About Mishka, certified dog mentor
What Mishka does
Mishka is a certified Dog Mentor through The Dog Mentor Programme and her certificate confirms what anyone who's watched her work already knows. She has a gift for people, especially children. She seems to sense when someone is anxious or overwhelmed, and she just goes to them. Quietly. No fuss. This is something you can’t teach a dog to do, but can train the dogs who do have that gift to use it well.
When children arrive at our door — nervous, distracted, or carrying a tough week on their shoulders — Mishka is always there first. Tail going, completely thrilled to see them, no agenda whatsoever. She doesn't know if they had a bad day. She doesn't remember how they did on their last test. She is just genuinely happy they're here, every single time.
For a lot of the children I work with, that everything to them.
Some children need a few minutes with her before they can even think about sitting down. We might go into the garden, or a child might just sit on the floor with her while she rests her head in their lap. Something settles when that happens. You can see it. The shoulders come down, the breathing changes, the child calms and suddenly the worksheet on the table doesn't look quite so scary.
Reuben is one of my students and is her biggest fan. He has been coming to us for nearly three years. He and Mishka have their whole thing — she finds him wherever he's working and parks herself next to him for the session. His mum messaged me once to say that Mishka is an important part of his success structure, and that it goes way beyond the academic. That message meant everything to me.
"You and Mishka are such an important part of his success — it goes way beyond just the academic."— Parent of Reuben, 2026
Meet Mishka
Mishka is a black Labrador with chocolate undertones, and her name means "little bear" — which suits her perfectly. She is five years old, and is a very important part of what we do here.
How Mishka came to be part of this
I had been working with neurodivergent children for years, and I kept noticing the same thing. The children who struggled most weren't just struggling with maths or reading. They were struggling to feel safe enough to try at all. Something was missing, and I wasn't quite sure what it was.
Then I went to the SEN Exhibition in London and met Jenny Duckworth, founder of The Dog Mentor Programme, and Kerry, who breeds labradors specifically for this kind of work. I put my name on the waiting list that day. About a year later, Kerry called to say her lab Flo was having puppies and Mishka came home to live with us.
From the moment she arrived, it was clear she had something special. An intuition about people, particularly children, that is just amazing to witness.
Mishka at school
Once a week Mishka comes with me into a local primary school, where she works with children with all sorts of needs — anxiety, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. The children know her name before they know anything else about the session, which tells you everything.
Teachers have told me she helps children settle who normally can't. That children who usually switch off will come and find Mishka, and through her somehow find their way into the lesson. We even have a little sign in the classroom: Mishka's Maths Lab.
Mishka at home
When the sessions are done, Mishka is just our dog — and a very happy one at that.
She has claimed most of the sofa. She tears around the garden like she's discovered it for the first time. She starts making eyes at me around 4pm when she thinks dinner should be happening. She follows me everywhere, which I love even when it's slightly inconvenient.
The kids in our house are completely obsessed with her, and she with them. She's not a tool or a resource or a programme. She's part of the family — and I think that's exactly why she works so well with the children who come to us. They can feel it.
My mission is to help neurodiverse children and their families rediscover their confidence, creativity, and joy in learning and living.
Contact me to book in a free call.
I am a qualified and certified Specialist Teacher (Dyslexia & Dyscalculia), Certified ADHD & Executive Function Coach (ADHD Works), and hold an Advanced Diploma in Eating Disorders & Neurodiversity (NEDDE) with an Enhanced DBS Check.
