Puppy Love during Midterms

Who let the dogs out? If it’s December, it must be the Duchesne Upper School.

Duchesne Academy has a fun (and furry) way to help students cope with the stress of midterms. Before the break, students were treated to an afternoon of tail-wagging good times. Ms. Kate Conlan, the Upper School counselor, organized this stress-relief therapy session. She said that “petting and holding those happy dogs can give us some relief to allow us to ‘reset’ and jump back into our work.”

The reasoning behind the method is that when we are stressed, we lose trust in ourselves and worry about all of the possible outcomes that the future might bring. The self-confidence we lose during times of stress can be hard to regain. However, dogs love us unconditionally. When students take time to play with therapy dogs, they forget their worries, at least temporarily, and focus on the dog, allowing them time to build up their faith in themselves.

It’s nice to know that when times get rough, love is just a tail-wag away.