the generosity of donations to provide training, printed materials, screening and certification testing of dogs. Multnomah County Library covers the cost of T-shirts, bandanas, bookmarks, appointment cards, and reading certificates. The program started in June 2001, based on a model from the Salt Lake City area.

In 2009, Literary Arts awarded DoveLewis’ Read to the Dogs Program the Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award for their encouragement to emerging readers.
For reluctant readers, the experience can provide the confidence they need to overcome their fear of reading aloud. Alan enjoys seeing readers return with their improving skills. They will often be shy during a first reading, but by the second or third, Alan says, they are showing Wally pictures or whispering in his ear.

The Belmont Public Library provides a comfortable corner in the children’s room with two beanbag chairs—one for Alan and one for the child—and a space for Wally to curl up and listen. Students sign up beforehand for a 25 minute reading session. They receive appointment cards with a photo of Wally to help them remember their special time.

Lili Morrisey is an 11-year-old student at Childpeace Montessori in Portland. She has read to Wally several times. For this Saturday, she chose three favorite books from home.

“Lili is such an expressive reader,” according to Alan.

Wally seemed most attentive when Lili read Martha and Skits by Susan Meddagh, a story about a talking dog whose baby brother yearns to emulate her older sister’s talent for human speech. The best thing about reading to Wally, says Lili, is that “he always listens.”

Eight-year-old Lupita Englander selected books in the library for her Wally time. One of the books she chose to read was a Lemony Snicket tale: The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story. Alan was impressed at Lupita’s ability to read this complex story about a potato pancake that takes its fate into its own hands.

“This was a challenging book,” says Alan, who intermittently stopped to help Lupita sound out a difficult word.

Asked how it feels to read to Wally, Lupita responds, “It feels nice and calm.”

When Alan is not listening with Wally at the Belmont Library, he volunteers as a hearings officer for the Multnomah County Animal Services agency. His favorite books to read are science fiction. Wally doesn’t have a favorite genre. He spends his non-library days at Alan’s office and occasionally at doggy day care where he romps with friends. One afternoon on a walk, Wally met Lupita’s dog Rosie. The dogs sniffed a bit, but did not talk books. It was Wally’s day off.

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Children can read to a dog at Multnomah County Libraries by registering for an appointment in advance. Dates, times, and locations are available at http://multcolib.org/events/readdogs.html or call your local branch.

For info about participating in the Read to the Dogs Program, contact Heather Toland at 971-255-5910 or visit them online at http://dovelewis.org/programs/Read_To_Dogs.aspx
To find out more about adopting a career change guide dog, go to http:/guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_dog_adoption or call 800-295-4050.

Deb Stone is a freelance writer from Beavercreek, Oregon, whose work has appeared in The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, Asylum, Oregon Gourmet Foods, Poetic Voices, Kid-Bits and Willamette Writers.