Dogs as Study Partners

Amy Jarmon’s post Man’s Best Friend as Study Buddy from the Law School Academic Support Blog suggests using your dog to help you study:

“By explaining the case to ones dog, a responsive audience is available.  A dog will smile at your voice, cock its head in attentiveness, and perhaps even bark or wag its tail to signify how brilliant you are.” …

“Another example is that dogs often come over to check on their owners during long study periods.  Assuming that your animal is not actually asking to go outside, you can use this interaction to advantage as well.  Let your dog’s visit amount to an accountability check.

Pretend your pet is checking to see if you are focused on the task at hand, finished the case you were supposed to have read, or completed some other task that you should have finished.  If you are not on-task, then you need to admit it to your dog and get back to work.  “

It can’t hurt to try these tips, and pets are thought to reduce stress too.

(photo is Max, a dog up for adoption at Berea Animal Rescue.)