Meet Corey the Corsair, the therapy dog providing year-round comfort to Carmel students
It's not uncommon these days for suburban students to find comfort during stressful times such as exams from trained therapy dogs.
More unusual is the situation at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein where most students can rely on the kind, reassuring presence of Corey the Corsair, a goldendoodle owned and trained by Principal Jason Huther.
Huther said the idea to add a full-time therapy dog came from the overwhelming popularity of the trained dogs the school often hires during exams. He said hundreds of students line up to have a few minutes of one-on-one time with those dogs.
“We thought there's something here,” Huther said. “This is something we need to get serious about.”
After months of research and searching, Huther adopted the pup, whose name was later selected by student vote this spring, and started training him.
Now 8 months old, Corey spends most days with Huther on campus greeting students as they arrive on campus, walking the halls between periods and even popping into classrooms when appropriate.
“Corey loves his job,” Huther said. “When he doesn't get to come in with me, he'll sit by the door for a half-hour waiting.”
Students love Corey right back, said junior Sofia Collazo.
“Carmel has definitely seen a huge impact now that Corey has come on board,” Collazo said. “He is always there to comfort you even if you're having the worst day on Earth.”
Corey won over students during his first visit to campus in the spring as a tiny puppy.
“It doesn't matter if you're having a bad day or a good day. When you see this puppy traipsing down the hallways, you just kind of get happy,” Huther said, noting that the occasional spring visits as a puppy also helped Corey get better socialized to people.
Part of Corey's training is to remain calm in all situations even though his instincts might be telling him to jump up and play.
“You come up to him and he automatically sits down,” Collazo said of Corey. “He doesn't try to bark or bite. I've never even heard him bark, even when he was a puppy.”
As calm and quiet as Corey is, Huther said his education is not yet done. Huther said the two train regularly with the goal of passing the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen skills test.
To pass the test, dogs must be able to follow commands, ignore distractions and maintain their training and good manners when left with a trusted person who is not their owner.
Huther said he's pretty confident Corey could pass the test now but said he would like to do the test in front of students at an assembly.
He said being a principal is the best job in the world because it means dedicating himself to improving the lives of students. And seeing the effect Corey's presence in school has had on the students has been incredible.
“He's there to be a calming presence, a nonjudgmental presence,” Huther said. “He clearly shows his enthusiasm and love for being around students, and the students feel value and worth in that.”