There’s acne ridden teenagers, mingling teachers, pencils and papers and… four legged creatures? While perhaps not the reality at all high schools, at Carroll canines are relatively common.

One such bundle of fur that finds a niche at Carroll belongs to Paige Clingenpeel, the school’s SAP (Student Assistance Program) counselor. Bauer, the name of Clingenpeel’s friendly Bernadoodle (Bernese Mountain Dog/Poodle) serves as a therapy dog, giving Clingenpeel an opportunity to reach kids at Carroll and other schools in the district.

“It allows me to start conversations with people I wouldn’t normally have conversations with because they come up and hang out with him. So it’s good for them and it’s good for my job,” Clingenpeel said.

Not just Clingenpeel thinks that having Bauer is a good idea.

According to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs “little things like petting a therapy dog can increase levels of the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin and decrease the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Studies have shown that stress reduces productivity.” Link to article

High school is often considered to be a stressful time, and the article seems to suggest that interacting with dogs like Bauer can help students and staff as they walk through their daily schedules.

Bauer himself has his own, though likely less stressful, schedule of activities for the Mondays and Fridays when he visits the high school. This fur buddy’s day includes saying good morning to arriving students, and spending time in Clingenpeel’s office where he can visit with others. Bauer also gets some social time with the school’s police dog, Yachty.

“We usually have a playdate with Yachty at some point during the day,” Clingenpeel said.

For Bauer, the day may also include lunch time wandering and finishing it all up by sending kids off. While it may seem like a pretty simple itinerary for others, Bauer’s days at Carroll are a lot of work for the young pup.

“Dogs have to take a lot of naps, and he’s not able to during the school day,” Clingenpeel said.

All of Bauer’s hard work and lack of naps must be paying off, as Bauer seems to be popular, even earning 530 followers on his very own Instagram page deemed, “Bauer The Therapy Dog.”

Cora Noble, a junior at Carroll High School, seems to think that Bauer has had a positive impact on the school.

“I think that he just makes the general atmosphere of the school much more…lighthearted. I think that he’s made people feel more relaxed,” Noble said.

So what’s next for one of Carroll’s special fury friends? Although Clingenpeel feels that Bauer is “vetted”, official certification is still to come in the future. While certification may be a short-term step, looking further, Clingenpeel believes that what Bauer is doing won’t stop any time soon.

“He loves hanging out with kids and staff,” Clingenpeel said. “And he’ll continue to do it as long as he can.”