Dogs

I’m convinced that every experiential program out there, every program that deals with kids in general, needs a well mannered dog.  I laud schools in Maine that now permit teachers to take keep their dogs in the classroom.

Dogs are forgiving and understanding.  When a kid has misbehaved, when he feels like he’ll never understand fractions, when her best friend won’t talk to her, when nobody in the world understands, the most normal human reaction is to go hug the dog.  Those few moments of tenderness, happiness, warmth, or just quiet while you scratch the furry ears or allow your hand to be licked can bring the whole day back into perspective.  And studies are back, children with asthma who are raised with a dog in the home are found to be less likely to be asthmatic as adults.

Sometimes we all need a break from the human race.