CLYMER – Man’s best friend can now be found in the halls of Clymer Central School.
Margo, an English springer spaniel, recently became a certified therapy dog for the school with the help of school social worker Nichole Damcott and her certified handler.
Damcott said she actually found Margo on Facebook from a woman who breeds these special dogs. Damcott owns another dog of the same breed and said she decided to get Margo as a certified therapy dog.
“I had gone to another school and I decided, so I’m a social worker at the school, it’s a different title and a little tricky, I’m here to help kids with all their needs and help teachers and help parents – and she had a dog,” Damcott said. “I thought, that’s so cool, I want a dog at school.”
Damcott said she asked Superintendent Beth Olson, who said they would think about it and try. Damcott added that she knew her older dog, Sophie, would not do it, so she searched and found Margo on Facebook after debating between her and another male dog.
There are many requirements to become a therapy dog, including being a year old.
The Good Citizens test required Margo to be good at visiting people, behaving in cars and at places like sporting events. Damcott said she took Margo to all these types of places before the test to get her used to it and practice.
There were 10 things Margo had to do to pass, including sitting, being polite when people pet her, walking, walking through crowds, staying with her handler, following sit, stay and come commands.
“I had to take her through PetSmart, and that’s where she took her test,” Damcott said. “She saw other dogs and she saw other cats and she couldn’t bark at them or jump on them or run away from them because she’s a therapy dog and she has to go to places where she can see other animals and be okay with it.”
Margo also had to be able to respond politely to loud noises and stay with the tester for three minutes without seeing Damcott without whining. She passed her test on August 17.
For the therapy dog test, Margo had to do well on her own, respond to strangers, sit for one minute, lie down for three minutes, respond to people or children when they cry, and respond to things like shopping carts or wheelchairs that she might not see every day. She had to learn not to eat things off the floor when told no, and when to turn around and stay with Damcott.
Margo passed her therapy dog test on September 7. The final step was getting approval from the school board.
Margo must wear a blue vest when on duty and Damcott must wear her certified handler tag because no one but Damcott can be with her unless trained.
Margo is part of Therapy Dogs United and can sometimes be asked to go to other places to help. At school, she can help with kids who may be stressed, serve as an incentive, and just generally make people happy when she’s in the room.
At school, Damcott has a sign outside her office that says when Margo is there in case some kids have concerns. Margo is also learning that when she is wearing the vest, she is working, and when she is not wearing the vest, she can rest because she is not on duty.
Damcott said kids can help by not running off the bus to greet Margo, not yelling when they see her if they are not upset about something, and generally being gentle with her.
“While she can let people cry or be upset with her, Margo will never be in a room – because of my rule – where I think she might be unsafe,” Damcott said. “If I think someone is going to get angry and throw something, which could happen, or kick or hit, I’ll put her in her crate or she won’t be in the room. Right now she doesn’t know that a human can hurt her. She doesn’t know that a human can be unsafe and I don’t want her to think that humans can be unsafe. I want her to think that people are safe and kind.
Damcott said the most important thing students can do without breaking any teacher rules is to pet her whenever they can.
“She loves it,” Damcott said. “She loves the attention, she loves coming to school. She gets so excited.”
