Meet Babushka, Play on Stage’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing Dog

There are plenty of familiar faces you might encounter when you arrive at a Play on Stage class. Our facilitators. Our students. Parents doing the end-of-class pickup.

And, every now and then, a six-year-old black Labrador quietly lying on her mat and keeping an eye on proceedings.

Meet Babushka, or Babs for short, Play on Stage’s social and emotional wellbeing dog.

Babs belongs to Play on Stage Owner and Director, Virag Dombay, and regularly joins some of our term-based Early Primary and Upper Primary classes. She is well trained, extremely comfortable around children and, perhaps most importantly, can help our young artists feel safe and welcome in class.

A Gentle Presence in the Drama Room

Drama classes can be wonderfully energetic places. Students are playing games, rehearsing scenes, trying new things and expressing themselves in ways that may sometimes feel unfamiliar.

For some young people, there can also be moments when everything feels a little overwhelming.

When Babs attends a class, she provides an extra gentle and familiar presence in the room. She usually settles onto her mat while the lesson continues around her, giving students the option to spend a quiet moment nearby if they need one. Many of our students also love stopping by for a gentle pat or cuddle during class. Babs is generally very happy to accept this arrangement.

Her presence can add another feeling of warmth and sensory comfort to the space, particularly for students who enjoy being around animals.

What Babushka is Not

It is important for us to make a distinction about Babs’ role at Play on Stage.

Babs has not been specifically trained or accredited as a therapy dog, and we do not describe her as one or make claims about providing therapeutic benefits to students.

Instead, Babs is our social and emotional wellbeing dog. She is a well-trained family pet who is comfortable around children and occasionally joins our classes as another friendly presence within the room.

She does not replace the work of our facilitators or any professional support a young person may require. Mostly, her responsibilities involve relaxing on her mat, receiving pats and occasionally wondering whether anyone has brought snacks for her.

Making Sure Every Student Feels Comfortable

Babs does not attend every single Play on Stage class, and we understand that not every child feels comfortable around dogs.

If a student has an allergy, is nervous around dogs or simply would prefer not to interact with Babs, we will take appropriate steps to make sure they feel safe and do not need to come into contact with her.

Just as we encourage students to respect Babs’ space, we also respect every young person’s individual boundaries.

Another Member of the Play on Stage Community

At Play on Stage, we want our classes to feel welcoming, supportive and somewhere young people can comfortably be themselves as creatives and performer.

Sometimes that comes from an encouraging facilitator. Sometimes it comes from a friend sitting beside you. And sometimes it comes from a very relaxed and friendly black Labrador lying down quietly in the corner.

Babs may not know much about improvisation, character development or stagecraft, but when it comes to helping some students feel safe and comfortable in class, she’s already something of a professional.