Counseling with pocket pets: using small animals in elementary counseling programs.

Numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of animals on the health and adjustment of individuals, including children. School counselors can use small animals such as hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs as an effective adjunct intervention. Pocket pets help build rapport, enhance the counseling relationship, and facilitate work on issues including feelings, responsibility, grief, and attachment.

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"What happened to Harry?" Brothers Charles and Joe, reenrolling at my school for their fifth elementary placement, had stopped by the counseling office on their first morning back to check on an old friend. The boys, who had surrendered their own pets over the course of several family moves, were saddened to learn that Harry the hamster had died of advanced age. At the same time, they were intrigued by my newest resident, a dwarf hamster named Ginger. Charles immediately volunteered to take Ginger under his care, begging to take him home over spring break. His offer dovetailed perfectly with my own plans: I wanted to check in with Charles regularly, I hoped to cultivate his emerging sense of responsibility, and, not incidentally, I needed a hand with hamster chores.

The power of the human-animal bond has been described in sources as diverse as ancient literature, modern fiction, and research reports in the professional literature (Chandler, 2001; Mallon, 1992; Parshall, 2003; Siegel, 1993). Educators have used classic examples, such as those found in the children's books Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows, to teach young students important lessons about loving and living. Families, likewise, have historically endorsed the importance of animals in the process of child-rearing: rural children have assumed responsibility for animal care from an early age, while their city cousins have raised and enjoyed companion animals (Parshall; Siegel).

More recently, numerous scientific studies have shown the beneficial effects of animals on the health and adjustment of various populations, including nursing home residents, hospital patients, individuals with mental disorders, and children in residential treatment (Barker & Dawson, 1998; Heimlich, 2001; Parshall, 2003). Youth in a wide range of educational, medical, and recreational settings have experienced numerous benefits ascribed to animals, including a sense of belonging, reduced anxiety, increased responsibility, practice with relationships, improved mood, enhancement of the psychotherapy process, and reduction in problem behaviors (Brasic, 1998; Chandler, 2001; Mallon, 1992). Animal interventions have been as varied as pet care, horse training, swimming with dolphins, animal contact in outpatient clinics, and construction of aquariums or aviaries (Brasic; Heimlich; Parshall).

Public schools, however, operate with necessary constraints on the opportunity for human-animal connection. The presence of animals must show educational value and must link to curricula. Liability issues stemming from animal-related injuries and student allergies must be addressed. An increasing number of schools have adopted policies regarding the handling of classroom and student-owned pets in the school setting; for example, reptiles may be prohibited to reduce the risk of salmonella, and large animals may be discouraged due to perceived risk of injury. "Pocket pets" such as hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs provide a reasonable option in terms of safety and care in school settings.

SMALL ANIMAL APPLICATIONS IN ELEMENTARY COUNSELING SETTINGS

What can pocket pets add to the counseling office? Ginger and his predecessors have taught my students lessons about feelings, self-control, responsibility, grief, and attachment far more effectively than I could have done without them. Some of the animals' lessons have become standard in my counseling and in my classroom curriculum, but new lessons present themselves with each group of students and each individual pet.

Feelings and Behavior

Every fall, both hamster and students must adjust to being back at school. When I bring Ginger along on my first visit to each primary classroom, students observe his shy, anxious behavior in the traveling cage and readily describe the feelings that come with new experiences. A hamster's jitters are evident in its "flight" response to a large class: It generally retreats to a quiet corner of the cage. Students see the hamster tremble and hide, and their own jitters become easier to acknowledge. Even the youngest students can offer advice for making Ginger's--and their own--school adjustment easier ("Give him plenty of food and water," "Don't tease him; he might get more nervous," "After a while he'll be used to school").

Aggressive behavior can be understood more easily as students note that a hamster, gerbil, or guinea pig is more likely to bite when it feels threatened or hurt. Although the bites of most pocket pets are minor, gloves can be helpful and are necessary with likely biters; counselors should handle their pets extensively to know which ones these might be. Students can be taught strategies for preventing hamster, gerbil, or guinea pig aggression (e.g., stroke its back, not its face; allow freedom for exploration within safe limits; don't pester). Relating aggressive animal responses to their own or classmates' aggression can produce both insight and empathy. Several researchers have reported decreased aggression and improved social skills in children involved in animal-assisted programming (Mallon, 1994; Voelker, 1995).

Self-Calming and Impulse Control 

Very young students, as well as older ones with impulse control challenges, require especially close supervision with animals in the counseling office. Yet these students stand to benefit greatly from working with pocket pets.

Hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs respond dramatically to disturbance in their environment. Students who wish to hold my hamster learn that they must use a quiet voice and gentle movements. They sit comfortably in a beanbag chair and demonstrate calmness before I bring the hamster to them for the first time; they can stroke and then hold the hamster as they maintain calm. Giggles, sudden movements, and even shrieks may emerge at any point with younger children or groups; I quietly remove the hamster until students regain enough control to stroke the animal. Even the most rambunctious youngsters in kindergarten play groups learn to shift from noisy gross motor games to quiet hamster play within a minute. Highly active students can sit still with Ginger for increasing amounts of time as they practice calm, focused behavior. Their improvement confirms other reports describing reduction in symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in students who are involved with animals (Kogan, Granger, Fitchett, Helmer, & Young, 1999; Voelker, 1995).

Responsibility

Pocket pet chores, easily handled on a weekly basis, are a perfect vehicle for teaching responsibility. Students who struggle with dally assignments and school expectations benefit from a pet's dependence on them. Cleaning and arranging a hamster or gerbil cage provides a fun means of acquiring the habit of reliability; students often vie for this honor. I usually assign all chore responsibilities to one child at a time for several months or a semester, long enough to establish a sense of routine and to instill the pride that comes with pet care.

