Canine-assisted ( Dog-Assisted ) games that use the family dog to build a child’s focus, memory, self-control, and emotional regulation — no trained therapy dog needed, just 5–15 minutes a day. Comes with a companion practice workbook (logs, trackers, and checklists). Suitable for therapists and teachers, parents Dog-Assisted Neuro-games are activities specifically designed to strengthen the brain regions responsible for attention, working memory, impulse control, and emotional regulation — the executive functions that make learning, listening, and self-management possible. This book applies that idea through canine-assisted games, using the ordinary dog already living in the family rather than a specially trained therapy animal, so any household with a comfortable, willing dog can use it. Written by a psychologist, speech and language therapist, and canine-assisted therapy specialist who works with children coping with chronic stress, displacement, and anxiety, the book explains why a dog makes these canine-assisted games significantly more effective than cards or screen The book opens with practical guidance for therapists and teachers, parents how to read a dog’s comfort during sessions, how long sessions should run at ages 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, and what to do when a child does not want to play. A full section decodes dog body language (tail, eyes, mouth, calming signals, and the “aggression ladder”), giving both parent and child the tools to recognize a dog’s early stress signals long before conflict occurs — paired with age-adapted exercises for children. The core of the book is a large collection of ready-to-run canine-assisted games and focus exercises: mirroring and imitation games (“Copy the Dog”), attention and impulse-control challenges (“Nose–Paws–Tail,” “Dog Code,” “Dog Bulgaria”), scent-search and fine-motor activities, spatial-thinking tasks built into ordinary walks, comparison and reasoning exercises, and speech-breathing games using nothing more than a piece of kibble. E very game explains not just the rules but what is happening in the child’s brain, which executive function it trains, and why the presence of the dog makes it work better. A dedicated section on calming and breathing — including a guided exercise done resting against the dog’s side — gives parents concrete tools for helping an overstimulated or anxious child settle. The book closes with its scientific basis, drawing on peer-reviewed research on oxytocin, executive function development, polyvagal theory, and canine cognition, plus information about the author’s related resources. Suitable for parents, canine-assisted therapy practitioners, psychologists, speech and language therapists, and educators working with children aged 4–12, especially those managing attention difficulties, emotional dysregulation, or the effects of prolonged stress.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) storybook for boys + work book - aged 5–12, using a boy-and-therapy-dog friendship to teach children how to name feelings, ask for help, and cope with hard emotions. “Words That Bite” is a warm, humour-filled storybook built around social-emotional learning (SEL) — the process by which children learn to recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions while building empathy and healthy relationships with others. The book follows Fedya, a boy navigating everyday childhood struggles, and his imaginary companion Barbos, a wise and gentle dog who appears in his dreams to help him make sense of what he’s feeling. Each of the ten chapters tackles a specific emotional or social challenge that resonates with children this age: learning to hear the care behind a parent’s “no,” telling a dangerous secret from a harmless one, coping with teasing and unkind words, resisting the urge to compare yourself to others, understanding what envy is really trying to tell you, handling the sting of losing a game, repairing a friendship after a fight, moving past embarrassment and shame, and learning that someone else’s “no” is not a rejection of you. Rather than lecturing, the book teaches through story. Barbos shares his own gentle, sometimes funny memories from his life as a young dog, drawing parallels that make abstract emotional concepts concrete and memorable for children. Ideas are explained through everyday images a child can hold onto — a hurtful word compared to a splinter, an unresolved secret compared to a stone in a pocket, envy compared to a small biting bug with something honest to say, shame compared to raw resin that either hardens or turns into amber. Each chapter closes with a short, practical “Barbos’s game” — a simple real-world exercise a child can try that day, making the book easy to use for reflection, discussion, or follow-up activities at home or in the classroom. Written by a psychologist and canine-assisted (canistherapy) practitioner working directly with children coping with stress and anxiety, the book is designed for shared reading between children and the adults who care for them, and works equally well as an independent read for confident young readers. Its plain, lively language keeps complex psychological ideas accessible, while its themes — self-esteem, honesty, friendship repair, jealousy, disappointment, and self-acceptance — make it a natural fit for PSHE, circle time, bibliotherapy, counselling sessions, or general SEL curriculum support. Teachers, school counsellors, and parents can use individual chapters as standalone discussion starters or read the book cover to cover as a longer SEL unit. Each story is short enough for a single sitting yet rich enough to prompt genuine conversation about feelings that children often find hard to put into words on their own.

