Stressed students at Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen will be given the chance to play with dogs this week to help them prepare for the exam season.
RGU’s Students’ Union (RGU:Union) has teamed up with Canine Concern Scotland Trust to offer furry therapy to students to help relieve stress levels in the build-up to coursework deadlines and exams.
RGU:Union’s offices at the university’s Garthdee campus will be transformed into a dog-petting room on Thursday, November 26 where students can relax and play with a pooch for 15 minutes.
The ‘RGU Dog-Petting Day’ has been organised by the university’s Mental Wellbeing Society which aims to promote good mental health among RGU’s student body and to challenge the stigmas associated with mental health conditions.
RGU student Lewis Eden, who is the events officer for the university’s Mental Wellbeing Society, says: “We decided to organise a dog-petting day at RGU as research shows that simply playing with a dog reduces the stress levels of a person and the overall happiness of that individual is increased thanks to the release of oxytocin – the feel good hormone.
“Dog-petting rooms have proved to be really successful at other universities and so we chose to hold our own event at this time of year in particular as students across campus are faced with the challenges and stresses that come with coursework deadlines, exams and preparing for Christmas.
“We have no doubt that the dogs will calm frazzled nerves and cheer our students up as they go through what can be a stressful period of university life.”
Dog-petting sessions lasting 15 minutes will run throughout the day from 10.30am with a break over lunchtime to give the six dogs a rest. Sessions are free to attend but a £2 donation is encouraged which will go to Canine Concern Scotland Trust.
The ‘RGU Dog-Petting Day’ has proved to be extremely popular with RGU students as each session sold out within 48 hours. Due to the high demand the society is looking to repeat the event.
The launch of RGU’s dog-petting programme follows the success of a similar initiative at a Canadian university in 2012 and at the University of Aberdeen in 2013.
Canine Concern Scotland Trust was formed in 1988 to promote responsible dog ownership in Scotland. It has since established a ‘Therapet’ service and promotes research into the therapeutic value of dogs.