The Carleton University Therapy Dog Program is our in-house Therapy Dog Program, designed to bring positive (or as we say, paws-itive) mental health and wellness supports to our community. All of our dogs are handled by professional staff and faculty members at Carleton, and their Handlers work to create welcoming and supportive environments that can provide low intensity, yet effective coping strategies for mental health and wellness.
We are incredibly happy to be back on campus following our virtual sessions during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Bauer is a 8 year old Pug/Malamute/Corgi mix and is one of our most experienced Therapy Dogs on the team! Bauer is actually a little smaller than he looks and is a really great dog to visit if you’re nervous about meeting new dogs, or if you just enjoy smaller pups! He enjoys walks and loves getting his tan on in the beautiful sun!
Bauer joined our Therapy Dog Team in 2019.
Paddington Bear, a.k.a. Bear, is a 2 year old Norwich Terrier and one of our smallest dogs! Bear loves cuddling, walking in the woods, and chasing pesky squirrels. Bear can get a little nervous visiting new people, so he often only sees 2-3 students at a time but the wait is worth it just to pet his extra soft fur!
Bear joined our Therapy Dog team in 2023.
You can find Bear in Loeb B742 on Fridays from 10am – 11am.
Brewster is a 3 year old Pug and a certified good boy. He is the happiest little potato and loves attention from everyone. He loves to say hello to everyone and is very playful.
Brewster joined our Therapy Dog Team in 2023. You can find Brewster in 204A MacOdrum Library on Fridays from 10am – 11am.
Gracie is a 7 year old Golden Retriever and one of our most experienced Therapy Dogs! Gracie is such a relaxed and chill dog, she didn’t even get excited for the “excite and settle” part of her evaluation – we love her chill attitude! Gracie is a great dog to visit if you’re nervous around dogs or really just want that relaxed energy. She loves sleeping, playing with her sister, giving hugs, and getting pets!
Gracie joined our Therapy Dog Team in 2019.
Jazz, or All that Jazz, if you want to be formal, is a 4 year old Flat-Coated Retriever. You may recognize Jazz from her older brother Zak, one of the original Carleton Therapy Dogs – Zak inspired Jazz to follow in his paw prints.
Jazz is a very friendly pup – her tail never stops wagging! Jazz is one of our more excitable dogs but she absolutely loves everyone! She is eager to show you her tricks, her wagging tail, and to get all of the pets from you. Jazz’ Handler is also incredibly social and knows a lot about dogs (she used to be a dog trainer!) so if you have any questions about dogs, feel free to connect with her.
Jazz joined our team virtually during the COVID-19 Pandemic and has been providing in-person support since Fall 2022.
You can find Jazz in Loeb A500A on Fridays from 1pm – 2pm.
Kya is a 10 year old Border Collie Husky mix and is our oldest Therapy Dog! Despite her age, Kya is full of life and truly doesn’t look a day over 5! Kya was originally bred to be part of a sled dog team in the Kenora area – isn’t that cool?
Kya is a great dog to come see if you want to interact with a calm, almost sleepy dog – she loves getting cuddles!
Kya joined our Therapy Dog Team in Fall of 2022. You can find Kya in 204A MacOdrum Library every other Wednesday from 1pm – 2pm.
Milo is a 6 year old Portuguese Water Dog and a certified good man who loves eating and sleeping! He is a gentle soul and loves meeting new students.
Milo joined our team virtually during the COVID-19 Pandemic and has been providing in-person support since 2023.
Porter is a 3 year old Retriever Mix and is one of our favourite rescue dogs! Porter is extremely adaptable and has been offered jobs at Chapters, Saje, and Canadian Tire – you could say he’s a pretty popular guy. For fun, Porter likes to people watch and go paddle boarding (maybe you’ve been his Photo of the Day on CTV!).
Porter joined our Therapy Dog Team in 2023.
Speedy is an 8 year old Boxer/Lab mix with the cutest snaggle tooth around! He enjoys playing in the snow and absolutely loves canoeing.
Speedy is a larger dog, but don’t let that intimidate you – he is one of the chillest dogs we have! He is perfectly happy laying on the ground while you pet him.
Speedy joined our team virtually in the COVID-19 Pandemic and has been providing in-person support since Fall 2022.
Schedule
Mondays
Porter (1pm – 2pm) in 131 Renfrew for students living in Residence
Milo (2pm – 3pm) on 2nd floor MacOdrum Library, out front of the Wellness Desk
Tuesdays
Bauer (1pm – 2pm) in 4024 Nicol Building
Wednesdays
Porter (11am – 12pm) on 2nd floor MacOdrum Library, out front of the Wellness Desk
Kya (1pm – 2pm) in 204A MacOdrum Library
Kya hosts hours every OTHER Wednesday. She will be in 204A MacOdrum on the following dates:
September 13th
September 27th
October 11th
Fridays
Bear (10am – 11am) in Loeb B742
Brewster (10am – 11am) in 204A MacOdrum Library
Jazz (1pm – 2pm) in Loeb A500A
Frequently Asked Questions
To find our Therapy Dog Schedule, see the “schedule” portion of our website or check-out the main page on our Wellness website for Therapy Dog visit times.
Our Therapy Dog Handlers are all staff and faculty at Carleton who have their own pet and are interested in supporting our student population.
All of our dogs and Handlers go through specialized Therapy Dog training, and our Handlers go through additional training to support student mental health!
Our dogs are chosen for a variety of reasons – temperament, availability of the Handler, how much they enjoy being a Therapy Dog, and size of the dog! We do our best to have a wide range of dog breeds and sizes as some people prefer larger dogs and others prefer smaller dogs.
No. To be a Carleton Therapy Dog Handler, you must be employed at Carleton University as either a staff or faculty member. We do not have community members or students as our Therapy Dog Handlers.
Service animals are trained to perform tasks and do work that eases their handlers’ disabilities – they help attain safety, independence, and offer support solely for their handler.
Therapy dogs provide psychological or physiological therapy to individuals other than their handler.
You never want to pet a dog without the owner’s permission! It’s important to pay attention to the dog’s vest and leash – most service dogs will have multiple “DO NOT PET” or “WORKING DOG” signs on the vest! If you see this, do not distract the dog from their very important job!
All of our Carleton Therapy Dogs wear red vests with our CU Therapy Dog logo. If you see one, you’re more than welcome to ask to pet the dog but please understand their handler might be on the way to something and can’t always accommodate the request.
How many students attend the sessions typically depends on the time, location, and how busy students are at that time!
On average, we see around 30-50 students per visit, but have had much larger groups than that before.
There can sometimes be a bit of a wait, especially for our dogs that only see a few students at a time, so make sure you aren’t running late.
If you are a Carleton University staff member, faculty member, or an affiliated club or society, you can submit a visit request here.
Please note: we do not currently accommodate requests for 1-1 visits.
Although we aren’t currently recruiting for a new Therapy Dog team, if you are a staff or faculty member at Carleton and are interested in being put on a waitlist, you can email wellness@carleton.ca
