Dogs join Middlesex University staff to help students with exam stress and homesickness

The dogs joined the Middlesex University to help students with the stress associated with the exam and nostalgia.

Five Labrador students were trained as "dog teaching assistants" to reduce anxiety and prevent students from dropping out of school.

The dogs received their identification credentials to ensure that they were an integral part of the university's teaching and welfare team.

"It's hard to describe the effect of having a dog lying in a corner of the classroom," said Fiona Suthers, head of clinical skills at the university.

"It's amazing and we are very interested in continuing and expanding what we are doing."

This comes after the University of East Anglia recently offered students the opportunity to take the dog for a walk in an attempt to deal with stress during the exam season.

Last month, Sir Anthony Seldon, vice president of Buckingham University, said that every school should have a dog or other pet to reduce stress in the classroom.

Education Minister Damien Hinds said more schools seemed to have "fancy dogs" and that "pets really can help."