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Video: They call it puppy love
It’s exam time and stress levels amongst students are sky high.
Bristol University has teamed up with the Guide Dogs charity to create a one-off puppy room where students can cuddle, tickle and snuggle up with puppies.
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600 students have signed up for the sessions which are intended to aid relaxation and calmness.
According to organisers it’s a win-win situation as the puppies get used to lots of different people, the students get a chance to cuddle a cute canine and, by donating £2 each, it’s a fund-raiser for the charity.
The sessions come as research published in Japan suggests pictures of cute things like puppies or kittens can help improve concentration levels and performance.
Gordon Trevett, from the University’s Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health,organised the event with the help of the charity Guide Dogs.
He said: “Every year I see students fretting about their exams and I thought this would be a great way to ease the stress and take their minds off it. People with dogs have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without a dog and we know that playing with a dog can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.”
There will be around 20 dogs and puppies rotated throughout the day thanks to the support of local owners and trainers, and session times are limited to 15 minutes.
Sarah Knox, who works as a fundraiser for Guide Dogs, said they were really pleased to get involved in the initiative and “allow students the chance to de-stress at this busy exam time. We are sure we will meet lots of students who miss their own pet dogs whilst away at University”.