Need to Practice a Presentation? A Dog Could Be Your Best Friend

If giving a public speech makes you so nervous you can’t even do it in front of friends or family, you may want to try a dog. The Kogod Center for Business Communications at American University is trying such an approach to help anxiety-prone students. “Addressing a friendly and nonjudgmental canine can lower blood pressure, decrease stress and elevate mood — perfect for practicing your speech or team presentation,” says a brochure for the project. “It makes you smile looking out at the dogs,” one student told the New York Times, adding a dog is no more distracted than your typical college student. You might even get a lick.