ABSTRACT
Kotrschal and Ortbauer (2003) tested the behavioral effects of the presence of a dog in a classroom. One of three dogs was introduced alternately into a class at an elementary school in Vienna, Austria, attended by 24 children (14 boys and 10 girls; mean age of 6.7 years). The group of children was of multiethnic background, and most of the children came from first-generation immigrant families. The dogs in the study were a male retriever (5 years old), a female husky (3 years old), and a female cross-breed (8 months old). They were all owned by the main classroom teacher and were all certified therapy dogs. The dogs were “gentle and friendly with the children who were allowed to interact with the dogs in a respectful way at any time. It was only when the dog was on its mat that the children were asked to leave the dog alone. At the start of the project, children were instructed about the dogs needs and were shown how to care for and handle the dogs” (p. 150). The children’s behavior “was videotaped for two hours every week, during ‘open teaching situations,’ first during a one-month control period in the absence of dogs, followed by an experimental period of similar duration, when a dog was present in the classroom. Frequency and duration of all observable behaviors of individuals and their interactions were coded from these tapes” (p. 147). Significant positive effects were found from the presence of the dog in the classroom. The group became socially more homogenous due to decreased behavioral extremes, such as aggressiveness and hyperactivity; formerly withdrawn individuals became socially more integrated. The researchers found these effects to be more pronounced for the boys than the girls. Also, even though the children spent considerable time watching and making contact with the dog, they also paid more attention to the teacher. The researchers concluded that the presence of a dog in the classroom positively stimulated social cohesion and improved teaching conditions (Kotrschal & Ortbauer, 2003).
