The facility dogs at Camas High School (CHS) are known in the community as a helpful support to all kinds of students.
Facility dogs in schools are specially trained dogs whose jobs are to provide emotional support for students. Facility dogs are incredibly rewarding for both students and staff members, as they can provide support for those who may need additional assistance to make it through the day.
Remy and Pluto, who are each two-and-a-half years old, are certified facility dogs at CHS. Remy, however, is also in training to become a therapy dog.
There are certain qualifications that a dog must meet in order to become a certified facility dog, including passing a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and a basic manners class.
“You have to show that they’re in training or have already done training,” Stacey Nilles, Remy’s owner and a CHS English teacher, said. “You can’t bring your dog if they’ve ever harmed anybody. Remy has not, but you have to have insurance in case something were to happen, and you have to show the training they’ve gone through.”
Remy began training at six months old and was first brought to CHS when he turned a year old towards the end of the 2022-23 school year. However, as he was intimidated by the busy atmosphere, Nilles decided to extend his training in order to help make him more comfortable in a school environment.
“I’ve always wanted to have a dog that I could share with people,” Nilles said.
Remy typically spends the day asleep in his bed and is not easily excited. He always looks forward to seeing people and enjoys greeting students with a toy in his jaws. He can do several tricks, including sitting, laying down, and shaking someone’s hand.
Remy stays with Nilles for most of the day. He also takes residency in school psychologists Rachele Gentry and Diana Gage’s rooms during fifth period on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
“[Remy] is relaxing and nice to be around,” sophomore Sid Staffo said. “[You don’t need to] engage more than he needs to.”
Pluto first arrived at CHS in the middle of September of this school year, and is practically inseparable from his owner, CHS English teacher and yearbook and journalism adviser Kate Gooding. In the beginning, Pluto was extremely eager to meet everyone at CHS, but has relaxed over time to become a calmer facility dog for students.
“I hated every morning when I left for school [as I was] rolling the garage door down, and I would see him in his kennel and he would look down and down and down and just make sad puppy dog eyes at my girls and me,” Gooding said. “I knew when I adopted him that he would be really good for school someday. His quality of life has improved so much [since he came to CHS].”
Pluto is also often found asleep during the day. Despite this, he is always keen to play games with students; namely tug, his favorite game.
“[Tug is] the one thing we’re trying to get him not to do at school because he’s usually a very calm, good boy, and sleeps a lot in class,” Gooding said. “He loves playing fetch, chasing balls, and he loves chasing our cat, Romeo, too. Romeo does not like him.”
Pluto enjoys receiving pets from students the most. He tends to lay in the chair that is meant for students to sit in to pet him rather than either of his two beds in the classroom.
“When students leave from sixth period at the end of the day, [Pluto] just sits here and looks at the door so confused why everybody left him all of a sudden,” Gooding said. “I know he just loves being around the kids.”
“He’s energetic and just a cool dog,” sophomore Connor Palmer said. “He makes the mood better.”
Students are requested to approach both Remy and Pluto calmly, ensuring that the facility dogs are in a safe space to interact with.
“Just ask first, because sometimes it’s not a good time,” Nilles said. “If you want to say hi to [Remy], he’s got to be sitting first. He’s not great at not licking—therapy dogs are not supposed to lick.”
“[Pluto] matches the energy of the person who is approaching him,” Gooding said. “If you walk in and you’re all hyper and your voice gets high pitched and you start talking to him like crazy, then he’s going to start acting crazy… So approach him calmly and quietly so he stays calm.”
