The Dog Mentor Blog

🐾 The Perfect Way to Finish a Fantastic School Year! 🧡 To finish off a fantastic school year, I was at Penbridge Infant School in Portsmouth to welcome their Dog Mentor Charlie, along with his owner Caroline and Dog Professional Kelly-Jayne. We had a brilliant day together and it was wonderful to see the excitement for Charlie's journey ahead. He has such a lovely nature and is going to become a very special part of the school community. It was the perfect way to round off

🐾 Welcome Apple to the Dog Mentor Family! 🧡 I was at New Horizons Primary School in Portsmouth today to welcome their Dog Mentor Apple, along with her owner Lizzie and Dog Professionals Julie and Tarnya. We had a fantastic day together and it was wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm for the programme. Apple has such a lovely nature and it was clear from the very beginning that she is going to thrive in her new role. She is going to be an amazing Dog Mentor and I k

🐾 Welcome Enzo to the Dog Mentor Family! 🧡 I was back again at Pelham Primary School today to welcome another new Dog Mentor team into our ever-growing family. This time it was Enzo, along with his owner Jodie and Dog Professionals Amy and Jill. It was a lovely day and it was great to be back in such a welcoming school. Seeing the programme continue to grow there is really exciting and it's clear how committed the whole team is to making the most of everything The Dog Mento

🐾 A Lovely Local Day with Lady! 🧡 We’re into the last week of the school year and today I was very local, visiting Chattenden Primary School to welcome their new Dog Mentor Lady, along with her owner Vicky and Dog Professionals Laura and Nic. We had a lovely day together exploring how Lady will become part of everyday school life and the many different ways she will support the children and wider school community. There was such a warm and welcoming atmosphere throughout th

🐾 Selly Oak Trust School Welcomes Polly! 🧡 Jenny Sleath finished the week at Selly Oak Trust School in Birmingham, a school where Rachel and Dog Mentor Rocco joined the programme back in 2024 and have already had a huge impact. Jenny returned to spend time with Rocco and Rachel, providing some refresher training, while also welcoming the school's second Dog Mentor team. Polly, along with her owner Pete, is now joining the Dog Mentor family. Jenny also worked with Dog Profes

🐾 Winnie Joins the Team at Bramley Grange Academy! 🧡 I went back to Bramley Grange Academy near Guildford today to welcome another new Dog Mentor to their fantastic team. Sandra already has Dog Mentor Clemmie and today we welcomed Winnie into our ever-growing Dog Mentor family. It was also great to welcome Jo and Eleanor as new Dog Professionals. They are going to be a fantastic support for Winnie as she begins her journey. It was so lovely to be back with everyone at Braml

🐾 Waffle Begins Her Dog Mentor Journey at Saltaire Primary! 🧡 Jenny Sleath was at Saltaire Primary School today, a school that I first visited back in 2022 and one that completely captivated me with both its wonderful community and its beautiful surroundings. It was lovely to hear Jenny had such a fantastic day there too. Jenny had the pleasure of working with the small but mighty Waffle, a miniature Cockapoo, alongside her owner and the school's Deputy Headteacher, Rachel

🐾 Welcome Stanley to the Dog Mentor Family! 🧡 I was at Reepham Primary School near Norwich today to welcome their new Dog Mentor team — Stanley and his owner Amy. It was also lovely to have our new Dog Mentor Research Manager, Ella, join us for the day. A huge thank you to Ella for all of her support and input throughout the training. It was fantastic to have her there and I'm really excited about everything we'll achieve together through our growing research programme. It

🐾 Mabel Joins Monty at Halifax Academy! 🧡 Jenny Sleath was at Halifax Academy today to train their newest Dog Mentor, Mabel. It was an especially lovely day as I had previously trained Monty at the school, giving Jenny the opportunity to spend time with both of these fantastic dogs. Mabel is now a fully assessed Dog Mentor, joining her work brother Monty in supporting the young people across the academy. Jenny said the school gave her a very warm welcome and she really enjo

🐾 Back with Baxter at Tulip Academy! 🧡 I spent the day with Baxter and his new Dog Professional Mayelin at Tulip Academy in Spalding today. Baxter originally joined the programme with his sister Bonnie and their owner Kat back in 2023. It was great to be back at Baxter's new school for a catch-up and to take Mayelin through the Dog Professional training. It’s always so rewarding to see Dog Mentors continuing their journey as they move into new settings and support even more

