How School Dogs Can Support Mathematics Education
- ICofA Community
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Safety, motivation, and learning with a dog in the classroom
Can dogs make mathematics easier?
Emerging research suggests they can. School dogs have been shown to reduce stress, increase motivation, and create a learning environment that strengthens students’ mathematical understanding. While studies specifically examining dogs in math lessons are still limited, current evidence points to an important indirect effect: school dogs reduce stress, enhance motivation, and support working memory and concentration.
These are foundational components of mathematical thinking, which makes the presence of a school dog highly relevant when we discuss how children learn.
The Dog as an Emotional Regulator in the Classroom
From animal-assisted services, we know that certified school dogs help create a sense of safety, strengthen relationships, and make learning environments more inclusive. They contribute to both academic development and social competence, and they help students dare to try, fail, and try again—an essential part of mathematical learning.
When students feel safe and motivated, the subject itself becomes more accessible.
Four Ways School Dogs Make Mathematics More Accessible
Reduced Math Anxiety and Stress: Many students associate mathematics with performance pressure and fear of making mistakes. Stress activates the body’s alarm system and blocks the ability to think logically. A school dog acts as a calming presence that regulates stress and improves emotional readiness for learning.
Increased Motivation and Perseverance: A dog brings something lively, playful, and positive into the learning situation. This extra spark of motivation is especially helpful in areas that require repetition and practice, such as multiplication.
Better Focus and Concentration: For students who struggle to sit still or stay focused, the dog offers opportunities for short regulating breaks and active, hands-on math tasks. This can significantly increase endurance and task engagement.
Concrete Learning – Making Abstractions Tangible: The dog becomes a physical, moving reference point for exploring numbers, measurement, statistics, geometry, and problem-solving. Abstract ideas become concrete—and far more engaging.
Seven Practical Math Activities With a School Dog
Below are specific examples of how a school dog can be integrated meaningfully into mathematics lessons.
1. Task Card Retrieve (Problem-Solving)
The dog retrieves one card at a time, and students solve the corresponding problem. Tasks can be aligned with the curriculum.
Examples:
“Elja has 2 euros to buy treats. She has two friends at home. How much can each of the three items cost?”
“You have 25 euros to buy pig ears for Elja. Each one costs 18 euros. How many can you buy?”
2. Number Card Retrieval (Basic Skills)
The dog retrieves number cards that students use to:
add numbers
create their own equations
find differences or products
Variation: Use bowling pins with Velcro-mounted numbers.The dog knocks over the pins, and students use the fallen numbers in new math tasks.
3. Geometry Trail (Active Learning and Concept Development)
Students set up stations featuring different geometric shapes.
A student draws a shape card.
The student leads the dog to the correct station.
The student explains the characteristics of the shape and rewards the dog with a number of treats tied to the task.
4. Statistics: “The Dog Chooses”
Allow the dog to choose between toys or treats across a set number of rounds (e.g., 10). Students then create:
bar, line, or pie charts
median and mean calculations
empirical probability compared to theoretical probability
This authentic dataset tends to be highly motivating.
5. The Dog as a Measurement Model (Length, Volume, Area)
Use the dog’s physical features and equipment for measurement tasks:
measure the dog’s length, the water bowl’s volume, or the weight of its food
word problems involving daily food requirements
area and perimeter tasks based on a dog yard
scale drawings (e.g., 1:50)
6. Money and Percentage Calculations
Use dog-related purchases as the basis for real-life math:
discounts: “A dog bed costs 50 euros and is reduced by 20%. What is the new price?”
VAT calculations
comparing prices per gram on treat packages
7. Time and Calendar Tasks (Daily Routines and Planning)
Examples:
“Elja gets breakfast at 07:30 and goes for a walk 45 minutes later. When is the walk?”
“The walk started at 16:15 and lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. When did it end?”
Conclusion – School Dogs Can Support Mathematics Education
The dog does not solve the math problems for the students. But it does create the psychological conditions in which students dare to concentrate, dare to make mistakes, and receive the emotional regulation necessary to learn.
By combining emotional safety and motivation with concrete, engaging tasks, the school dog becomes a meaningful and effective support in mathematics education.
Links to some of the few studies that actually investigate dogs in schools and mathematics can be found here:
Dudley, C., & Knight, D. (2023). Impact of therapy dogs on student achievement in rural math classrooms. Alabama Journal of Educational Leadership, 10, 59–86.https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1401588.pdf
Brelsford, V. L., Dimolareva, M., Rowan, E., Gee, N. R., & Meints, K. (2022). Can dog-assisted and relaxation interventions boost spatial ability in children with and without special educational needs? A longitudinal, randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10, 886324.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9376734/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Soll, B., & Petronzi, D. (in press). The validation of a therapy dog intervention for math anxiety in early elementary school children. Journal of Humanistic Psychology.The results of this study are currently only available in grey literature and on the organization’s website (Therapy Dogs, 2023):https://www.therapydogs.mu/_files/ugd/c12e79_2736f6822e9b4092b5cca84bba1ba22a.pdf