Principal Ed Boswell walked into Ira Jones Middle School on Friday with a co-worker who had a wag in his tail and snow on his nose.
Boswell now shares his office with Biscuit, the school’s service dog.
There, the yellow Labrador sniffed his bed and water bowl and played with his furry fox toy before school started.
“This is his down time. He wanders. Teachers get excited to see him every morning. He is greeting everybody,†Boswell said.
Biscuit’s job is to help students with behavioral and emotional disorders and support autistic students.
Before students arrive, Boswell calls Biscuit into his office, taking off the service vest that lets Biscuit know he’s on the job.
Each day, Boswell brushes the dog’s coat, cleans his ears and brushes his teeth.
“It’s chicken-flavored. It stinks, but he likes it and I guess that is all that matters because he lets me do this,†Boswell said of the toothpaste. “Good boy, you did a nice job. Touch.â€
With that last word, he gives Biscuit a high-five, hand to nose.
Last spring, Boswell applied for a service dog through the Indiana Canine Assistance Network.
After an intensive application process where he was interviewed at school and home, Boswell was matched with Biscuit.
As part of ICAN, Biscuit was born in a prison and raised by prisoners who train puppies.
A prisoner named Rheann was Biscuit’s handler and taught him almost 50 commands.
Biscuit can do tricks children like to see, such as sitting, crossing legs and bowing.
He also has working commands that help disabled kids, such as tugging off their gloves, pushing doors shut and helping students up from the ground.
“Biscuit knows how to brace himself. He knows the word, brace,†Boswell explained. “Brace,†he told Biscuit, prompting the dog to stiffen his body so Boswell could lean on him to get up.
Boswell and school social workers Chris Pavlich and Christy Sprangers went to the Indiana Women’s Prison for a week of intensive training to wean Biscuit off of Rheann and teach him to listen to Boswell.