Pet care can be especially helpful for students with hygiene and grooming concerns. In cases in which families provide only minimal assistance with such basics as bathing and changing clothes, students need instruction in the importance of regular cleaning and grooming. Pet care offers an effective, non-shaming teaching tool. Practice in providing basic care for another creature shows students its importance and can instill habits of responsibility (Law & Scott, 1995; Mallon, 1994). Edwin, a fourth grader, began learning these basic care skills with Harry the hamster while his family was involved with child protective services. He eventually carried his newly acquired hygiene and grooming skills into his foster and adoptive homes.

Grief and Loss

Pocket pets live, on average, 2 to 5 years. In the counseling office, unlike the classroom, students have the opportunity to keep interacting with a school pet over the course of the animal's lifetime. Yet these animals may sicken, and all eventually die, presenting lessons in living and dying more vividly than any book or video.

Ginger arrived in my office along with his brother, Pepper, last fall. Pepper, the "mellow" one, was especially beloved; he allowed even the most skittish youngster to handle and play with him extensively. As Pepper grew, though, health difficulties became apparent. Consultation with a veterinarian confirmed the presence of terminal kidney disease. The lesson of chronic illness and decline was added to our learning.

Questions like "What happened to Harry?" are inevitable as children drop in after a several-month hiatus or a family move. Children readily express sadness when they learn of the loss of a cherished animal; they can use the occasion to recount personal experiences with loss and grief (Voelker, 1995).

Attachment

Counselors typically work with children who present a range of problem behaviors that interfere with social relationships. Shyness, oppositionality, impulsiveness, language difficulties--all troublesome in school settings--often melt away when a child cares for an animal.

Mark's trouble with social interaction was evident early in his elementary years. He avoided eye contact and social interaction with peers, preferring to play pretend train games. He struggled with motor activities in normal play. He became upset with noisy fire drills and cafeteria chatter. His parents requested counseling for social skills, but Mark was alternately avoidant and disruptive in small groups, and he shrank from one-on-one games. Yet when Nibbles the gerbil moved into the counseling office, Mark found a friend. Mark practiced gently holding the high-strung animal until he was a master handler. He built mazes out of blocks and talked with me about how Nibbles might be feeling. Mark eventually was diagnosed with Asperger's disorder, but his bond with Nibbles remained strong throughout his elementary years. Other individuals with autism spectrum disorders have shown similar gains in social functioning (Brasic, 1998; Law & Scott, 1995).

Students whose real-life attachments have been shaky for any reason can find acceptance and practice affection with a counselor's pet. In fact, these students can be very creative in forging a bond with a pet. Unbidden by me, my students have taken pride in constructing elaborate mazes and structures from household castoffs like toilet paper rolls and shoe boxes. Some, like Charles and Joe, have offered to care for pets over school breaks; others have attended to particular rodents over the course of years, from our initial "name the pet" contest to the pet's eventual demise. Throughout the process, these developing child-pet relationships serve to build and strengthen the counseling relationship itself.

CONCLUSIONS

Pocket pet lessons about feelings and behavior, self-control, personal responsibility, grief and loss, and relationships link directly to comprehensive school counseling programs. The American School Counselor Association's National Standards for School Counseling Programs (Campbell & Dahir, 1997) call on counselors to prepare all students with attitudes and skills that will enable them to learn throughout their lives, with personal qualities that relate to the world of work, and with interpersonal skills that will allow them to respect themselves and others. Animal-assisted counseling approaches have demonstrated effectiveness in touching even the most difficult-to-reach students (Kogan et al., 1999; Mallon, 1994). Animal-based approaches lend themselves to classroom, small group, and individual work with students; they provide training for future life transitions, daily home and work tasks, and formation of lasting relationships.

Ginger and his predecessors have given my students and me hours of pleasure and countless life lessons. An effective adjunct, the animals have supplemented the bibliotherapy, behavior management plans, expressive art techniques, and group counseling strategies I continue to use. These pocket friends add richness, depth, and an element of the unexpected to the counselor's toolbox.

References

Barker, S. B., & Dawson, K. S. (1998).The effects of animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of hospitalized psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Services, 49, 797-801.

Brasic, J. R. (1998). Pets and health. Psychological Reports, 83, 1011-1024.

Campbell, C. A., & Dahir, C. A. (1997). Sharing the vision: The national standards for school counseling programs. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.

Chandler, C. (2001). Animal-assisted therapy in counseling and school settings (Report No. EDO-CG-01-05). Greensboro, NC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED459404)

Heimlich, K. (2001). Animal-assisted therapy and the severely disabled child: A quantitative study. Journal of Rehabilitation, 67(4), 48-54.

Kogan, L. R., Granger, B. P., Fitchett, J. A., Helmet, K. S., & Young, K. J. (1999).The human-animal team approach for children with emotional disorders: Two case studies. Child and Youth Care Forum, 28, 105-121.

Law, S., & Scott, S. (1995). Pet care: A vehicle for learning. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 10(2), 17-18.

Mallon, G. P. (1992). Utilization of animals as therapeutic adjuncts with children and youth: A review of the literature. Child and Youth Care Forum, 21, 53-67.

Mallon, G. P. (1994). Some of our best therapists are dogs. Child and Youth Care Forum, 23, 89-101.

Parshall, D. P. (2003). Animal-assisted therapy in mental health settings. Counseling and Values, 48, 47-57.

Siegel, J. M. (1993). Companion animals: In sickness and in health. Journal of Social Issues, 49(1), 157-167.

Voelker, R. (1995). Puppy love can be therapeutic, too. Journal of the American Medical Association, 274, 1897-1900.

Barbara L. Flom, Ph.D., is an assistant professor with the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Stout. E-mail: [e-mail]