Edi and Watson on duty at Joondalup Campus
It's a well-known fact that not all heroes wear capes. At Edith Cowan University (ECU), some have four legs, fluffy coats and an uncanny ability to make your day a little better.
It all started with Jess 'Stresslesswithjess', an aged golden retriever Associate Professor Lisa Holmes was fostering. Initially Jess' focus was on reducing Paramedic students' stress during intensive workshops and practical assessments.
During COVID Jess worked hard to keep students engaged online, and afterwards to welcome students back onto campus. Jess received an inaugural Dogtorate at the 2020 Graduation ceremony for her work.
Edi and Watson ready for action
When Jess took a well-earned retirement, Watson and then Edi followed in her pawprints, bringing their wagging tails and warm welcomes to the Joondalup and City Campuses. At the South West Bunbury Campus and ECU Learning Centre Busselton, ECU Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures) Professor Cobie Rudd's pooch Harper, is also doing her part to brighten students' and staff members' days.
Wellness dogs are the best thing to happen on this campus in years.
The three dogs are busy making the rounds across the ECU community, and there's hardly an event they haven't been invited to. You'll find them at Open Days, Orientation, lectures, workshops and tutorials, as well as in the Living Room, libraries and at student life events. They're regulars at Pride, R U OK? Day, the International Café, visiting scholar and student events, community events, Yanchep and Wanneroo super clinics, high school wellbeing events, EC College, staff and school events, meetings, exam periods, student projects and more. Wherever they turn up, they bring plenty of enthusiasm, a wagging tail and a welcome that's hard to resist.
Harper passed her Wellness Dog Certification
Armed with healthy snacks in her backpack and a positive attitude, Harper is viewed as a circuit breaker, as captured in a Channel 7 news story last year. Indeed, a stressed student who looks up and sees Watson, Edi or Harper gets an immediate reset.
"For students tearful after not passing a clinical assessment or an exam, the dogs provide a welcome distraction. They seem to know when students are distressed and approach them directly, giving them the benefit of their calm, unruffled presence," Professor Rudd said.
The furry ambassadors build a sense of belonging in the ECU community, a distraction from assessments and exams, and an opportunity to bring people together, especially for rural and international students who miss family and pets. Some students and staff say that just observing others' joy in interactions with them gives a sense of wellbeing.
Harper Wearing It Purple
Harper has cruised through 10 years of intense formal training. She started in puppy school at eight weeks old and continued to do formal twice-weekly dog training classes, one-on-one intense training, advanced training, and agility work. At just two years old, she was used by her trainer to train other dogs.
"She can understand over 50 words and she also responds to hand signals: words aren't needed for her to sit, stay, lie down, stop etc. She underwent the formal Wellness Dog Certification and passed her behavioural assessment in 2025 with flying colours," Professor Rudd proudly noted.
Both Watson, who is six years old, and Edi, who is five, have been on campus since they were 16-week-old puppies. Both were bred as service dogs with super calm personalities; ongoing training helps them to be calm and gentle, but they remain goofy and interactive.
Chief Morale Officers
The wellness dogs are hugely popular. They regularly get feedback like "I really needed a Harper check in today", and "She's made my day".
Harper stars in her own section, 'Harmony with Harper', in the ECU South West fortnightly newsletter. Not to be outdone, Watson and Edi's fame is set to spread even beyond ECU: they are the subjects of their very own book: Watson and Edi's Big Day: A Wellbeing Adventure, by Professor Narelle Lemon and Associate Professor Lisa Holmes, which is due to launch at the end of the year.
Harper inspecting yoga class
For all their important work, they are still puppies at heart. Harper loves a run in the park, a thorough patrol of the garden at night to make sure everything is in order, and emptying her toy box straight onto Professor Rudd's lap after dinner. Once her work is done, she's more than happy to settle in with some well-earned treats. Watson, meanwhile, is an equal-opportunity snack enthusiast, while Edi has a more refined palate, with carrots and blueberries topping the menu.
So next time you cross paths with Harper, Watson or Edi on campus, stop by for a pat, and let them work their magic, take away your stress, and put a smile on your face.
