Rosie approached Tyler Dutton soon after he plopped into a bean bag chair.
She leaned on the first-year Emory University law student. As Dutton stroked her soft, silky fur, his shoulders relaxed and for a few moments he wasn't overcome by the stress of final exams.
Rosie, a 1-year-old golden retriever-Labrador mix, is among a handful of therapy dogs Emory Law School brought in to calm down wound-up students.
The dogs provide a soothing presence that immediately puts students at ease, said Richelle Reid, assistant law librarian for student services.
Emory and Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston are among a growing number of schools calling on furry friends to sniff out the stress that engulfs campuses during finals.
Hospitals and senior centers long have relied on therapy dogs, but it's only recently that colleges have done the same, the American College Counseling Association reports. Schools at Yale, Tufts, George Mason and other universities are using the canines.
It's part of a trend in which colleges have started offering activities such as yoga, massages and laser tag in addition to extra counseling, stress management seminars and extended library hours to get students through test time.
Emory's Reid teamed with Canine Assistants and Happy Tails to provide the dogs, and together they turned a small room in the law library into a play room. The program started last week and about 50 students come by each day to pet, play and roll around with the dogs, Reid said.
Students can sign up for 20-minute sessions. But Tuesday morning many students were like Dutton, who popped by for just a few minutes.
"It's nerve-wracking going through [exams]," Dutton said. "Sometimes you just need a break and you do feel less stressed after you play with them."
Second-year law students Kimberly Lehnert and Jamie Schickler cuddled with Rosie and Jazzy, a 5-month old Labradoodle.
"You are so cute, yes you are," Lehnert cooed.
"Thanks for calming us down," Schickler said to Rosie, as she rubbed her velvety ears.
Rosie lounged on a rug near a window as she waited for the next group of students. Jazzy, who had more energy to burn, played with a ball and went for short walks just outside the library.
Will Romine walked directly over to Jazzy and rubbed her wavy black hair. The third-year law student was making a repeat visit to play with the dogs.
"If I don't graduate I'm blaming you guys," he teased Jazzy.
In response, she licked his face and stared at him with soulful eyes.
"This just takes the edge off," Romine said. "It makes a stressful experience a little better."
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