Pawfect match: Burnside High embraces Inu the therapy dog

From left, Lucy MacDonald and Claudia Rose with Inu who has fast become a valued staff member at Burnside SHS.  

A lifetime love of dogs has led to Burnside State High School’s Senior Japanese Teacher, Kim Bexon, bringing that passion into the school environment in the form of the school’s beloved therapy dog, Inu.

“I’ve always had dogs in my life, and I guess I’ve always been interested about the benefits of having a dog in a learning environment,” explained Kim.

“I did my research before committing to buying another dog and the benefits for both myself, the students and the school seemed too good not to experience.”

Kim bought Inu, the Border Collie, as a 7-week-old pup and began training him immediately. Inu could not be registered as a community therapy dog until he turned 1, and after a year and a half of training and an intensive 2 week course through Therapy Dogs Australia, Inu became a registered Community Therapy Dog, who has fast become a valued staff member at Burnside SHS.

“The presence of Inu in and out of the classroom, I think, enhances social interactions between myself and students and amongst students themselves,” said Kim.

“It’s so nice to hear students who aren’t even in his classes, say good morning to him and come up for a pat and sometimes even chat about their own pets, as we walk around the school.

“I can also see that Inu encourages empathy and fosters a positive learning environment, because even the teachers walk through the staffroom just for a pat from Inu and our Principle, Kerri, often pays visits to the library for some cuddles.”

According to Kim, Inu has also positively impacted the way students learn.

“I think that having a therapy dog facilitates improved concentration and motivation, which can ultimately boost academic performance, especially for anxious students.”

Inu means ‘dog’ in Japanese, and all his commands are also in Japanese - so one of the first things students learn about him is that he understands a foreign language.

“So, students who want to communicate with him, in or out of Japanese class, ask him to ‘shake’, and simultaneously learn and use Japanese to do so,” Kim said.

“I think this is such a great skill in developing their global competencies or soft skills for their future, like compassion, respect and curiosity.”