Each morning, Cali, an 18-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, patiently waits for the K-12 students to pass through the doors of the Calais School in Whippany, N.J. As they walk by, Cali sniffs each one.
The students, about 85 in all, smile at the short-haired dog but know not to pet or distract her while she is working. Cali is a cortisol detection dog, trained to detect the stress hormone our adrenal glands secrete when we become anxious or stressed.
When we are agitated, cortisol levels in our bloodstream rise. It’s Cali’s job to let Casey Butler, her handler, know if a student’s cortisol levels are high. If they are, that student spends time talking with Ms. Butler and Cali to help defuse the stress. “The children feel safer with Cali around,” she explained. “They tend to open up more.”
Cali’s signals are so subtle that the students and other teachers waiting nearby rarely notice. But Ms. Butler, 25, pays close attention to see if Cali points with her nose and stares at a child.
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