** Dog Body Language, Safety & Emotions Lesson | Printable Dog Safety Activities | 16-Page Ready-to-Teach Resource ** Help children understand dogs, stay safe around them, and develop emotional awareness with this engaging 16-page printable lesson. This ready-to-teach resource combines dog body language, dog safety, and social-emotional learning into one practical lesson designed for primary-aged children. Everything is prepared for you—simply print the materials and start teaching. Unlike most dog safety resources, this lesson goes beyond teaching children how to recognize canine body language. It also helps them understand their own emotions and body language, showing how both influence interactions with dogs. This dual approach makes safety rules easier to understand, remember, and apply in real-life situations. **## What Children Will Learn ** Children will learn: How to recognize relaxed, worried, fearful, and confident dogs How to identify two key body language cues: Is the dog’s body relaxed or tense? Is the dog’s weight shifted forward or backward? How to approach unfamiliar dogs safely When not to approach or touch a dog How to recognize their own body language and emotional state How emotions influence both children and dogs How to make safe decisions in everyday situations involving dogs By the end of the lesson, children will be able to explain what a dog may be feeling, decide whether it is safe to approach, and recognize what their own body language is communicating. ** Why This Lesson Is Different ** Most dog safety lessons focus only on the dog’s behaviour. This lesson teaches children to observe both the dog and themselves. Through a movement-based “Dinosaur” role-play activity, children physically experience what confidence, fear, tension, and relaxation feel like. They notice muscle tension, posture, shoulder position, and shifts in body weight before comparing these same signals to a dog’s body language. This unique approach builds emotional awareness, empathy, observation skills, and safer behaviour around dogs. ** What’s Included ** 16 printable lesson pages Ready-to-use teacher prompts Discussion questions Classroom activities Interactive games Dog body language exercises Dog safety scenarios Printable assessment No-prep teaching resource

Self-regulation is a child’s ability to manage their emotions, attention, and behaviour so they can stay calm, focused, and ready to learn. This 21-day teacher workbook gives you a ready-made, day-by-day programme of short exercises, games, and brain breaks that build exactly this skill in children aged 6-9 (KS1/KS2). Many children today live in a state of chronic stress, and a stressed brain prioritises safety over learning. That’s why a child may ignore instructions, forget familiar material, tire quickly, or seem “inattentive” — no matter how many times a lesson is repeated. Instead of trying to “remove the anxiety,” this programme helps the nervous system shift into a state where learning becomes possible again, using self-regulation activities that take just 3-7 minutes a day. Each of the 21 days follows the same clear structure, so no extra planning time is needed: A short explanation of the specific skill that day’s activities build, and why it matters at this age Step-by-step instructions with timing and ready-to-say example phrases for children What to watch for while running the activity A brief note on why the exercise works, in plain language Across the 21 days, children practise: Attention and self-regulation through movement, breathing, and rhythm games Naming and understanding emotions (building an emotional vocabulary) Fine motor skills and speech through hands-on, playful tasks Flexible thinking, cooperation, and calm-down strategies The difference between fear and anxiety, explained in simple, age-appropriate terms The activities are designed to be low-prep and playful — framed as “brain workouts,” “attention missions,” or “secret quests” rather than anything that singles a child out or feels like therapy. No special training, resources, or classroom changes are required; most activities use only what’s already in the room. This resource is ideal for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs, learning support staff, and school counsellors working with children in Years 2-4 who need support with focus, emotional regulation, or settling into learning after a break, transition, or stressful period. A full 21-day tracker is included so progress can be logged at a glance. Use it as a whole-class morning routine, a targeted small-group intervention, or a flexible toolkit to dip into whenever the class — or one particular child — needs to reset before learning can happen.

