Dogs are being used successfully to help aliterate children enjoy and gain comfort with reading aloud.

Many of us have troubling memories of being called upon in grade school to read aloud. For some kids, it can be torturous to feel that everyone is listening and judging the performance. But dogs don’t judge and they’re being used, increasingly, in classrooms and libraries to help young readers gain comfort and, ultimately, develop a stronger attachment to reading. Darlene Blackman coordinates the SHARE a book program at the Marin Humane Society in Novato, California. She works closely with local teachers, reading specialists and librarians to create opportunities for volunteers to bring their trained dogs to children who can benefit from reading to supportive, friendly, furry, nonjudgmental listeners. In this episode of the “Good Dog” podcast, brought to you by Eukanuba, learn how this program evolved, how you can volunteer in this way, and how you can bring a similar program to your community. For more information, Darlene can be reached at [email protected].

If you have a question that you’d like answered about your dog, write to us at [email protected]. Today’s episode was in response to a listener question.

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