Apple the Cherokee Elementary School dog has graduated from her first round of training classes. The Bernedoodle puppy, who turned one last month, finished three courses at Cruisin’ Canines in Arab with her handler, Cherokee special education teacher D’Anna Coker.
Since she was donated to Cherokee after last year’s Apple Foundation’s “An Evening for Education” event, in which the puppy was bid on during the silent auction, Apple has fit right in with the students. She lives with Mrs. Coker and comes to school with her three days per week, where she begins and ends her days in the teacher’s classroom. She enjoys greeting the children in the morning as they arrive and then she spends the bulk of her day in the library so she is able to see and interact with all the students who come through.
“Apple is doing great with the kids and they are doing great with her,” Mrs. Coker said. “Nothing phases her. She knows when I put her bandana on in the morning that she’s going to work. Nicki Hill and Savanah Howard have been really great with her, too, and they help me with her a lot. And we are very thankful for Groomer Girls and Lake Guntersville Veterinary Services for providing all of her grooming and vet care for free.”
Thanks to the Apple Foundation’s funding, Apple has been able to take three training classes. Each one lasted five to six weeks; Mrs. Coker would bring her after school once a week. The first class tackled basic commands like “sit” and “stay” and taught Apple how to walk on a leash. The next class focused on those same skills with some tricks added, such as spinning in a circle, and also added hand signs along with the commands. In the third and last class, Apple learned how to walk off-leash next to her handler and how to obey commands from a distance.
Future plans for Apple could include therapy training, but Mrs. Coker and the rest of her CES caretakers are waiting until she is through the “puppy phase” before deciding if they want to travel that route. Until then, Apple is very happy with her current job.
“Apple is very playful but she also knows how to kind of keep the kids in check,” Mrs. Coker said. “She loves making sure the car riders get inside in the mornings. The kids absolutely love her being here.”
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