MIDDLEBORO — Some days you just need a hug.

And as he roams the halls of Henry R. Burkland School, Prince, a three-year-old yellow Lab assistance dog, is happy to oblige. 

Children headed to their classroom first thing in the morning pass by Prince and School Adjustment Counselor Erin Doak, who lives with Prince and brings him to school most days.

Some youngsters stop for a pat, others are greeted with a dog kiss and virtually all say hello to the dog with a smile.

“His role, I like to say, is to make people happy. He puts a smile on your face the minute you see him,” Doak said.

“He’s a celebrity around here,’’ she said with a laugh. 

Prince also serves an important service by providing comfort to students experiencing stress and challenges. And particularly during and after the pandemic, many children needed that extra support, Doak said.

When a student hesitates to leave the familiar comfort of their parents’ vehicle to enter school, Prince can visit the child and serve as encouragement. And when students had to attend classes virtually, Doak made sure that Prince could be seen on the screen as often as possible.

“He eases some of the nerves,’’ she said.

Doak obtained Prince through NEADS World Class Service Dogs, an organization in Princeton that trains and places service dogs in a variety of situations. 

These include service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities; hearing dogs for people who are deaf or suffer severe hearing loss and service dogs for veterans who have experienced a permanent disability, are deaf or suffer severe hearing loss or who experience combat-related post-traumatic stress.

Prince falls into the assistance dogs category, which pairs dogs with professionals in ministry, therapy, hospital, courtroom or classroom settings.

His training was specialized so he could become familiar with a school setting, including the typical noise of children walking the halls. With Doak at his side, Prince can visit classrooms to “help’’ with reading, assisting with turning pages.

Students can be rewarded for good behavior with “tickets’’ that can be used to purchase items at the school store. One of their choices is to have play time with Prince, when they can play catch and fetch with the dog in the school auditorium. 

Children aren’t the only ones who seek comfort from Prince. Staff members having a rough day will often visit Doak’s office to chill out for a moment with the dog.

“It’s hard to say who loves him more, the kids or the staff,’’ Doak said.

But Doak is careful not to push Prince onto students who might be uncertain or frightened. “He wants to be everybody’s friend, but everybody doesn’t have to be his friend.’’

Other options are available for interacting with Prince, including writing letters to the dog, which students can place in a mailbox for that purpose by Principal Derek Thompson.

When the school bell rings at the end of the day, Prince goes home with Doak, where he transforms into a traditional family dog.

“He gets the zoomies like dogs do outside,’’ she said, and will happily grab a stick and run with it. “He is a completely different dog when the gear comes off,’’ she said.

But when class begins again in the morning, Prince stands ready to serve by providing friendship and comfort, whether he is encouraging reluctant readers, helping students with occupational therapy or simply serving as a day brightener. 

“It’s been nothing but positive,’’ she said.