Speech therapist’s dog wows Woodside Elementary with her ‘superpowers’

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When Jennifer Mitchell left her Woodside Elementary office on a sunny morning in June, students immediately flocked to her. Most of them don’t work directly with Mitchell, the school’s speech therapist, but they were very interested in the dog at her feet. 

Brandy, a mid-sized Labrador-golden retriever mix, is everyone’s favorite addition to campus. Trained as a service dog, she assists Mitchell with her speech therapy students at Woodside Elementary. Although Mitchell only sees around 55 of the school’s almost 400 students, Brandy has had an outsized role in making campus a happier place to be. 

“When she walks around campus, you watch everyone’s cortisol levels drop,” Jennifer Parker, a middle school science teacher, said of the stress hormone. “Physically, people take a deep breath and look at her and that is something unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

Mitchell first encountered a teacher using a dog while she was doing contract work with the Hillsborough City School District. Mitchell spent several summers at the schools’ special education program, and said the dog had a powerful effect on the students. At the time, Mitchell already had two pet dogs at home and was unsure about having a third. Several years later, when one of them died, she decided to take the plunge and get a specially trained dog of her own. 

While a service dog aids one individual, Mitchell wanted a facility dog, an animal that could serve the needs of students at Woodside Elementary. Getting approved was a lengthy process.

Mitchell first applied to become a handler in 2023 with Canine Companions, an organization that trains and places dogs. Before applying she talked to Woodside’s superintendent, who wrote her a letter of endorsement. She sent the letter with a “massive” application packet that included pictures of her backyard, the height of her fence and a record of who came into her house. Then came two phone interviews and an in-person visit at Canine Companions’ Santa Rosa headquarters 10 months later. 

Meanwhile, Brandy was undertaking a similarly intensive training process. After living with a volunteer called a breeder caretaker for the first eight weeks of her life, Brandy spent 18 months with a Canine Companions “trained puppy raiser” who taught Brandy basic behaviors before she entered formal instruction. 

“They have this big ceremony, the dogs wear little gowns and they walk across the stage,” Mitchell said. “It is a really beautiful celebration, but it’s like you’ve had this animal in your house for 18 months and you then give it back to go work in service.”

Following her graduation Brandy spent nine months in professional training with a group of other dogs where she learned over 40 commands plus how to work with wheelchairs, among other skills. 

Mitchell and Brandy finally met last November when Mitchell returned to Santa Rosa for Canine Companions’ two-week residential training program, where she lived in a dorm and received daily instruction. On the last day, Mitchell walked across the same stage Brandy had and Brandy’s puppy raiser handed off the leash to her. 

“It was one of those experiences where you think, pinch me, this is the coolest thing that’s happened,” Mitchell said. “I mean it was just unbelievable.”

The following Monday, Brandy began working. “She was ready to go,” Mitchell said. 

Brandy took to Woodside Elementary’s students immediately. When she first walked into the speech classroom, one student said she instantly showered him and his friends with kisses. 

To help students practice difficult words, Brandy can hold an orange pail in her mouth while students read flashcards and deposit them in the bucket after saying the word successfully. 

“It gives them something to do where they are practicing actively,” Mitchell said. “She’s not correcting them, but they get a chance to practice something in a very low-threatening way before they come back and perform it for me.”

Students also participate in what Mitchell called “animal related engagement,” where they play games to refine their motor skills. 

Beyond targeted activities, Brandy also offers students physical and emotional support. If a student has an orthopedic impairment, Brandy can help with removing a jacket by tugging on one sleeve until the student’s arm is free. 

Students can also use a second leash to “walk” Brandy to class with Mitchell if they feel nervous about going themselves. Mitchell said in addition to quelling their anxiety, the students enjoy showing Brandy to their classmates. 

“She’s famous now. If the kids are moving from their classroom to music and they’re walking by us, you’ll often hear, ‘Brandy!’” Mitchell said, imitating students’ excited shouts. “The whole campus is very excited about her.”

Parker said Brandy lightens the mood in IEP, or Individualized Education Program, meetings. She said that sometimes parents will cry, and Brandy will quickly move to comfort them. During meetings, Parker said she will also periodically check in with people by brushing against their legs under the table.

“You can watch her under the table while also seeing the people’s faces as she’s making her rounds,” Parker said. “And when she does it, I mean, it’s incredible.”

Teachers and staff members witnessed Brandy’s capabilities during a board meeting when Jennifer Pedersen, the middle school principal, demonstrated something called a cover, which Mitchell described as one of Brandy’s “superpowers.” To do it, Brandy lies on top of a person and the pressure of her body helps them feel more emotionally grounded. 

“So for those kids who come in and … they have a lot of nervous energy,” Mitchell said, “she does a cover and then they’re like, ‘I’m ready to work.’”

Pedersen said that staff members at the meeting were very impressed with the demonstration. “She’s here for the kids, but she has also won over the staff, which is so special,” Pedersen said. 

Mitchell, Parker, and Pedersen, among other staff members and students, agree Brandy’s influence has been positive and far reaching. 

“This is the most magical thing I think I’ve done in speech therapy. I’m on my 27th year and I thought, I should have started with the dog,” Mitchell said. 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the amount of time service dogs spend with “puppy raisers” and clarify the difference between a service dog and a facility dog.

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