A complete projective technique toolkit built around Barbos, a dog character who helps children express fear, conflict and grief safely, without direct questioning. A projective technique is a structured activity that invites a child to express an inner state through symbolic, indirect material — in this case, drawing and talking through the eyes of a dog — rather than answering a direct question about feelings. Because Barbos is deliberately “blank” (no fixed backstory or personality), children of any temperament can safely project onto him what they can’t yet say about themselves. What’s inside: 6 full projective techniques — Barbos’s Glasses, Barbos’s Little House, Barbos’s Balloons, Barbos’s Den, Barbos Looks for His Own, and Barbosa’s Tracks — each with a neuropsychological and psychological rationale, step-by-step instructions, adaptation variants, and specialist notes 7-piece clinical companion set: Quick Reference Guide, Contraindications & Red Flags Checklist, Session Planning Sheet, Observation Form, Parent Notes, Therapist Notes, and a Sample De-Identified Case Full theoretical grounding, covering 7 neuropsychological mechanisms behind why drawing helps children talk (hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, mirror neurons, right-hemisphere processing, symbolic play, safe distance) 8-category reference list spanning play therapy, attachment/interpersonal neurobiology, trauma, symbolic play & assessment, art therapy, neuropsychology, narrative psychology, and the limits of projective testing Clear ethical guidelines, a professional disclaimer, and a Suggested Reading list Written by a practitioner with a background spanning veterinary medicine, child psychology, speech therapy, and canine-assisted therapy (canistherapy), and developed through real session work as part of the SunnyDog Therapy method. Ideal for child psychologists, school counsellors, speech and language therapists, and canistherapists looking for a low-pressure, repeatable way to open conversation with anxious, guarded, or non-verbal children. Several techniques also adapt easily for parents to use at home.

his step-by-step guide helps children overcome their fear of dogs through a practical, evidence-informed method for parents, teachers, and child psychologists. Fear of dogs is one of the most common childhood fears — it can develop after a frightening encounter, from a parent’s own anxiety, from a lack of understanding of dog behavior, or with no clear cause at all. Left unaddressed, it can lead to avoidance, panic, or long-term anxiety around animals and unfamiliar situations more broadly. This resource explains where the fear comes from, the common mistakes adults unintentionally make when trying to help, and a clear, structured method to gradually rebuild a child’s sense of safety and confidence. The guide is built around a step-by-step approach: starting with low-pressure exposure (watching dogs on screen, learning to read canine body language), moving through guided practice with toys, stories, and role-play, and finally supporting real-life first contact with a calm, well-chosen dog — always at the child’s own pace, never by force. Each stage includes clear guidance on what to do, what to avoid, and how to recognize when a child is ready to move forward or needs to pause. Inside the guide, you’ll find: a clear explanation of why children develop a fear of dogs, and the adult behaviors that unintentionally make it worse; a step-by-step program moving from screen-based exposure to real-life contact with a dog; practical exercises to reduce anxiety and build confidence; therapeutic stories that model calm, successful encounters with dogs; a guide to reading dog body language, so children learn to tell a calm dog from an unsettled one; checklists for recognizing early signs a child is becoming overwhelmed, so adults can step in before a meltdown; printable worksheets, including Where Does Anxiety Live?, Where Does Confidence Live?, My First Brave Steps, and a Victory Journal; a 10-Day Practice Tracker to support steady, repeated practice at a manageable pace; games and activities that make learning to feel safe around dogs enjoyable rather than stressful. The method draws on child psychology, canine-assisted therapy (canistherapy), and practical experience working directly with children, families, and dogs. It is designed to be used at home by parents, or in professional settings by school counselors, child psychologists, speech and language therapists, and SEN practitioners supporting children with anxiety. This resource is ideal if a child is afraid of dogs, panics or cries when they see one, crosses the street to avoid them, has had a frightening experience with a dog, or simply needs support building calm, confident interactions with animals. All materials are provided in a convenient printable format — simply download, print, and start using them at home, in the classroom, or during 1:1 sessions.

A practical, evidence-informed resource to help children overcome their fear of dogs — written by a child psychologist, speech and language therapist, and canine-assisted therapy practitioner. This resource explains what NOT to do when a child is afraid of a dog (and what to say instead), plus a full toolkit for parents, teachers, psychologists, and SEN/therapy professionals. What’s included: Key mistakes adults make when a child is scared of dogs — and calmer alternatives Confidence-building and anxiety-reduction exercises Printable worksheets: Where Does Anxiety Live?, Where Does Confidence Live?, My First Brave Steps, Victory Journal A 10-Day Practice Tracker Step-by-step guidance for real-life situations (walks, meeting a dog, public places) Therapeutic stories, checklists, and progress trackers Ideal for: primary-age children, SEN/emotional regulation support, school counsellors, child psychologists, speech and language therapists, and parents. Simply download, print, and use at home, in the classroom, or during 1:1 sessions.

