Research shows that ”vicarious pets “— books, stories, songs, videos, and visits to animal shelters — work just as well as real pets when it comes to eliciting empathy and cultivating a calm and nurturing classroom climate. Our Plush Dog Puppet is an ingenious teaching tool that gives added dimension to lessons and activities. Especially useful for young learners, the puppet has become a popular member of many Mutt-i-grees classrooms. Kids name the puppet, ”adopt” it, take turns bringing it home for the weekend. The puppet is also a powerful prompt for imagination and self-expression. A kindergarten teacher in California wrote this: “I recently had an issue with one of my students and his aggressive response. With the puppet in hand, he found his voice and was able to express his feelings and his remorse for his actions. Talk about a teachable moment!”