STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
OVERCOMING BULLYING
Bullying is a growing problem that has attracted increasing attention in Canada and internationally. Many children have suffered through this terrible experience, including a number of students who have participated in the COPE program, Canines in the Classroom.
What happens to students who are bullied is not easy to counteract. Often they feel that they don’t matter – to anyone at school – and are completely unmotivated to continue their education. Without the self-confidence to stand up to those who are tormenting them, school is not a place of refuge.
However, within the COPE program, when students are matched with service dogs-in-training, they suddenly matter to their canine partner. As they develop a bond through their training experience, they receive unconditional love from their COPE dog.
Not only are they important to their partner, they are carrying out important work. They are part of a team training a service dog that will make a real difference in the life of a life partner with disabilities. Students begin to gain confidence in themselves as they experience success, and they develop new perspectives as they take on the leadership role of a trainer.
In the COPE class, dogs don’t judge their student partners – they accept them just the way they are. It is no wonder that some students explain they can’t wait to get to their COPE. class. It is no wonder that students begin to unleash their potential and develop more skills to combat bullying.
“Leadership and being assertive are things that I am not good at however since I started this class, I’ve noticed a change. I am able to ask for things directly and tell people instead of asking. The improvement in my leadership skills and confidence has helped me get to where I need to be in high school. I am certain that the skills that COPE has taught me will stay with me throughout my school career and for the rest of my life.”
“I suffer from social and separation anxiety, but I never feel awkward or alone in COPE class – I can actually be myself. That’s why I love COPE.”
“COPE is a place to feel safe. I was nervous about coming to high school but thanks to COPE I know I can get through high school.”
“Dogs help me control my anger and emotions better. In life, you have to keep your emotions under control or people will keep bugging you.”
“COPE makes me feel less anxious for the day moving forward. It makes me happy and has taught me self- confidence.”
“School and life can be very stressful and cause me to have anxiety. Being part of Canines in the Classroom helps me deal with it. COPE has taught me that self- restraint and following instructions is very important. It makes me feel like I am good at something.”
“Training Sky has helped me because she has made me more confident about following my dreams and going after my goals.”
“In COPE dog class I realize that I could learn to cope with the struggles in life without running away. When dogs challenge you, it can help you be more positive towards challenges in real life and it teaches you how to be patient as a leader and even stand up for yourself. I learned how to control my emotions and stay calm and talk confidently. The class showed me that a dog can challenge you even at your weakest and saddest point because they need you as a leader ALL the time. That made me stronger.”
“COPE helps me focus because I have to listen better in class for my dog, Dash.”
“COPE is the best thing to happen to me. I was badly depressed and I got to train dogs that made me feel happy.”
“COPE has taught me about leadership and has made me more confident because I’m training the dogs for a good cause. I love the dogs and they love me back. What I have learned will help me when I become a parent.”
“Some days going to school is unbearable because my insomnia and negative thoughts and worries will have kept me up until six in the morning. When I know that it is a dog day and I get to see my best friend Daisy, I tell myself that I can’t let her down and my mood completely flips. She makes my whole day better. She is non-judgmental and makes me feel safe.”
“COPE gives me job skills like multitasking. When you can multitask, it makes you reliable and people look at you as a leader.”
“I enjoyed coming to school more than usual and I work hard to ensure that I did not miss a class. It gave me a sense of accomplishment, an increase in self-confidence and self-esteem and a pride in being involved in something that helps so many worthy people. This program has forever changed my life in more ways than I can express.”
“I have made a true friend and Daisy has shown me that I can overcome things even when I feel really anxious, stimulated or depressed. She shows me that when you get up in the morning and think of something positive it will improve your day completely. She has been the source of my positive thoughts.”
“COPE gives me happiness and confidence. COPE has taught me a lot of lessons not only with dogs, but in life too. I can use almost everything I’ve learned in COPE and apply it to my everyday life. I have learned to be more patient with people and be more dedicated toward more things. I will definitely keep learning from these lessons.”
“COPE makes me feel like I have more control over myself, and more courage now than I did when I started high school. It will also help me in the future for keeping an open mind that everyone is different, and I might have to adjust things because of it.”
”I can barely wake up but seeing the dogs is what makes me want to come to school.”
“COPE is an outlet for me to reduce stress and gain confidence, which in turn, helps me in my daily life. The dogs look at me and listen to me which helps me find a sense of importance.”
“Working with the dogs reduces my stress and creates an atmosphere of enjoyment where I have fun and make friends. Personally, this experience has made me more confident in myself and others have noticed a difference in me.”
“I am a good ambassador for COPE. I can use these skills in other situations like when I’m with family. I know to act proper and to not be silly and goofy. I need to take responsibility for my own actions so that I am a good ambassador for my family too.”
“After years of me struggling with anxiety and wanting to drop out of school, this is the first time in years that I enjoy and feel comfortable being in school. I don’t usually talk about how I struggled with school but for COPE I’m more than willing to do it so people realize the difference that COPE can make in people’s lives.”
“Before I was partnered with Bobby, I was more nervous to be in front of people. I always tried to avoid it but as I got closer with Bobby, he helped me overcome my anxiety. Today, I can go up on stage and do commands. Four months ago, I would never have been able to do that.”
“I can use the skills I learn in COPE to overcome challenges like a hard test, driving test or job interview. When I do a hard command with the dog, I give the dog trust. When I combine that with trust in myself and practice, it sets me up for success in life’s challenges.”
“I can train and bond with Bear to build my confidence. I can use confidence to help me pass my classes and to work on stuff at home. For example, sometimes I get frustrated when I work with motors, so I use self-restraint that I learned in COPE to not destroy them.”
“COPE gives me leadership skills in and outside of dog training. In the future, I would like to be a pilot so I would use the English skills that I develop in COPE when communicating on the radio. If there was a crash or a complication, I can use my leadership skills to solve problems.”