This projective drawing technique uses a dog character, Barbos, and his “glasses” as a gentle, non-threatening way to help children reveal how they see themselves, others, and difficult situations in their lives. A projective technique is a psychological tool that invites a child to express their inner world — thoughts, feelings, worries, and perceptions they may not be able to put into words directly — through drawing, imagery, or story rather than direct questioning. In this technique, the child is asked to imagine looking through Barbos’s glasses and draw what they “see,” giving the therapist a safe, indirect window into the child’s perspective, fears, wishes, or unresolved feelings. The technique is rooted in canine-assisted therapy (canistherapy), using the dog character Barbos as a familiar, trusted presence that lowers a child’s guard and makes it easier to engage with emotionally sensitive material. Because the request is framed as play — “what does Barbos see through his glasses?” — rather than a direct question about feelings, children who are usually guarded or reluctant to talk often open up more freely. This resource is designed for child psychologists, school counselors, art therapists, speech and language therapists, and canine-assisted therapy practitioners working with children on emotional expression, self-perception, family dynamics, and unspoken worries. Inside, you’ll find: a clear, ready-to-use script for introducing the technique to a child; guidance on how to interpret what a child draws and says during the activity; notes on the neuropsychological rationale behind why projective drawing works with children; suggestions for follow-up questions and discussion after the drawing is complete; ideas for adapting the technique across different ages and presenting concerns. Like the other techniques in the Barbos projective series, this activity uses a consistent dog-based framework, which helps children feel safe and familiar with the format from session to session — building trust over time rather than starting from scratch with every new exercise. It can be used as a standalone activity or alongside other techniques from the same series as part of a broader therapeutic toolkit. This technique is especially useful with children who find it hard to talk about their feelings directly, who are anxious or withdrawn in sessions, or who respond better to drawing and imaginative play than to conversation alone. All materials are provided in a clear, printable format, ready to bring straight into individual sessions, group work, or classroom settings — simply download, print, and start using it with the children in your care.

Happy Fingers — A Finger Game for Emotional Awareness, Attention & Cognitive Flexibility All you need is a pair of hands and a little imagination! In this simple but powerful game, each finger becomes “home” to a character, feeling, animal, or color — turning everyday finger play into a tool for emotional literacy, focus, and self-regulation. Perfect for: Speech and language therapists Child psychologists and counselors Special education teachers Parents looking for screen-free, no-prep activities Ages: 0 to adult — works with a single child, a parent-child pair, or a whole group What’s inside: 10 ready-to-use game variants, from simple to advanced: Dog Fingers — learn to recognize dogs’ calming signals and emotional states Sequences — memory and attention training Feelings Fingers — naming and expressing emotions Animal Fingers, Colored/Numbered Fingers, Fairy-Tale Fingers, Opposite Fingers, Mirror Fingers, Invisible Fingers, and more A printable hand template A ready-to-use Session Planning Sheet for professionals Skills developed: ✔ Interhemispheric coordination ✔ Memory and attention ✔ Visual perception ✔ Instruction-following ✔ Language and emotional intelligence ✔ Movement coordination ✔ Emotion recognition No printing, no cutting, no prep required — just hands and imagination. A flexible resource that grows with the child: today dogs live on the fingers, tomorrow feelings, the day after — animals!

