Our School Dog

Cooper is a much loved family pet of Mrs Woodier, one of our teachers and she is also our school dog. She is a labradoodle which is a cross between a labrador and a Poodle. Cooper is nearly 1 year old and her birthday is 31st October.

Cooper started coming into school in May 2025 and in July Mrs Woodier, Mrs Smith, Mrs Hunt and Cooper completed “The Dog Mentor” training programme. 

They assessed Cooper’s suitability and temperament for undertaking this role and worked with us on how to best to use the programme to support pupil welfare, and how to best look after Cooper’s welfare, when in school. She now comes into school regularly.

Cooper is a hypoallergenic breed. Hypoallergenic dogs shed less hair and don’t drool. Allergy sufferers are allergic to the protein found in the saliva and urine of the dog and as they groom themselves the protein spreads to their skin and coat. So the shed hair exposes people to the protein. Although no dog can be 100% non-allergenic, she is less likely to cause problems to allergy sufferers. She is regularly groomed.

Temperament. Cooper is very calm, very well-trained, good-natured and sociable, friendly and loyal.  She is very sweet-natured, intelligent and sensitive.  

In School. Cooper starts her day with Mrs Woodier or Mrs Smith and is a welcome sight to lots of children and staff, first thing in a morning. She sometimes supports morning drop off with Mrs Smith and is always there to cheer children up and support any that maybe struggling at that time.

She can be booked for individuals, groups and classes for Cooper to spend time with them, as well as having her own time to nap or rest.  She rests in Mrs Smith's office but Mrs Smith often finds that Cooper prefers to bring her tennis ball so they can play fetch!

Children quite often get the chance to spend some time with Cooper, and she currently attends classrooms to listen to children read or to help them settle.

Sometimes she visits the playground at lunchtime so children can just come and say hello and other times she just drops into classrooms.

We are still developing how Cooper can benefit pupils in the school however in the short time she has been with us, we can see she is really making a difference.