This year, a new cuddly canine has become a familiar face around campus. Mr. Carl Knoll is a one-year and two-month-old Brussels Griffon who accompanies English teacher Mandy Knoll to school every day as he works to become a therapy dog. Knoll decided that it was time to welcome Carl to the family when her two previous dogs passed away.
“I have always wanted a therapy dog… so it was the perfect time, because now he’s an only dog. You don’t want to bring one dog to school and leave the other one at home,” Knoll said.
Knoll’s desire for a dog like Carl is illustrated thoroughly, as he is a very spoiled pup. Carl’s day starts at 5:45 a.m. next to Knoll in her bed, as he is far too prestigious to sleep in one of his own. He is then carried outside to relieve himself after a long night’s rest, and he proceeds to be dressed by Knoll in his daily outfit. Carl is often spotted exhibiting sweaters and fun accessories. At school, he eats breakfast and plays fetch before the bell rings, which leaves him calm and helps keep him from being a distraction during class. During the school day, he is regularly cared for and pampered by students, other teachers, and, of course, Knoll.
“Everybody knows who he is, and they all want to pet him or hold him. He’s gotten really good feedback,” Knoll said.
Carl’s popularity has grown, according to sophomore Evan Antle, due to his positive and energetic behavior.
“Carl has definitely made my experience [in Knoll’s class] better and more fun,” Antle said.
While Carl has taken various classes to earn the American Kennel Club (AKC) Good Citizen Award and to become an AKC-registered Good Dog, he is still young and ornery, which means he occasionally breaks his gentle character.
“He likes to grab things off of people’s backpacks. If you have keychains, he’ll start eating them,” freshman Alexis Anderson said.
Having a young animal in the classroom for long periods of time is sure to bring sporadic outbursts. For example, Antle said that Carl is infamous for barking during tests in plea for a treat.
“If I’m not paying attention to him, he’ll bark at me, or if he thinks he should get another treat, he’ll bark at me… Technically, he’s an adolescent… adolescents will outgrow that,” Knoll said.
Although mischievous at times, Carl stays focused on becoming the most well-behaved pup he can be.
“I don’t think people realize how hard it is… he has a lot of training. I train him at home, not just in class,” Knoll said. “He practices all the time when I don’t have kids in [the classroom].”
Carl has proved to be an excellent addition to the English department and will undoubtedly continue to brighten the days of those around him.
“He’s made English more fun. He makes it fun in the classroom, rather than just sitting there and doing work all the time,” Anderson said.
