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Viewpoint

1. Cuddle with Your Dog
Spend some quality time cuddling and petting your dog each day. Some dogs like to lie next to you
and cuddle while others prefer to be at your feet or sit next to you on the couch. Imagine the warm
feeling you get from stroking their soft fur, feeling their warm bodies against you, and experiencing
the trust they have with you. Physical contact with your dog is soothing, both physically and
emotionally. Stroking a dog can lower your blood pressure and help you feel calmer right away.
Do you share your bed with your dog? Sleeping with your dog can have such benefits as decreased
insomnia, better quality sleep, and stress reduction (Patel et al., 2017). No matter night or day—
cuddle away. You will feel better, and your dog will benefit from the extra attention.

Conclusion
As for us, Anne and I continue to build our pack. We both have grown to treasure this support as
we both navigated educating online and remotely during a pandemic, finding a way to turn our passion
into ways to support other teachers and pre-teachers across state lines. We have discovered that we both
believe in the human-animal bond and that animals (canines in particular) can have a positive impact
on the human condition (i.e., physical wellness, mental wellness; see Human Animal Bond Research
Institute at https://habri.org/). A growing body of evidence supports this theory (see Fine & Beck, 2010,
for historical perspectives). Grounded in theory and through what we have observed anecdotally in our
dog-training experiences, we sought in this article to bring new ways for our fellow educational
professionals to de-stress.
Making the time to take care for yourself is important. Connecting,
playing, and even writing about your canine companion can be a
way for teachers to do something for themselves that is enjoyable and
from which they can reap many benefits. Schools need both well-
adjusted, veteran educators to serve as role models
and motivated early-career teachers to further
the profession. By practicing mindful, intentional
self-care, teachers influence their own pack by
creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom that
promotes wellness and student achievement at a time
when it is most needed.

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