The Story Dog
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The Story Dog

Where a therapy dog’s quiet connection nurtures a child’s lifelong love for reading.

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the story dog

Our Sessions

The Story Dog is a warm, imaginative therapeutic literacy service that invites children—from curious toddlers to young readers—into a world where stories feel alive. Through expressive, joy‑filled storytelling and the gentle, grounding presence of a therapy dog in training, children build reading confidence, fluency, emotional regulation, and empathy in a space that feels safe, magical, and deeply encouraging.

It becomes more than reading. It becomes connection, calm, and the spark that helps children fall in love with stories. A unique element of The Story Dog is teaching children how to understand dog behaviour, recognise canine communication, and build a respectful, trusting bond through quiet observation and gentle interaction. This deepens emotional intelligence, supports wellbeing, and strengthens the child-dog connection that makes reading feel safe and joyful.

Read to Dylan

Boost reading confidence in a one to one session. Children reading level-matched books from The Story Dog packs or bring a personal favourite. Perfect for primary schools and home education.

Story and Rhyme Time

Engaging stories and rhymes come to life. This interactive session transform listening into an active adventure, sparking a lifelong love for language, music, and books through fun storytelling and playful group singing. Perfect for nurseries, toddler groups, and forest schools.

Canine Educational Workshop

We bring kids and dogs together through fun, interactive workshops. Children learn safe play, dog body language, animal care, and very basic canine first aid. Creating happy habits for a lifetime of safe friendships.

Well being

Big feelings need a quiet space. Our nature-based sessions offer children a warm, supportive environment to bond with our therapy dog, regulate emotions, and discover their inner balance.

Our Story

Finding The Story Dog

I first discovered the power of canine connection while working in a charitable organisation as a learning and development professional. My dog Harley often joined me on training sessions across the UK, quietly grounding the room the moment he walked in. He had an instinctive ability to sense who needed him most, helping people feel calm, safe, and seen. It was then I realised he wasn’t just my therapy dog — he was everyone’s.

When Harley passed away, my purpose became clear. I wanted to honour what he taught me by creating a space where others could experience the same gentle, transformative support that a dog can offer when you listen to their whispers.

At home, our cockador Dylan was grieving too. Sensitive, intuitive, and deeply connected, he was ready for his own purpose. As we began our PAWS therapy dog certification programme, a new partnership started to grow. Harley and I had fourteen years of shared understanding; now Dylan and I are building our own story — learning together, step by step. The Story Dog is the continuation of that journey: a therapy dog team offering calm, connection, and a sense of belonging to those who need it most.

the story dog

Our Values

These values shape every interaction, every story shared, and every moment of calm connection between child and dog. They express what we believe in at the deepest level.

Curiosity

Curiosity is the quiet foundation of every session. Curiosity encourages children to ask questions, notice the dog’s signals, engage with stories, and discover new confidence in their reading journey – expressed through kindness, patience, and genuine care for both child and dog.

Authentic Connection

We value the power of meaningful relationships. Through slow, respectful interactions, children build trust with the therapy dog, with the storyteller, and with themselves as emerging readers. Connection turns reading from a task into a shared experience.

Sense of Belonging

We believe that every child should feel seen, accepted, and valued. Learning thrive  in an environment filled with warmth, kindness, and emotional safety. Our sessions are thoughtfully designed to offer comfort and inclusion, helping children to relax, open up, and develop at their own pace.

Empowering Balance

We honour the wellbeing of both child and dog. Balance guides the rhythm of our sessions — calm, steady, and attuned to individual needs. It ensures that learning remains joyful, sustainable, and emotionally grounded.

the story dog gallery

The Experience

Inside our therapy dog sessions.

Story and Rhyme Time
Read to Dylan
Well being
Forest Schools
Nurseries
Canine Educational Workshop

the story dog team

Meet Our Team

We bring passion, care, and expertise to every session

Ashlyn and Dylan

therapy dog team

I am learning and development professional and emerging dog behaviourist guided by authenticity, integrity, courage, curiosity, resolve, and loyalty. These values shape my ethical, compassionate approach to supporting both people and dogs. I combine strong communication, coaching, and facilitation skills to influence and empower others, working collaboratively to create high quality, memorable learning experiences. By blending human learning principles with canine behaviour insight, I design engaging, tailored training that supports different learning styles and strengthens relationships between people and dogs. My goal is always to build confidence, deepen understanding, and promote positive, lasting change.

Meet Dylan – our happy, seven-year-old cockador with a heart as big as his boundless energy. Whether he’s greeting new friends (human or canine) or chasing after a favourite toy, Dylan’s zest for life is utterly infectious. He is naturally drawn to helping others; every day, his emotional intelligence blossoms, and he brings a playful spark to every interaction. Above all, Dylan is a cherished family member before he’s a therapy dog, and his happiness and wellbeing are always our top priority. Dylan truly shines as a family dog, adored by everyone he meets and brimming with character. His tail wags with such gusto when he’s happy that he’s affectionately nicknamed ‘Sir Wiggle Bottom’.

Contact Us

For more information — or to explore how we thoughtfully tailor sessions to different environments and settings — please do get in contact. We also offer a range of brochures designed for specific settings, and we’d be very happy to send the one that best suits your needs. Simply get in touch and let us know which brochure you’d like to receive.

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