A GIANT Burmese mountain dog and a fuzz haired Border collie have been helping children to read in schools across Carmarthenshire.

Layla, the laid-back Bernese mountain dog and Riley, an inquisitive Border collie, have made several friends all over Carmarthenshire as part of Volunteers Week.

On June 1, Volunteering Matters launched Reading with Dogs, a partnership with Learn Together Cymru, a volunteer supported community learning project, to help improve literacy in schools across the county.

Carmarthenshire Therapy Dogs have been going into local schools as reading volunteers to support children with their basic skills.

Community resilience officer and Layla’s owner, Susan Smith, said: “We provide a relaxed and dog-friendly atmosphere, which allows children to practice their reading.

“Many, but not all, of the children chosen for this program have difficulties reading and as a result have developed self-esteem issues. They are often self-conscious when reading aloud in front of other classmates.

“Listening to them read for just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference to their overall ability and confidence, and the one-to- one interaction is a valuable way of building social skills and inspiring a love of learning.

“By sitting down next to a dog and reading to the dog, all threats of being judged are put aside. The child relaxes, pats the attentive dog, and focuses on the reading.

Community Resilience Co-ordinators have been out and about in Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford with partner organisations to raise awareness of volunteering on the community accompanies with a variety of friendly dogs.

The dogs as well as helping children with reading have been acting as therapy dogs going into residential homes and schools and even private home for one to one therapy sessions.

County executive board member for health and social care, Cllr Jane Tremlett, said: “The interaction of the dogs with elderly with dementia to children with profound learning difficulties is astonishing and wonderfully beneficial.

“I have seen them on visits to residential homes. The dogs produce miles wide smiles in response to the dogs and residents love petting them."