Pawsitive Reinforcement: New Therapy Dog Is Head of the Class

Staff Nov. 5

There is a new face walking the halls of Mishawaka High School (MHS).  He is short, hairy, smiles with his tongue out and just might steal your heart.  His name is Cody, a part Beagle and Boxer therapy dog that belongs to Bryon Scoggins, new assistant principal at MHS.The number of schools using therapy dogs is increasing, reflecting a growing recognition of their benefits for student mental health and well-being. 

Scoggins said, ”Cody has always had a solid, friendly caring demeanor. Cody is great with people of all ages and brings a calming spirit everywhere he goes. We decided to certify him as a therapy dog based on research showing the benefits of a therapy dog in schools.”  Scoggins explained MHS’s goals in bringing Cody to school, “Our 1st goal is to assist students and staff to reduce stress, [help them] manage their emotions effectively. Secondly, we hope to assist students overcome their fears, some students have not had positive experiences with animals and through Cody's "work" he might help students and staff overcome that fear.”  

According  to Scoggins, “Cody has adjusted well to "working" .. staff & students have embraced Cody warmly and take time to pet him, talk with him, and even pick him up to go to a class with them.” Freshman Sa’marah Hollingsworth said, “[Cody] comforted me when I was having a bad day. I am very, very glad we have a therapy dog here.”  “He is off leash and well behaved and fine with kids coming up to him,” explained sophomore Elana Litteral.  Hollingsworth added,”  I am normally afraid of dogs but I am not afraid of Cody.” Freshman Jaelynn Spear said," I look forward to petting Cody at the end of the day."Sebastian said," honestly, the vibe has changed since Cody came. There haven't been as many altercations. I feel like we all love each other."

Assistant Principal Bryon Scoggins with Cody Scoggins dressed up for MHS spirit days. Photo Credit: Christie Buchmann

Scoggins said,”He was bred to become a PTSD companion for a veteran. After a few months the veteran could not adjust to Cody. So we adopted him at 9 months old in the Spring of 2017.”Cody received extensive training to become a vetted therapy dog. “ Cody has had extensive training and exposure to many situations, experiences, and  scenarios to handle stress, loud noises, and chaos so he can internalize his commands routinely. Cody passed both the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC)  and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) assessment and is a registered therapy dog with ATD. Currently we are training Cody the difference between "working" and leisure . When he has his vest on he has certain behavior expectations and commands that he doesn't have when the vest is off and he can be a dog,” said Scoggins.

In 2023, a survey by the American Humane Association indicated that about 17% of U.S. public schools were using some type of animal-assisted intervention, mainly therapy dogs. The same survey indicates a 20% jump in schools participating in therapy dog programs since 2020.