The dog changes the emotional dynamic
Some young people find direct adult interaction overwhelming. The presence of a dog can reduce the intensity of the interaction and create a softer, lower-pressure starting point for communication.
That shift — however subtle — can help young people feel safer, more relaxed and more open to connection. The dog doesn't ask anything of them. It just exists, calmly, at their side.
The practitioner does the real work
The dog helps lower defences, but the relationship is held by the practitioner. Skilled relational practice, trauma-informed communication and emotional safety remain central to every session.
At The Baxter Project, we are deliberate about this: the dog takes the credit, the practitioner builds the relationship. Our sessions are designed to feel like walking a dog — while everything important happens in the conversation alongside it.
Why informal works when formal doesn't
Many of the young people we work with have had difficult experiences with formal support settings — adults who ask difficult questions, spaces that feel clinical, interventions that label rather than connect.
A walk with a dog removes almost all of that. There's no desk. No clipboard. No eye contact required. Just movement, fresh air, and something else to focus on — which paradoxically creates the conditions for more honest conversation.
This is not accidental
Our approach is deliberate. The informality is engineered. Every session involves a carefully assessed companion dog, a trained practitioner, clear safeguarding protocols, and measurable wellbeing tracking through ODISSYS.
The young person experiences a dog walk. The school and commissioner see evidence-based outcome data.
The dog breaks the ice for me. The project has helped with my social anxiety and I can manage my life so much better.
— Young person, secondary schoolWondering how dogs are governed safely in school settings? Read our safeguarding guide →