Support group which gives canine cuddles to students searching for new coordinator

A long-running student support group of the canine kind is searching for a new coordinator, and additional four-legged members are welcome too.

K9 Kuddles has been going into Dunedin's university and polytechnic halls of residence for a decade, helping stressed students keep calm and carry on.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes visit at the start of the year when students are settling in, and around exam time when stress levels can go up.

"The students come in, sit amongst them all and just pat them, talk to each other, ooh and ahhh over them. Sometimes they scream with excitement. We just try and melt into the background and keep it all calm and relaxed, and make sure everyone is happy," K9 Kuddles co-founder and organiser Jacinta Grey told Checkpoint.

She coordinated the volunteers and assessed the dogs who joined the pack but now Grey and her two dogs - papillon Ernie and Whitney the whippet - are moving out of town.

So, what kind of person is she looking for to take the lead(s)?

"Probably someone who's a little bit bossy. Someone who loves dogs, has the time, has the inclination, and can read dog behaviour. You need to be prepared to be relaxed, because the more relaxed we are, the more relaxed the dogs are."

As for the furry volunteers, they come in all sizes but the main criteria is temperament.

"We pride ourselves on the variety we take. We've had everything from a Boston Terrier to a Saint Bernard. I used to sort of think that it had to be an adult dog that was older and calm, but we've learned dogs that have done it from puppies just grow into it.

"They know they're not there to play with the other dogs. They know they're there for humans. All going well by the end of the session, all the dogs are asleep."

And sometimes, it's not only the dogs.

"Some places we've been, like the dental school, where I think the students have worked really hard, we've had people sitting around with dogs on either side and just drift off to sleep. They've got a hand on two dogs and they go to sleep."

It doesn't always go to plan, and Grey recalled one incident involving a shy student who was part of one group with a dog called Barclay.

"Maybe he had some sort of reflux issue, but when he had a drink of water, he would often burp and do a vomit. And this wee girl comes in and... it looked like it had taken quite an effort for her to even join the group. And Barclay goes over to her, burps and vomits all over her."

Everyone involved gets something out of the K9 Kuddles student visits, according to Grey.

"Sometimes I think, can I be bothered organising this semester again. And you go along and it's like taking a rock star into a hall. Sometimes we can't get into the room with the greetings. So yeah, it's lovely."