Read to a Dog

I had read about libraries using dogs to promote reading and was eager to try it at our library. My goal was to provide a safe, comforting, private space for a child (and family, if they desire) to read to a non-judgmental therapy dog to encourage the child’s reading skills, confidence and love of reading.

I was in the process of getting my own dog certified with Therapy Dogs International during this time, so I was learning about the program from the handler's point of view, as well. I recommend starting months in advance to get approval from library administration and to find a volunteer team of handlers and dogs. 

Make sure your therapy dog team is certified with a reputable organization like Therapy Dogs International or Pet Partners. These organizations will put out the call to local volunteer handlers, and the volunteer handlers will get in touch. Both organizations require the dogs to pass a test verifying that they are friendly, well-behaved and up to date on all their shots. The organizations also carry insurance on their volunteers in the unlikely event of an incident.  

Both the handler and dog should be well-suited to reading assistance — calm and patient. This is not reading instruction; the human handler only intervenes if a child asks a question such as, “What is that word?” It is helpful to have a few teams you can call on in case something comes up with either the human or the dog.

Beginning two weeks prior to the program, children can register for a 15-minute time slot.