Beschreibung Fertige Unterrichtsstunde + Druckmaterialien: Hunde verstehen und sicher mit ihnen umgehen In dieser umfangreichen Unterrichtsstunde entdecken die Kinder die faszinierende Welt der Hunde – von der Vielfalt der Rassen bis hin zur Körpersprache, mit der Hunde tatsächlich miteinander und mit uns kommunizieren. Zunächst lernen die Kinder, was alle Hunde gemeinsam haben und warum sich Rassen so stark unterscheiden – anhand spannender Beispiele wie Beagle, Deutscher Schäferhund, Border Collie, Greyhound, Husky, Dackel, Bernhardiner und Labrador und ihrer ursprünglichen Aufgaben. Anschließend geht es tiefer in die Körpersprache: Die Kinder erfahren, warum Hunde vor allem über den Körper und kaum über Laute kommunizieren, und lernen die zwei zentralen Signale kennen, an denen man den emotionalen Zustand eines Hundes erkennt – Muskelspannung (entspannt vs. angespannt) und Körperschwerpunkt (nach vorne vs. nach hinten). Durch lebendige Rollenspiele erleben die Kinder diese Signale zunächst am eigenen Körper, bevor sie sie auf Hunde übertragen. Zum Abschluss wenden die Kinder ihr neues Wissen praktisch an: Sie lernen, sich einem Hund sicher zu nähern, seine Grenzen zu respektieren (beim Fressen, Schlafen oder Spielen) und typische Aussagen über Hunde als Mythos oder Wahrheit zu entlarven. Die Kinder lernen: die Körpersprache von Hunden zu beobachten und zu deuten auf Ohren, Schwanz, Augen und Körperhaltung zu achten zwischen Angst, Ruhe und Selbstsicherheit zu unterscheiden zu erkennen, ob ein Hund Kontakt möchte oder Abstand braucht sich sicher und respektvoll einem Hund zu nähern die persönlichen Grenzen eines Hundes zu respektieren Hunde beim Fressen, Schlafen oder mit ihrem Spielzeug nicht zu stören typische Aussagen über Hunde als Mythos oder Wahrheit zu erkennen warum Hunderassen so unterschiedlich sind und wofür sie ursprünglich gezüchtet wurden Im Material enthalten: fertiger Unterrichtsablauf mit Gesprächsimpulsen und Erklärungen praktische Beobachtungsaufgaben anhand von Hundefotos Bewegungs- und Rollenspiele: „Ohne Worte", „Was würde mein Körper sagen?", „Hunde-Spiegel", „Errate es in 3 Sekunden", „Ampel für den Hund" Karten zum Sortieren „Mythos oder Wahrheit?" (32 Aussagen) Druckmaterialien: Beobachtungskarten, Zuordnungsübungen (Rasse → Aufgabe), Emotionskarten und ein Poster „Die Körpersprache des Hundes – 6 wichtige Signale" Umfang: 29 Seiten (12 Seiten Unterrichtsablauf + 17 Seiten Druckmaterialien), PDF, sofort einsatzbereit Geeignet für: Grundschule, Sachunterricht, Projekttage, pädagogische Gruppen, Hundestunden und Unterricht rund um das Thema Hund und sicherer Umgang mit Tieren.

Ein praktisches Arbeitsmaterial für Lehrkräfte und Pädagoginnen, das zeigt, wie die ersten 10 Minuten einer Stunde gezielt genutzt werden können, um Kinder im Alter von 6–9 Jahren auf das Lernen vorzubereiten. Kurze, spielerische Bewegungs-, Aufmerksamkeits-, Atem- und Wahrnehmungsübungen helfen Kindern dabei, leichter vom Alltag in den Lernmodus zu wechseln. Gleichzeitig unterstützen sie Aufmerksamkeit, Konzentration, Selbstregulation, Körperwahrnehmung und den Abbau von Anspannung. Die ersten 10 Minuten: Gehirn-Warm-up für Aufmerksamkeit, Selbstregulation und Stressabbau Die ersten Minuten einer Unterrichtsstunde können entscheidend dafür sein, wie leicht ein Kind anschließend lernen, zuhören und sich auf eine Aufgabe konzentrieren kann. Das Material bietet kurze und abwechslungsreiche Übungen, die Bewegung, Aufmerksamkeit, Wahrnehmung und Entspannung miteinander verbinden. Die Aufgaben sind spielerisch aufgebaut und lassen sich unkompliziert in den Unterricht oder pädagogische Gruppen integrieren. Im Material finden Sie: Bewegungsübungen zum Aktivieren von Körper und Gehirn Spiele zur Förderung von Aufmerksamkeit und Konzentration Übungen zur Selbstregulation kurze Atemübungen zur Beruhigung Übungen zur Körper- und Sinneswahrnehmung Rhythmus- und Koordinationsspiele Aufgaben für Gedächtnis und flexibles Denken kreative Denkspiele Übungen zur emotionalen Wahrnehmung kurze Rituale für einen konzentrierten Start Übungen zur Zusammenarbeit in der Gruppe Die Übungen können als 10-minütiges Gehirn-Warm-up zu Beginn einer Unterrichtsstunde eingesetzt oder je nach Bedarf über den Tag verteilt werden. Ziel des Materials Kinder sollen lernen, ihren Körper und ihre Aufmerksamkeit bewusster wahrzunehmen, leichter zwischen Aktivität und Ruhe zu wechseln und sich besser auf eine bevorstehende Lernaufgabe einzustellen. Das Material eignet sich besonders für Grundschule, Vorschule, pädagogische Gruppen, Förderangebote und außerschulische Bildungsangebote. Geeignet für: Lehrkräfte, Erzieherinnen, Pädagoginnen und Pädagogen sowie Fachkräfte, die mit Kindern von 6–9 Jahren arbeiten. Hinweis: Das Material ist als pädagogische Unterstützung gedacht und ersetzt keine Psychotherapie oder individuelle fachliche Behandlung.