We first learned about Therapy Reading Dogs when we had friends with kids in the Victorville, CA school system. They had a well known Reading Therapy Dog at the Library once a week. Reading therapy dogs are used to help kids build confidence in their reading skills. Reading out loud to a dog, a devoted listener who doesn’t correct their pronunciation or reading expertise, develops confidence much faster than reading with a group of peers or reading for a teacher. With all threat of judgment removed, the child relaxes, enjoys the story and enjoys petting and stroking his/her dog companion – which makes them happy too.

Below are photos of a couple of therapy reading programs: K-9 Reading Buddies and Dog Gone Good Readers, a program in Seattle. Therapy Dogs are usually listed in your local yellow pages or you can check with your local librarian for references or use Google Search. Reading Therapy Dogs connect Kids & Pets and are one reason Why Kids Need Pets.