2. Mutt-i-grees

3. 1.3 Get a Compliment, Give a Compliment Objective: Today you will identify personal traits/characteristics that you like about yourself and others to enhance self-acceptance, awareness of strengths and confidence in your skills and talents.

4. Think, Pair & Share What is a special strength or talent you have? Last time, we talked about how to describe ourselves and the characteristics that make each of you unique. Today we are going to talk about what we like about ourselves and each other and how to give and receive compliments.

5. Every one of us has special strengths and talents; we may be really good at doing something like playing soccer, running fast, playing the violin or painting. We also may be good at caring for our pets or siblings or helping other people feel better by cheering them up and making them laugh. Feeling proud of something we can do, the way we behave or act, or something we achieved is a really good feeling and can help us feel happy and confident. It also feels good when people recognize and comment on the things we have achieved or done well. Likewise, we may admire things about other people- the way they behave, the way they look, or the things they can do. It’s nice to let people know when you like or admire something they do- it feels good to hear compliments and it can help remind a person of what he/she does well.

6. Dogs also like to receive compliments and get positive feedback. Saying “Good Dog,” petting a dog or giving a dog a treat is a great way to show them we like what they are doing; this lets the dog know we like their behavior and encourages them to act this way more often. Complimenting a dog by recognizing good behavior is also the basis of training. When you received a compliment, does it encourage you to behave a certain way? What about when you receive negative feedback? How do dogs react to compliments? What are some ways to compliment a dog? And how do dogs return the compliment?

7. Activity: Learning by Doing Today we are going to make a “Compliment Circle!” After the compliment circle, you will reflect on the following questions: 1.How did it make you feel to hear compliments from your classmates? 2.Did you feel differently if the compliment came from a friend versus a classmate you don’t know very well? Why?

8. Closing Today we talked about qualities we like or admire in ourselves and others; we may feel proud of things that can help other people or animals. We also practiced how to give compliments and let other people know when we admire or appreciate something they say or do.