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Rocky the goldendoodle gives students emotional support at Plymouth High School

Kathy Borlik
·4 min read
2

Rocky and Tammie Radican make quite a team. Tammie is a seasoned teacher at Plymouth High School.

On the other hand — another paw, actually — Rocky is a little wet behind the ears. Still learning the ropes. Let’s face it, Rocky is a 6-month-old puppy. And, yes, he is absolutely adorable.

Rocky, a goldendoodle, was introduced to Tammie Radican’s classroom in March. He has become popular throughout Plymouth High School with students and staff.
Rocky, a goldendoodle, was introduced to Tammie Radican’s classroom in March. He has become popular throughout Plymouth High School with students and staff.

Tammie and Rocky — what a pair. Both have a lot of love to share.

Tammie is a life skills teacher at Plymouth High. The skills classes help young adults with disabilities to become productive members of society.

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She has 18 students, all at various levels of ability. On a recent school day, the students worked on computers, reading and on tasks. Rocky sits with one student. Another one joins on the floor. And then another. The dog gently gets all the attention. He takes hugs and snuggles. One student sings to the dog and another reads.

A few students announce their love for their little buddy.

Tammie introduced the black goldendoodle to the mix in March. The doodles are known for being intelligent and flexible. And that is Rocky. It was magic from the start. All Tammie said was there was going to be a surprise. There was no extra dog talk or hints.

At that point, after the initial squeals of delight, the dog brought a gentle calm and love to the classroom. But it is more. The whole high school seems to gravitate to the dog. He is a fixture now.

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Tammie said the dog gets attention in the hallways. Teachers who have had a bad day come in and sit with the dog. Students from other classes come by to pay the dog some attention.

“Everyone has a bad day once in a while,” she said. Rocky absorbs all the bad vibes and people walk away happy.

Chase Marsh pets his buddy Rocky, a goldendoodle that's now part of Tammie Radican's classroom at Plymouth High School.
Chase Marsh pets his buddy Rocky, a goldendoodle that's now part of Tammie Radican's classroom at Plymouth High School.

One of Tammie’s peer mentors had high praise for the dog. He said Rocky is the best thing that ever happened to him in the school.

Let’s back this story up a bit. There has been plenty of research done on emotional therapy dogs in classrooms. “I was thinking about this for more than 10 years,” Tammie said.

She formulated a plan about getting a dog and securing training. She estimated she would need to raise thousands of dollars.

Some angels (two- and four-legged) stepped in to help.

Plymouth Community School Assistant Superintendent Jill VanDriessche, researched service dogs and found a reputable breeder in Michigan. The breeder gave the dog to the corporation.

Free dog.

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One of Tammie’s classroom paraprofessionals, Marrissa Ridenour, also trains dogs for Northern Indiana Service Dogs. She took on the responsibility of training Rocky for the next year. Rocky will live with Marrissa during the extensive training. Then he will move in with Tammie and her two sons, who also have special needs.

Free training.

Marrissa said Rocky is highly adaptable. “He goes with the flow and loves people. We go to training classes on Saturday. He interacts with other dogs, but he likes people more.”

Ben Mumbai and Rocky have formed a close relationship since the goldendoodle became part of Tammie Radican's classroom at Plymouth High School.
Ben Mumbai and Rocky have formed a close relationship since the goldendoodle became part of Tammie Radican's classroom at Plymouth High School.

Rocky knows he is working from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. “Students who are normally non-verbal will sing to him. Students want to walk him down the hallway, and that is an added responsibility to them. Students who initially wanted nothing to do with him are now sitting on the floor with him. That is huge. Students are interacting with each other differently.”

Tammie said next year she will incorporate more Rocky time into the curriculum. “He will have about six weeks off. Then he will be back in the classroom.”

Others are interested in what is going on. She has received inquiries from other teachers and corporations about the progress and achievements.

“We all have challenges we face, but my students face some pretty big ones. Having Rocky has brought so much joy and, ultimately, peace to them individually and the classroom as a whole,” Tammie said.

Tammie sees great possibilities. Great chances to include Rocky. Maybe a second dog.

Just maybe.

You can reach Kathy at kfborlik@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Plymouth High School has an emotional support goldendoodle