There’s just something about petting a friendly dog that immediately makes your stress melt away. At Oregon State, Cedar is the perfect pup for the job.
A member of the public safety team, the nearly 2-year-old black Lab is known on campus as a wellness dog. That means Cedar is there to provide comfort and stress relief for students, community members and his public safety colleagues. He is smart and incredibly calm, loves ice cubes and the occasional apple or carrot treat. His only real dislike is elevators, although he has come a long way in overcoming his fear of them.
But one of Cedar’s most impressive traits is his intuition.
Cedar is very aware of people’s feelings — and is immediately ready to jump in and provide relief. During a campus summer camp, he helped soothe a child who was experiencing an emotional crisis. She had run away from her group and over the railroad tracks, and she wasn’t willing to talk to anyone until Cedar greeted her and showed he could be trusted. After that, the child’s anxiety lowered significantly and she was calm enough to answer questions.
In his day-to-day life, Cedar consistently checks in on his colleagues as well. Whenever they have a stressful phone call or a hard day, he tends to pop his head in their office or sleep nearby — just so they know he is there.
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