Meet Bear - Our School Dog

Harris Academy Riverside are proud to introduce you to our school dog. 

This is Bear.

He is a ‘Golden Doodle’, a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle.  At around 43kg he is a gentle giant, a huge bundle of licks and love.

Repeated studies show that school dogs can have an enormously positive impact on a school.  Bear has  been prioritised to the Senior Leadership Team, SEN department and Behaviour Team who use them to work with some of our more vulnerable students.  Children experiencing emotional trauma or struggling to cope with autism or other learning issues often find the company of a dog to be transformative.  Bear is often taken for short walks by students and read to by reluctant readers; they listen patiently in therapy sessions and help to de-escalate anxious students.

We have of course completed a risk assessment to make sure his  presence is a safe one – measures are in place such as hand washing and an adult will always be present.   Bear is described as ‘hypo-allergenic’ which reduces the risk of allergic reactions considerably.  However, we do take appropriate measures to ensure that anyone with an allergy is kept away from him.

Similarly, if a child has a genuine dog phobia, we either make sure they have no contact, or we try to help by using our counsellor and Bear to overcome this anxiety. 

Bear has made many new friends since joining the academy and are always looking forward to making new ones.