‘Fidget’ starts work as district’s new therapy dog

   Fidget had her first full day of school Oct. 28.

   The Monticello Community School District’s new therapy dog, a 20-month-old sheepadoodle, officially started work that day, and was an instant hit.

   “She spent the day with me in the middle school and high school,” Shannon Guyer said, “and I can barely get down the hallway, because everybody just wants to pet her.”
   Guyer’s official district titles are preK-12 behavior/special education coach and district lead mentor, but she has also spent the last year taking part in Fidget’s training. Guyer spoke about the dog during the regular meeting of the Monticello School Board Oct. 28.

   “Today was our first day where Fidget came into the buildings (for the full day),” Superintendent Brian Jaeger said. “The dog has been in and out several times for short periods as part of her training.”

   “She did awesome today,” Guyer added. “We’re here, she’s working, the kids are loving her, so it’s been great.”

   Guyer joked that she needs to acquire a t-shirt that reads “Hey, I’m here too!”

   “Because,” Guyer said, “now it’s all, ‘Hi, Fidget!’ ‘Where’s Fidget?’ ‘Is Fidget here?’ ‘Is Fidget coming today?’

   “But it’s been so rewarding. They’re just so excited (to see her).”

   Proponents of having a therapy dog present in the classroom or in a counselor’s office say it benefits students in many ways, including improving social skills among peers, reducing stress and anxiety, and more.

   “She’s trained to recognize stressors in kids,” Guyer told the board, “(such as) if they’re wringing their hands, or if they have their head down in their hands.”

   Guyer also described the personality of Fidget’s breed.

   “She has the definite brain of a poodle, but she has the herding instinct of a sheepdog. She thinks all of us are her little sheep, so we had to do some training through that.”

   This isn’t the first time the district has had a therapy dog. Champ, owned and handled by then-elementary school counselor Aimee Hospodarsky, served the district in the previous decade.

   The school board approved the acquisition of Fidget during its April 24 meeting. The dog came from Superstar Service Dogs of Mount Vernon, and her training was paid for through a Therapeutic Classroom Grant from the Iowa Department of Education.

   “I hope I never stop being amazed at the work she does,” Guyer said, “how she just helps (the students) through moments.”

   A previous attempt to bring a therapy dog to the district was tabled in January 2022 over a student’s allergy concerns.