Is there anything more therapeutic than petting, cuddling with and getting licked by puppies? The correct answer is no, but if you disagree for some reason, dog therapy may not be for you.

Starting in November, the first Wednesday of every month from 4:30 to 5:30 is when you can go to the game room of Gannon’s Recreation and Wellness Center for dog therapy. It is the perfect way to start off each month with some fluffy encouragement. College can occasionally be very stressful, especially when you consider balancing academics with extracurricular activities or athletics. Sometimes, you just need to pet some dogs.

It is extremely difficult to spend an hour in a room full of adorable canines without smiling and finding yourself lost in the enjoyment, forgetting about the problems of your everyday life. If you are a resident student, you may be missing your own pup back home, and Gannon’s dog therapy program is an incredible way for you to get back in touch with your inner dog lover. (Your dog back home does not have to know.) Dogs have been recognized for their therapeutic qualities since the early 20th Century, and now, Gannon students can get a piece of the relaxing action.

As an owner of a certified therapy dog, I can surely attest to dogs’ abilities to be therapeutic. My dog, Reggie, is a one-year-old labradoodle. My parents took Reggie to all of the obedience and training classes, and he has recently been certified as both a therapy dog and and a K-9 good citizen. Despite his credentials, Reg still enjoys the taste of tennis shoes and leather arm chairs.

I attribute his playful shortcomings to the fact that he still is a puppy, with enough energy to power the entire metropolitan area of Detroit. He may be a bit of a pain in my neck occasionally, but Reggie is amazing at his job. He never fails to make me smile and brighten my day. He can even sense when I am feeling down and always comes prancing to the rescue. My mom often takes Reggie to schools and other places where he can be with children to enhance their learning experience or just brighten their day. Reggie is a diligent worker and an obsessive player.

If you are on the fence about starting off your month by spending an hour with nature’s psychologists, I highly recommend it. Gannon’s new dog therapy program could be the unparalleled prescription you need to start your month off right.