🐾 A Great Day with Blu at Sunny Skies Nursery! 🧡 I was at Sunny Skies Nursery in West Bromwich today with their Dog Mentor Blu, along with her owner Naina. We had a great day together exploring how Blu will become part of everyday nursery life. It was lovely to see such enthusiasm for the programme and to talk through all the different ways she will support the children as they grow in confidence and develop important life skills. Blu has a wonderful future ahead of her and

🐾 Team Cosmo Continues to Grow! 🧡 Jenny Sleath ended a busy week of Dog Mentor training back in Wales at Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff. Cosmo has been part of the Dog Mentor family for several years, having originally trained with Dan Salter, Emotional Health and Wellbeing Specialist for Cardiff City Council. Since then, Cosmo has been making a wonderful difference at BroPlasTaf. Now Cosmo is expanding his role across three Welsh-medium schools — Ysgol Glantaf, Ysgol Plasmawr an

🐾 Ronald Begins His Dog Mentor Journey! 🧡 Jenny Sleath was at Shaftesbury School in Dorset today to welcome their newest Dog Mentor, Ronald, along with his owner Jennifer and Dog Professional Josie. Jenny said she received a very warm welcome from Jennifer, Josie and, of course, Ronald! She described Ronald as a wonderful Dog Mentor with a calm temperament but also a huge amount of fun. Jenny was particularly impressed during visits to two Year 7 classes, where the students

🐾 Pepper Begins an Incredible Dog Mentor Journey! 🧡 While I'm in Paris attending ISAZ 2026, Jenny Sleath is continuing to welcome new Dog Mentor teams. Today she was at Upton St James C of E Primary School in Torquay to work with Steph Musselwhite and her gorgeous puppy, Pepper. Steph runs the fantastic Attendance Solutions Ltd, supporting multiple schools to improve the lives of children and their families through better school attendance. Pepper is going to be joining her

Our Conference 2026 highlights video is here! 🧡 What an incredible day. Watching this back reminds us just how special it was to have so many passionate Dog Mentor teams together in one room. A day filled with learning, laughter, emotions, inspiring conversations and a shared commitment to making schools even better places for children and young people. This year's conference brought together the latest research from the University of Lincoln, practical workshops, real-life

🐾 Welcome Nala to the Dog Mentor Family! 🧡 I was back again at Ditton Junior School today to welcome their new Dog Mentor team into our ever-growing family. It was lovely to spend the day with Nala and her owner Emma as they begin this exciting new journey together. We had a fantastic day and it was great to be back in such a welcoming school. There was so much enthusiasm for the programme and I know Nala is going to make a huge difference to the children, staff and wider s

🐾 A Fantastic Day with Bear at Northumberland Heath! 🧡 I was at Northumberland Heath Primary School today with their Dog Mentor Bear, along with his owner Charlotte and Dog Professionals Donna and Maria. Another fantastic school and a brilliant day with a wonderful team. With the temperatures being so high, we of course made sure Bear’s welfare came first by starting earlier and adjusting the timings of the day, allowing him to head home before the hottest part of the after

🐾 A Warm Welcome at The Pilgrim School! 🧡 I was at The Pilgrim School in Rochester today with their Dog Mentor Millie, along with her owner Katie and handler Harriet. It was a fantastic day in such a welcoming school. With the temperatures being so high, the team really went above and beyond to help us stay comfortable, providing fans, cooling mats and even finding us the coolest room in the school. The welfare of our Dog Mentors is always our top priority, so those thought

🐾 Coco Joins the LSEAT Outreach Team! 🧡 Today I was working with Victoria and Coco, the new Dog Mentor team within the LSEAT Outreach Team. We had a fantastic time together exploring all the ways Coco can support children and young people through the programme. Coco was amazingly cute and a joy to work with throughout the day. With the hot weather, we made sure that both Coco and the humans were well looked after, using cooling mats, fans and adjusted timings to ensure ever

🐾 Back at Rowhill School with Arlo! 🧡 I was back again at Rowhill School in Longfield today to train their latest Dog Mentor team — Joanne and her dog Arlo, along with Dog Professional Louise. It was a lovely day in this amazing SEN school, where the Dog Mentor programme continues to have such a positive impact. It’s always a pleasure to return and see how the dogs are embedded into school life and the difference they make every day. Arlo is joining a fantastic team of Dog