West Elementary students get treat with visit from sled dog

By LISA CHAPMAN / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Hank, an Alaskan Malamute, made a visit to West Elementary. (Lisa Chapman photo)

Students at West Elementary got a rare treat Friday morning. After reading “Stone Fox” by John Reynolds Gardiner, students received a visit from a real sled dog named Hank.

“Stone Fox” is about a 10-year-old boy named Willy who has to win a dog sled race in order to pay the back taxes on his grandfather’s farm. To do this, he has to beat a huge Indian mountain man, Stone Fox. Searchlight, Willy’s dog, gives it his all to save the farm.

The idea to read the book and have a sled dog visit the school came from Jaime Lorance, a 2+2 program student from Tennessee Tech. Lorance assists Ms. Johnson with her fourth-grade class at West as part of her studies at Tennessee Tech.

Three classes were involved with reading the book and the visit from a real sled dog: Ms. Southard’s, Ms. Bryant’s and Ms. Johnson’s classes. Combined there were 70-75 students.

Once the book was finished, Lorance thought it would be a good idea to have her aunt, Phyllis Turner, bring one of her Alaskan Malamutes so the students could get first-hand knowledge of sled dogs.

“I didn’t know what Ms. Newman would say when I asked permission to bring a dog to school,” said Lorance, referring to school principal Marsha Newman. “I thought she would tell me no but she didn’t. She thought it was a great idea.”

Hank is a 10-year-old Alaskan Malamute. He is AKC registered and an AKC champion. He is a sled dog and the grandson of a National sled dog champion. He has been trained by Turner for show and presentations.

“I was very worried about how safe it would be,” said Newman. “After I was satisfied the dog was well trained and that Ms. Turner showed dogs and that part of her presentation taught children how to approach dogs safely, I said yes. I think this has been a positive thing in more ways than one.”

During the presentation, students learned Alaskan Malamutes grow to about 120 pounds and have two coats. Their weight, and the fact they have two coats, makes them perfect for cold temperatures.

Along with learning about Alaskan Malamutes, students learned there is a right way and a wrong way to pet a dog that is not familiar to them. The children learned that they should ask permission before petting someone else’s dog and never attempt to pet a dog who is not accompanied by its owner.