When 2-year-old Tater Tot joined the Early Childhood Education Center family last year, the Bernedoodle therapy dog was a “natural fit,” according to Chrissanne L. Hansbury, occupational therapist at Hammonton schools.
So when students began school this fall, the half-Bernese Mountain dog and half-poodle was back to welcome them as a treasured member of the student body and its dog therapy program.
“This is Tater Tot’s second year at school, and the benefits have truly been endless,” Hansbury said of the mostly black and white canine, who has a touch of beige on his coat.
“He genuinely believes everyone he meets is his best friend, and he brings so much joy wherever he goes,” she explained. “When students and staff see him, the whole environment shifts – things feel lighter, happier, and calmer.
“As an occupational therapist, I’m always looking for ways to foster development and support regulation and emotional well-being, and the idea of incorporating a therapy dog felt like a natural fit.”
The Early Childhood Education Center’s dog therapy program began last fall and is an idea that had been brewing for several years.
“… We had envisioned starting a therapy dog program as a way to support students’ social-emotional health,” Principal Daria Salay recalled. “Students and staff got a taste of the benefits of pet therapy and considered the next steps.
“We already knew the research supported the benefits of therapy dogs in schools, and we had seen those benefits first hand.”
The school got monthly visits from the Tri-State Canine Response Team in Cherry Hill for about a year, according to Salay, and while those visits were brief, they had a measurable impact on students.
“Students lit up the moment the dogs walked into their classrooms,” the principal recounted. “That made us wonder, what if that experience wasn’t just an occasional visit, but part of our everyday school life?”
As support for the idea advanced, Hansbury got a new puppy she named Tater Tot – a surprise for her children.
“Once we got to know him,” she said, “it was clear that he had a very special disposition for therapy work.”
“His temperament and intelligence showed a lot of promise,” Salay agreed.
“He has such a gentle, friendly nature, and I couldn’t resist exploring the possibility of him becoming a therapy dog,” Hansbury pointed out. “The process began shortly after his first birthday.
The dog first passed the Canine Good Citizen test, then went on to earn his therapy certification through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Tater Tot got most of his training at Therapoodles – https://therapoodles.org – a Burlington County nonprofit that provides therapy dog visits and places facility comfort dogs in as many places as possible.
The animal visits the education center twice a week, including on Tater Tot Tuesday. Sessions can be in groups or individual to address fine motor, visual and other skills “that impact learning and participation,” according to Hansbury.
“Tater Tot will often relax or chew a bone while students do their work or will engage in a task when appropriate,” she describes of the dog sessions. “Students love working hard in occupational therapy so they can earn play time at the end with him, watch him do a trick, or have him walk back to class with them.
“We work on understanding self-regulation by talking about being calm around Tater Tot and using gentle hands,” Hansbury added. “We also discuss how he may feel in certain situations and how we can also feel those same feelings sometimes.”
Salay praises Hansbury’s commitment to the therapy dog program as an “incredible gift” to the school. And Hansbury credits the backing of the principal and administrators with making the program a reality for the center’s students.
“The impact of Tater Tot has been remarkable,” Salay offered. “From the moment he enters the building, there’s an instant sense of calm and grounding. Students smile or stop to gently pet him in the hallway as they pass by. It’s a positive way for them to begin their day.
“And for students who are upset or anxious, spending a few minutes with Tater Tot helps them regroup and rejoin the classroom more ready to learn.”
