The dog days of summer are not far away but during the school year two support dogs help Amherst students make it through their day. 

Pip and River walk the school hallways 2-3 times per week. The younger kids, especially those in elementary school, love to greet River, who is owned by the principal Sheryl Oleson. When River is not at school, Oleson is continually asked, “Where is River?” (Like 15 times per day, according to Olseon.)

Registering dogs to become therapy animals is a long and involved process. Registering River to be a therapy dog took 12 weeks; Pip was registered in about 9 weeks.

River is an English Labrador Retriever, and her coat color is black. She was chosen to be a therapy dog for her loving, intuitive, and gentle care around children. Another reason she is a therapy dog is because she was trained and bred for her job. Therapy dogs in public schools “are essential to a positive culture,” according to Oleson.

Pip on the other hand, is a doodleman, which is half doberman and poodle. Pip is usually at school 3-4 days a week, and typically helps kids in Mrs. Peterson’s room. While spending time at school, she gets many people to pet her and smile when they see her. 

The process for Pip to be registered as a therapy dog was quite different from Rivers’ registry. Not only was it three weeks faster but it was also easier to obtain Pip. 

Pip is a very loved dog who spends time with kids in need of some outward means to alleviate anxiety. 

“Pip was chosen because she was a very calm dog,” said high school principal Mike Klieforth. Not only is she very calm, but she is also very good at controlling her temper. When she first came to Amherst, she was very shy and just sat down during the passing time in between classes.

When asked about his opinion on dogs being allowed in public schools, Mr. Klieforth added, “I think it is a great thing because it has been proven to help kids.”