Current Issues in Middle Level Education - Volume 29 - Issue 1 - Article 5

Oct 15, 2026

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School therapy dogs have gained attention as expanding evidence supports positive outcomes from assisted-animal interaction, yet limited scholarship explains how such innovations link to concrete middle level education best practices. This study uses Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory to connect therapy dog implementation with the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) essential attributes and characteristics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. Focus groups highlight framework intersections, indicating alignment that supports a successful, healthy middle school environment and produces a new integrative framework.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction: Therapy dogs and school settings

Types of school dogs (service, visitation, therapy)

Background: Animal-assisted intervention

Definitions and distinctions (AAI, AAE, AAT)

Reported effects and research gaps

Study purpose and theoretical framework

Diffusion of Innovation (DOI)

AMLE essential attributes

WSCC model components

Methods: Focus groups

Findings and proposed framework

Current Issues in Middle Level Education | Volume 29 Issue 1 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | July 2025
Exploring the impact of a middle level school therapy dog on students and staff and connections to best practices in middle school education
Brandye Nobiling
Salisbury University, [bdnobiling@salisbury.edu](bdnobiling@salisbury.edu)
Sherry Maykrantz
Salisbury University, [samaykrantz@salisbury.edu](samaykrantz@salisbury.edu)
Tara Downes
Caroline County Schools, [downes.tara@ccpsstaff.org](downes.tara@ccpsstaff.org)
Joshua Nobiling
Delaware State University, [jnobiling@desu.edu](jnobiling@desu.edu)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle](https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle)
Part of the Health and Physical Education Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, and the School Psychology Commons | | Recommended Citation Nobiling, Brandye; Maykrantz, Sherry; Downes, Tara; and Nobiling, Joshua (2025)"Exploring the impact of a middle level school therapy dog on students and staff and connections to best practices in middle school education," Current Issues in Middle Level Education: Vol. 29: Iss. 1, Article 5. DOI: 10. 20429/cimle.2025.29105 Available at: [https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol29/iss1/5](https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol29/iss1/5) This research is brought to you for free and open access by the Active Journals at Georgia Southern Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Current Issues in Middle Level Education by an authorized administrator of Georgia Southern Commons. For more information, please contact [digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu](digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu). Exploring the impact of a middle level school therapy dog on students and staff and connections to best practices in middle school education Brandye D. Nobiling, PhD, CHES®, CSE, Salisbury University Sherry A. Maykrantz, Ph.D., MPH, M.Ed., CHES®, Salisbury University Tara A. Downes, Ed.D, Caroline County Schools Joshua P. Nobiling, MFA, Delaware State University Abstract The presence of therapy dogs in schools has increased due to the growing body of research showing positive effects of assisted-animal interaction. But there is little published research on how an innovation such as a therapy dog connects to best practices in middle level education. The goal of the research was to use the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory to connect the implementation of a therapy dog to the Association for Middle Level Education’s (AMLE) essential attributes and characteristics as well as components of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. Focus groups were conducted to illustrate connections among these frameworks. Findings exemplified intersectionality among AMLE attributes and characteristics and WSCC components, indicating the innovation of a therapy dog can foster a successful and healthy middle school environment for students and staff. This exploration resulted in the creation of a new framework showing how the innovation of a therapy dog aligns with best practices in middle level education. Keywords: Therapy dog; school climate; Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child; Diffusion of Innovation, Middle level education best practices A large body of research exists on the positive effects of therapy dogs in educational settings, and the presence of dogs providing therapeutic support in primary and secondary schools and colleges and universities has been increasing in recent years (Grove et al., 2021) . There are three types of dogs most commonly found in a school setting: Service dogs, visitation dogs, and therapy dogs (Foreman et al., 2017) . Service dogs are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and defined as “dogs that are individually trained

FAQs

What theory guided the study on therapy dog implementation in middle level schools?

The research applied the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory to connect therapy dog implementation with established best-practice frameworks.

Which two main educational frameworks were linked to the therapy dog innovation?

The study connected the implementation of a therapy dog to AMLE essential attributes and characteristics and to the WSCC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.

What did the focus group findings suggest about the value of a therapy dog?

Findings showed intersectionality among AMLE attributes and characteristics and WSCC components, indicating the innovation can foster a successful and healthy middle school environment for both students and staff.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Himbo