Blue Earth Area teacher Sara Albright poses with Frankie, a Golden Doodle who is a certified therapy dog. Frankie is two years old and spends time in the high school, middle school and elementary school buildings.

One of the Blue Earth Area School District’s newest staff members has curly blonde hair, is about a foot tall and wags her tail for her favorite students.

Oh, also, she is a dog.

We caught up with Frankie the miniature Golden Doodle last week to ask her how her first few months as a therapy dog have been going. She also told us what she enjoys most about coming to work with her owner, Blue Earth Area Middle School and High School visual arts teacher Sara Albright.

• Frankie, how long have you lived with Sara? 

“Sara got me when I was eight weeks old,” Frankie responds. “I’ve lived with her pretty much my whole life.” 

• And how old are you now? 

“I turned two last June.”

• So, how did you decide to become a therapy dog? 

“Well, Sara says she has always been interested in having a therapy dog – long before she met me,” Frankie explains. “Then, after the pandemic, she felt like kids could really use the emotional support.” 

• Did Sara adopt you, then, with the intent of training you to become a therapy dog? 

“Not exactly,” Frankie responds. “Not every dog has the right personality to be a therapy dog. But, once Sara got to know me, she thought that I could be really good at it.” 

• What about your personality makes you a good therapy dog? 

“I’m very fun-loving,” Frankie says. “I love kids and students. I really love being petted, too, and getting lots of attention.” 

So, do you look forward to going to work every day? 

“Definitely!” Frankie says. “Sara will ask me, ‘Do you want to see the kids?’ in the morning, and I get so excited I run around the house, wagging my tail.” 

Frankie adds, “I know we’re going to school for sure when we get in the car, and Sara puts my special harness on me.” 

• This is your first year working in the BEA School District, right? 

“Yes, I got certified at the end of last June, and then for my first day of work I came to meet the teachers at their workshop in August,” Frankie explains. “After that, I came to the Back 2 School Bucs Bash, and met a lot of kids on the first day of school.” 

• Was it hard work to get your therapy dog certification? 

“It took a long time,” Frankie admits. “Sara and I started with an obedience training course at Key City Kennel Club in Mankato. At the end, I took an American Kennel Club test.” 

• So after you passed that, you could become a therapy dog? 

“No, that was just the beginning!” Frankie says. “After that, Sara and I applied with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. I took another test, Sara completed a background check, and I had to have a health check-up.” 

• Oh, okay. So then you could work as a therapy dog.

“Not quite. I still needed to be observed three times while I was visiting a senior living facility,” Frankie explains. “We also needed to get the School Board’s approval for me to work for Blue Earth Area Schools.”

Frankie adds, “In the meantime, we traveled a lot around Blue Earth so I could get used to being around different types of people and places.” 

• Did the presentation to the School Board go well? 

“Yes it did! Last May, Sara told them all about the training I was receiving and explained that she would be paying for it herself,” Frankie says. “Sara also told the School Board how beneficial therapy dogs can be for students who are struggling academically and emotionally.

• Did the students get any special training before they met you? 

“Sara distributed an instructional video that showed students how they should interact with me. For example, it explained how you should approach a dog that you don’t know,” Frankie replies. “Mandy Fletcher, the superintendent, also sent informational and permission forms to parents and guardians before school started.” 

• What was your first full day of work like? 

“It went really well,” Frankie says. “The kids were really excited to meet me. It was a little stressful and loud for me, but after a few days I got used to all the attention.” 

• Do you work every day now? 

“Usually,” Frankie responds. “I alternate between going to the middle school in the morning or going to the high school in the afternoon. Once a month, I go to the elementary school to meet all the younger kids.” 

• Do you sometimes need a day off, though? 

“Yes, sometimes,” Frankie responds. “I get tired just like humans do.” 

• What is your favorite part about your job? 

“The attention!” Frankie says, right away. “I also love how excited the kids get when they see me. If they’re having a bad day, their faces just light up.” 

She adds, “They treat me with lots of respect and give me lots of cuddles.” 

• Do you have any fun plans for celebrating Halloween next week? 

“I actually have three costumes,” Frankie says. “I have a pumpkin costume and a ghost costume, and Sara and I also have a costume we can wear together – she’s a basketball player, and I’m a ‘ruff-aree.'” 

• Do you hope to continue working as a therapy dog in the future? 

“Yes, for as long as I can,” Frankie says. “Sara is hoping she can build more time into her teaching schedule to bring me to elementary classrooms, too.” 

• What is your advice for other dogs who want to become therapy dogs? 

“They have to be very open to all kinds of people,” Frankie responds. “They have to be able to be in groups, and be in a loud, chaotic area.” 

Frankie adds, “The relationship between a dog and their owner is also key with therapy. For example, I need to be with Sara all the time when I’m at school, and I’m always on a leash in the hallways.”

• I’m guessing there are some students who you have great relationships with, too? 

“Yes, I’ve gotten to know Noah Spear and Ally Caldwell really well this year. They’re here today!” 

• Noah, what is your favorite thing about Frankie? 

“She’s very social and very friendly,” Noah says. “It’s just really nice to be able to cuddle her. She’s very well behaved.” 

• What about you, Ally?

“I think (Frankie) just brings people better attitudes,” Ally explains. “If you’re having a bad day, she just makes you smile.” 

• Frankie, how can we keep in touch with you?

“I love taking pictures! Follow me on my Instagram account, @funlovingfrankie, to see what I’m up to this year.”