The Puppy Room: An Anti-stress Proposal

Certainly it happens many times that you wake up in the morning with the desire to run back under the covers, at the very thought of what awaits you during the day. Your mind is already busy thinking about the work issues to be solved, obviously without forgetting that first you will have to deal with traffic jams and traffic, between cars and public transport. Upon returning home, the day is still long: you will have to take care of the chores that you have not been able to do before and, of course, also find time to be with your family, time that is never enough (or at least this is the impression general) .Millions of men and women, every day, are faced withsimilar circumstances: situations that transform stress into constant company and do not allow, more often than not, to find a way to relax. But now stop for a moment. Observe that cute puppy sitting there beside you. He could be the solution to your problems. In fact, a group of  university students understood this and created a place where the watchword is to relax: we present the puppy room.

The puppy room, an aid for stressed students

As we said at the beginning, the life of an adult today is marked by a fast pace, which leaves no room for rest: a situation that can cause great stress. But we must not forget that not even the life of the university student is exempt from this phenomenon, especially when the exam period arrives and the pressure increases. For most of them, passing exams represents a great responsibility, on which their future depends, at least in the short term. It is for this reason that an anti-stress room was set up at the University of Lancashire, in England,  which opened its doors on 7 May 2015 : there, students who need it will find a space populated by cute puppies.

The initiative was inspired by a study conducted in Japan, which showed that students who spent time with puppies or cats before an exam achieved better results. In fact, during the experiment, the grades of the students involved improved by 44%. It should be emphasized that adult cats and dogs were also used, but it was seen that, while continuing to be considered formidable pets, they did not give the desired results for this type of study.

The puppy room, a place for cuddling

This brilliant idea to help university students in the hardest period of the school year was put into practice by the Students’ Union, with the collaboration of the charity Guide Dogs, which took care of making the puppies available. To enjoy some relaxation in the company of these animals, each student must make a reservation and pay, in exchange, at least one pound, which will be used for charitable purposes. This symbolic offer entitles you to  an hour in the puppy room: during this time students can interact with the animals by playing with them, taking care of them and petting them.

These puppies are always accompanied by the staff who take care of them and have a special area available to rest when they are tired and need to sleep. The university has organized things in such a way that the animals are allowed to rest every three hours. We also tried to create a pleasant environment not only for the students, but also for the puppies themselves, so that they too can enjoy contact with humans and their affection : in fact, a study showed that dogs they much prefer caresses rather than praise.

The puppy room, incubator for future guide dogs

The Student Union also explains that  a limited number of students is allowed in the room, always depending on the number of puppies available in each session. This is why, as has been said before, it is necessary to book in advance: in this way we avoid excessive crowding that would cause the animals stress and anxiety. Another positive aspect of this initiative is that the resulting benefit is mutual: these meetings, in fact, are not only advantageous for the students, but also for the animals themselves, who are receiving specific training to become guide dogs. The Student Union explains why:

In short, the puppy room is a really interesting project, as is the idea from which it was born; for this reason, even if you cannot take advantage of such a space, we invite you to fight stress with the help of your four-legged friend: after spending some time with him and giving him the attention he deserves, you will surely feel better. Also remember that a scientific study has shown that dogs love us as members of their family : make them feel like part of yours too!