It’s a Wednesday morning and the Year 6 students at Pacific Lutheran College are quietly getting on with their day.
The children are working through lessons as conversations drift around the room. One boy, feeling a little overwhelmed, has dropped his head into his hands. On observing this action, a familiar face settles in beside the boy to help regulate his emotions.
You could be forgiven for assuming the support has come from a counsellor or wellbeing staff member. Instead, stretched out patiently on the classroom floor is Koda – a golden retriever with a wagging tail and an ability to appear exactly where he seems to be needed.
“It’s like he just knows when we are feeling anxious or worried,” says the 12-year-old student.
“He just comes and sits right there and it is the best. He’s just so calming.”
Not surprisingly, Koda is a much-loved member of the college community. Since arriving as Pacific Lutheran College’s wellbeing dog in September 2023, he has become a regular presence across classrooms and learning spaces, offering comfort, connection and support to students, staff and families.
Full disclosure: I’m also a mum to students at the college, which means I’ve seen Koda from two perspectives – as a journalist and as a parent.
I’ve observed firsthand the positive difference that four-year-old Koda makes in the school environment.
In the comfort of the college’s Learning Enrichment Centre, students curl up beside the retriever, waiting for a signal they can pat him – the students are educated about how to approach and interact with Koda respectfully.
Others stop and greet Koda with smiles as he is guided through the grounds.
Sara Taverner, head of the Learning Enrichment Centre, says Koda is much more than just a friendly face. “Whether supporting students through anxious moments before an exam, helping during stressful periods of the school year or simply offering companionship, Koda helps students feel more regulated, grounded and at ease,” she says.
For Sara and the Pacific Lutheran College community, Koda’s role was never about bringing a novelty to campus. It was about creating another avenue of support for students and staff and recognising the value animals can bring to wellbeing.
“Koda’s calm and affectionate nature helps create opportunities for engagement, particularly for students who may otherwise struggle to communicate or connect with others. Spending time with him provides a gentle and reassuring presence, helping students feel safe, settled and supported. We have observed that when students are upset or overwhelmed, interacting with Koda often helps them regulate their emotions and regain a sense of calm.”
For some students, that support might involve quietly sitting beside Koda before heading into class. For others, it means taking him for a short walk around the grounds or simply spending a few minutes together after a difficult moment.
“His gentle presence helps bridge the gap between students and staff, creating an atmosphere where students feel safe, supported and more comfortable reaching out for help when needed,” Sara tells salt.
“One moment that really stayed with us involved a Year 12 student who was feeling very anxious ahead of sitting a final exam. Sitting quietly with Koda and gently patting him helped the student calm their breathing, reduce their anxiety and feel more settled and ready to walk into the exam.
“Another particularly memorable moment came earlier in the year during Koda’s initial transition into the school community. Koda spent a significant amount of time with a Year 12 student as he settled into college life. Over that period, their bond became so strong that Koda ‘asked’ the student – through his close attachment and instinctive connection with them – to be part of their school formal. It was a very cute and unforgettable moment that beautifully captured the unique relationships Koda forms with students.”
It is this mutual respect that Sunshine Coast dog trainer and behaviourist Jodi Maree-Cronin wants more people to understand.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is seeing dogs simply as tools that exist for people,” she says.
“The relationship should benefit both.”
As more animals begin appearing in schools, hospitals, counselling spaces and healthcare settings, they are increasingly becoming part of conversations around wellbeing. Jodi says, while many people recognise the benefits, the language around these dogs often becomes blurred.
Therapy dog. Assistance dog. Wellbeing dog. Support dog. The terms are often used interchangeably, but Jodi says the differences matter – not only for people, but for the dogs themselves.
A retired doctor and educator, Jodi’s path into animal-assisted therapy began in a personal way. Following years of working in high-pressure environments as a first responder, she developed PTSD and later began training her own assistance dog, Benni, before launching her training business, Dogz 4 Life.
“Someone said to me at some point, ‘You’re like my therapist. You’re helping me manage my anxiety and stress, as well as train my dog’,” she says. “That really hit me.”
That experience led Jodi to establish P3 Play Paws Psychotherapy, a dog-assisted therapy service, that includes Benni the German short-haired pointer, Bella the moodle and Freya the cavoodle.
Jodi has also developed her own framework, known as Canine Integrative Relational Therapy.
She now works with children, adults and families, alongside therapy and assistance dogs, helping support people navigating trauma, neurodivergence and a range of life challenges.
Importantly, she is quick to point out that not every dog working in these spaces has the same role.
“A therapy dog is trained to provide emotional and practical support in settings such as hospitals and counselling spaces,” she explains.
“An assistance dog is trained to perform specific tasks that help lessen the impact of a person’s disability and increase independence.”
Guide dogs may be the first example that comes to mind, but psychiatric assistance dogs are becoming increasingly common, alongside dogs trained to support people with autism, seizure disorders and physical disabilities.
And wellbeing dogs, like Koda, occupy another category entirely.
“Koda is not a therapy dog; he is a wellbeing dog whose role is to support connection, comfort and positive wellbeing outcomes within the college community,” Sara explains.
“Introducing a wellbeing dog into a school environment requires extensive preparation, training and ongoing support.
“We have learned that wellbeing dogs should never be viewed simply as tools or resources. Instead, they should be recognised as emotionally responsive individuals with their own personalities, preferences and rights. A key part of the program is ensuring Koda’s wellbeing is prioritised alongside the wellbeing of the students and staff he supports.”
This is the same philosophy woven through every part of Jodi’s work. Her therapy sessions are designed so dogs can choose how they participate. Children are encouraged to ask before approaching. The dogs can take breaks, or remove themselves completely from the room.
Consent, she says, should not stop with people.
“If a child wants a cuddle, we model asking first. The dog should have the opportunity to say yes or no.”
For Jodi, that process is about educating people from a young age. This is the thinking that sits at the centre of her relational model: the dog is not simply present in the room, rather the relationship between animal and human becomes part of what children are learning – messages of trust, boundaries, empathy and emotional safety.
And this circular approach works.
Research has shown positive interactions can reduce blood pressure and stress hormones while increasing oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone”, in both humans and dogs.
Jodi says dogs are also remarkably perceptive.
They can pick up changes in body language, routines and emotional states long before many people notice them.
Through her work, she has watched anxious young people return to school. She has witnessed children who struggled to engage suddenly connect through play. “I see a child with significant challenges smile or make eye contact and that’s a win for me,” Jodi says. “The successes are overwhelmingly beautiful.”
Jodi’s own personal story will undoubtedly continue to shape the world of animal-assisted therapy. Her journey through PTSD and subsequent healing, with Benni by her side, has been detailed in her newly released memoir Benni: The Best Medicine Has Paws.
The book tells the story of recovery and resilience, but also of the unique bond that reshaped her understanding of healing.
And this is the message Jodi hopes to impart on the community: although the labels may differ – wellbeing dog, therapy dog, assistance dog – animal-assisted healing comes down to one main theme, and that is respect and relationships.