Story Dogs program to have ‘pawsitive’ effect in Toowoomba

A PROGRAM which helps boost kids’ literacy skills by getting them to read to a story dog has come to Toowoomba.

Story Dogs Toowoomba co-ordinator Petra Westphal and her dog Holly visit schools to help kids with reading.

IS YOUR dog a great listener who loves to be around children? If so, Story Dogs is looking for you.

Having started in Murwillumbah in 2009, the Story Dogs program is now heading to Toowoomba to help give students a confidence boost.

Still in the beginning phase, the Story Dogs team will soon head into Toowoomba schools to conduct individual reading sessions, where Year 2 students are encouraged to read a book to the dog.

The reading sessions are for individual students selected by the school and aim to help boost confidence by creating a non-judgemental reading environment.

Toowoomba co-ordinator Petra Westphal and her greyhound Holly have been a part of the program for five years and have recently relocated to the city from the Sunshine Coast.

“With me relocating to Toowoomba, I thought I could probably use some of the skills I have built up and try to make a difference to the Toowoomba community as well,” Ms Westphal said.
“The program centres on the dog being the relaxing factor in the reading relationship.

“It’s for students who are struggling with their reading, either falling behind or just not having a lot of confidence.”

Ms Westphal said she had seen students come on in leaps and bounds during the program.

“The children really look forward to the visit from their story dog every week,” she said.

“It’s a very relaxing way to learn - it’s about having fun and the interaction with the dog.

“The dog is not going to laugh if you make a mistake and the dog doesn’t mind if you are reading slow or fast.”

They were now looking for some local volunteers with dogs of their own to join the program.

“We would love some volunteers who are able to commit to one and a half hours per week, with a dog that’s calm, relaxed and can cope with a school environment - we need a regular commitment because the children look forward to their dog coming each week,” she said.

“The dogs also enjoy it, they can sense it’s story dogs time as soon as their coat comes out -their tails start wagging and they can’t wait to get into the car.

“With COVID-19, we are waiting for schools to find their feet and get back into a routine, so if we could start with the volunteers then by the time schools have the post-COVID-19 pattern in place we might be able to start.”

Those interested in volunteering with the program can visit storydogs.org.au or contact Ms Westphal on 0419 137 716.