Application link located at bottom of page

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University Outreach Program Reducing Test Anxiety - Donation Based Service  (fun fact this service supports our other free community services).

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The Nepean Therapy Dogs Incorporated university therapy program focuses on reducing stress relating to exams.

 

The overall program is designed to support the student’s rational thoughts before taking exams. When we are stressed, rational thought processes suffer because we are fixated on the “crunch time” of exams (Jalongo & McDevitt 2015). Our highly trained emotional support therapy dogs will calmly respond to the needs of the individuals without becoming boisterous. Our therapy dog teams specialise in relieving stress for students when preparing for exams. The Nepean Therapy Dog Incorporated University Outreach Program has $20 million public liability insurance.

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Built on Success

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Our University outreach program is built on current successful dog de-stressor university programs. When designing this program, we focused on controlled dog behaviour, animal hygiene, volunteer empathy and student support. Volunteer dog and handler teams receive more than 120 hours of specialized training in the field and they are reassessed annually. When in the field, numerous therapy dog teams will make visits. This will commonly include at least 1 experienced, highly specialised team, and another that is in training or has slightly less expertise.

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What to expect

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Clients should expect groups of volunteers visiting the facility in groups of 2-6 therapy dog teams, with one volunteer leading the rest. The teams will rotate their work over a maximum of 90 minutes, allowing the dogs to rest when needed. The dogs will behave in a calm, well-mannered and reliable fashion, while our human volunteers will be patient and understanding of each students’ needs.