Exploring the Impact of a Therapy Dog-Assisted Social and Emotional Learning Intervention in a School Setting

This thesis explores the impact of a therapy dog-assisted Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) intervention on children’s social competence and wellbeing in a mainstream school setting. Overall, the findings suggest that therapy dog-assisted interventions in schools can have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing, such as an improvement in learning SEL skills, improved perceived changes in attitude towards friends and themselves, enhanced skills in emotion regulation and by helping to make the learning environment more enjoyable. This thesis provides a practical structure and recommendations for how a therapy dog can be integrated into the SEL curriculum to support student wellbeing.