Posted on 7 May, 2025
This is a story that will get your tail wagging – a heart-warming initiative is bringing furry friends into local schools to help students transform from reluctant readers to confident bookworms.
Changing lives one story at a time, Story Dogs is a national volunteer organisation providing reading support for primary school children by bringing pet dogs into schools and libraries for specialised one-on-one sessions.
And it doesn’t get more adorable than children practising their reading to dogs.
Making sure no child is left behind in literacy, the program began in Murwillumbah in 2009 before expanding all over Australia – and it’s changing lives in Canberra.
Based on the successful American literacy program Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.), according to the ACT Coordinator of Story Dogs, Jennipher Dunstan, the aim is to make reading fun for children so that they become confident lifelong book lovers.
“We create a non-judgemental setting, the children have fun and their focus improves, their literacy skills increase and their confidence soars. We focus on the children reading to the dog, not the volunteer,” she explains.
“The accepting, loving nature of dogs gives this program its magic. It helps children relax, open up, try harder and have fun while reading to a friendly, calm dog. Children realise that the dog will not judge them or correct their reading.”
Explaining that a total of 26 volunteer teams in Canberra visit 16 schools, ACT Public Libraries and the National Library of Australia to help children read, Jennipher says that the program is a three-way win: the children love it, the volunteers love it and the dogs love it as well.
Visiting schools for two hours each week during the school term for reading sessions with children from Year 2 and upwards, the volunteer and dog work with up to five children as part of the program. Providing individualised reading sessions dependent on each child’s needs, during the 20 minutes, the children read to and interact with the dog, building their confidence with each wag of a tail.
“Story Dogs typically work with children who receive no other interventions or support at school, but who are lacking in confidence or just need a bit more practice to become confident readers. We believe we help these children to avoid ‘falling through the cracks’,” says Jennipher.
“I have been volunteering with Story Dogs for over four years with my dogs Digger and Taco, and during that time we have worked with many children who were reluctant readers or who did not like to read out loud. It is extremely rewarding to see the children grow in confidence during the year and come to enjoy reading.”
For those interested in bringing this wholesome initiative to more Canberra children, Story Dogs is always welcoming new volunteers. Applications can be submitted through the Story Dogs website, which also provides comprehensive information about the program. All participating dogs must pass an assessment with a qualified dog assessor before joining a school team, with the next assessment round planned for the second half of this year.
It’s worth noting that Story Dogs provides its services to schools completely free of charge, relying entirely on donations to continue its important work. The organisation receives no government funding, making community support crucial.
“All our dogs have a sponsor,” explains Jennipher. “These range from individuals to businesses and service clubs like Lions Clubs.”
Currently, two local teams are seeking sponsorship, with details available on the Story Dogs website.
Whether you’re a potential volunteer with a gentle four-legged friend, a possible sponsor, or simply someone who wants to support children’s literacy, Story Dogs offers multiple ways to help young readers build confidence – one page and one pat at a time.
For more information visit storydogs.org.au
Images supplied.
