The Power of Dog

It still amazes me how one dog can bring out a completely different side of a person.

I was subbing for a sick colleague and brought Bingo to class. This class happened to have a couple of boys who other teachers seem to have lots of problems with, but whenever they see me and Bingo, I only see the dog loving side of them: gentle and sweet. They asked if the coat could come off and I said it would if everyone was going to work quietly. So they did and I took Bingo's coat off. One by one, they came up to see Bingo.

Their tone of voice, their gentle touch, the way they talk about their dogs as they pet him is so very different from the raucous behaviour I have glimpsed in the student lounge where they are seniors boys and very dominant males. But with Bingo, they are gentle little lambs.

I mentioned this to one of my colleagues and she remarked, "Well, I would have lost money on that bet!"

Bringing Bingo to school is a great exercise for Bingo in that it allows me to do on the job training with him all day, but I'm finding that the rewards for our school community are much greater and more intangible and far reaching. I can see it in the faces of the students and teachers who smile at us when we pass or who call out his name. He has made their day just by being at school.



How great is that?