EN Spotlight: Wanda

EN Spotlight: Wanda

How many times have you seen a dog around the school? In many cases, it’s probably Wanda. Here are some things about Wanda that many of you might be curious about:

How did Wanda come to be at East Noble?

Four years ago, my wife and I were at the Fort Wayne Disability Expo.  We are both animal lovers, so when we noticed the Canine Companions for Independence booth, we stopped to see the puppies.  While visiting the booth, the workers explained what a Facility Dog is after we told them we were both special education teachers.  After doing some research and realizing the benefits of a service dog for my students, I received permission from central office to apply for a CCI Facility Dog.

Tell us about Wanda’s purpose at East Noble. Who does she primarily work with?

Wanda’s primary role is to motivate adapted physical education students to be physically active.  Wanda enjoys walking with the students during warm up laps and/or down the hallway.  She also enjoys laying down while a student reads to her.  She assists the kids on jumping rope.  She holds one end of the rope while I hold the other end.  She likes playing capture the flag (flag football lead up game). She chases the students and pulls their flag.

How long has she worked with the students at East Noble? How old is she?

Wanda has worked with the East Noble students for four years. She is six years old.

What are some fun facts about her? Does she have a favorite treat? Does she do any tricks? Is she trained in anything special?

Wanda was born in California.  When she was nine weeks old, she moved to Ohio with a puppy raiser.  At 1 ½ years old she moved to the CCI training center in Ohio and live there for six months.  Then the week of her 2nd birthday is when I got to bring her home.

Wanda doesn’t get any treats.  The reason why is so she doesn’t beg for food when a student is eating.  Also, so she doesn’t gain too much weight.

Wanda is technically trained as a service dog for one individual with a disability.  She can open and close doors, turn on and off light switches, pick up things as small as a comb off the ground and a number of other things.  However, she doesn’t need to perform those tasks at school. So, for example the “push” command to close a door has turned into “push” the ball.  The “get” command to get my keys off the ground is now, get the bean bag.

Describe her personality.

Wanda’s personality is very mellow.  She is always relaxed and calm.  Wanda absolutely loves being at school.  While at home she enjoys sleeping, eating breakfast/dinner, playing with her big brother (Chet, a miniature schnauzer), and playing in the water at the lake.

 

Now that you’ve learned about our furry friend Wanda, I hope that when you see her around the school, you’ll be sure to say hi!