Canine Comprehension: Emotional Regulation and Friendship Skills

The most recent Canine Comprehension session supported students in deepening both their emotional literacy and social understanding. Students upgraded their Zones of Regulation check-in by using it as an adaptive reflection tool - identifying how they felt at the start, then reassessing and adjusting their zone based on how they felt later in the session. Students also shared the reasons behind their zone choices, building emotional vocabulary and self-awareness.

Building on last week’s Friendship Circles, the class explored different types of relationships, with a focus on challenging the misconception that disliking someone is the same as not knowing them. This led to a group discussion on what makes a good friend, with students collaboratively identifying key traits such as: trust, sharing, talking, listening, kindness, respect, connection, spending time together, empathy, helpfulness and being an upstander.

Students then had the opportunity to work one-on-one with Mr Rufus, practising clear communication, reading body language and offering praise during a series of tricks. The session closed with students returning to their Zones chart, reflecting on how their emotional state had shifted over the lesson, reinforcing the impact of connection, regulation and kindness.