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DOLLY THE GOLDEN DOODLE
“Dolly is our campus therapy dog in training,” Rice High School Principal Erron Mahone said. “She is a golden doodle that Mr. (Josh) Chollett is training vigorously to become a full-service one.”
The idea of having a therapy dog on campus was previously brought up by Superintendent Kendall Center when he was the high school principal.
The idea was revisited by welding teacher Josh Chollett, who began considering it over the summer and received permission from Mahone and Center to move forward.
TRAINING ON BOTH SIDES
Chollett said he acquired Dolly over the summer.
“Dolly’s parents were used as therapy dogs in Cy-Fair ISD by the ag teacher that was there,” Chollett said. “Initially, I’d said we didn’t need another dog at home. Turns out my wife and the teacher I know in Cy-Fair had already talked, and I purchased Dolly over the summer from her.”
Chollett said as he learned more about the program Dolly’s parents were part of, he thought it might be a good match for Rice.
“I talked to Mr. Mahone and Mr. Center about the opportunity, and they seemed to be on board with it,” Chollett said.
He then contacted several therapy dog certification programs and was referred to the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals since Dolly would be used in a professional setting rather than as part of a volunteer program.
Dolly has been at Rice with Chollett since late September. She stays at the ag building during class time and goes home with Chollett at the end of the day.
“We are currently bringing her to school to acclimate her to the school setting while she is young. She is housebroken and knows basic commands,” Chollett said.
Chollett also utilizes students in the ag department to help care for her.
THERAPY DOG, NOT SERVICE DOG
Dolly is currently 4 months old and has been training for the last couple of weeks. She will be eligible to test for certification as a therapy dog after she reaches 1 year of age.
Chollett said it is important to understand the distinction between therapy and service dogs.
“Therapy dogs are not service dogs and do not get the same rights and privileges as such,” he said. “Therefore, we are operating on the permission of the administration to explore having a therapy dog in our school setting.”
“Once the AKC Good Citizen certification skills are mastered, we will be working on the Certified Animal Assisted Intervention Specialist and our Professional Team Certification when she turns one,” Chollett said.
HOW TO GET A THERAPY DOG
The process of bringing a therapy dog into a school begins with an assessment of the school’s climate and culture. A school could then obtain a dog to train or one that is already fully trained through a therapy dog breeder or organization. A dog with a temperament suited for working with children, such as a golden retriever or golden doodle, can be a good fit.
“A lot of students are coping with mental health struggles, and this is just one thing in our arsenal that we try to offer support and one of our many approaches,” Mahone said. “Chollett works with agriculture and animals, which made it perfect for him to help train Dolly. This is part of an ongoing strategy to help the mental needs of our students.”
