At Woodstock Elementary, a four-legged professional named Ruby is quietly transforming how students cope with stress, anxiety and daily challenges at school. Ruby, a golden retriever-Labrador mix is the first dog of her kind in Granite School District and for many students, she has become an anchor of calm and connection.

Ruby works alongside social worker Laura Rogers, who serves as her facilitator. While Ruby is officially classified as a facility dog rather than a service dog, her impact reaches dozens of children every week at Woodstock as well as Upland Terrace Elementary in Millcreek.

“About 95% of the kids who are escalated will calm down right away when I show up with Ruby,” Rogers said.

Even teachers and school administrators appreciate Ruby’s presence. Woodstock Principal Missy McQueen said the dog’s calming demeanor provides welcome respite to her own demanding role.

“Ruby helps me with my work, too,” McQueen said. “Being a principal can be a busy job, so she helps me manage the stress and the largeness of this job. She sits next to me while I work on the computer, but mostly she’s with students and gets belly rubs, petting and calms them down.”

Ruby came to Granite School District through Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that has been breeding and training service dogs since the 1970s. Born and trained specifically to become a working dog, Ruby’s parents were chosen for temperament and suitability, Rogers said.

From eight weeks old, Ruby lived with volunteer puppy raisers who socialized, potty trained and prepared her for advanced training. Her formal training began when she was 18 months old and ran six to nine months; she learned skills such as opening doors and using accessibility buttons. 

Rogers applied for a full-service dog and traveled to the Southwest Training Center in Oceanside, California for two weeks of intensive handler training. 

Students reduce stress and anxiety through their interactions with Ruby, a facility dog. (Photo courtesy of Laura Rogers)

“It’s like speed dating,” Rogers said. “You work with this dog and that dog, and then halfway through that first week, they pair you with your dog, and you keep that dog through the rest of the training. I got Ruby four days in, and the trainers knew more than me. She likes being pet; she’s a little smaller, so less intimidating. She has the perfect temperament and everything about her made her a great choice to work well with kids.”

Although Ruby does not have unrestricted public access, she is allowed to accompany students when she is actively working with them, in compliance with ADA guidelines. 

Within school walls, Ruby helps students manage anxiety, school avoidance, meltdowns and impulse control. One of her techniques is “cover,” where she gently lays across a student’s legs, helping to calm them and regulate their nervous system. She also performs commands such as nudge, a red light-green light game for self-control and other obedience tasks.

Rogers said Ruby has made a positive impact. Situations that might once have taken 20 or 30 minutes to resolve can shift in a few minutes with Ruby present. Defiant or overwhelmed students soften with Ruby as she redirects them into a safe and nonthreatening place. 

“Maybe, they have their hood over their head, sitting in the hallway and don't want to be in school, and they’re really stuck. After Ruby smells them and looks them in the face, we start talking about her. It's not about what they were struggling with anymore. She shifts that conversation. Then we walk that child to class, and she'll sit by them for a second, give them a high five or a shake, and they feel like a celebrity because they brought the dog to the class, and everybody wants to be with her. I’ve been doing this for 16 years, but with Ruby, it feels like magic,” she said.

Beyond individual student support, Ruby plays a role in classroom lessons about mindfulness and emotional regulation. Rogers uses Ruby’s natural behaviors, such as shaking after being overstimulated, to teach students how bodies release stress and how movement can help emotions settle.

“I use her as an example of how she self regulates, and how we can learn from her, because we can do those things with our body. We can shake, move and dance if we're feeling some big emotion, and it helps our bodies come down so that we can learn again,” she said. “Even kindergarten and first-grade students grasp concepts and learn when Ruby is part of the lesson.”

Before Rogers introduced Ruby to students, she worked with District leaders, PTAs, school community councils, parents, surveyed staff and addressed issues from allergies to safety and liability. She makes sure Ruby is not in shared spaces unless invited and clear rules about her are taught to students. 

During the past two and a half years, she said there has been no incidents and Ruby has become a beloved figure at both schools, appearing in school yearbooks, websites and video announcements and podcasts.

“She gets a bunch of toys and the kids will draw pictures of her and bring me notes that say, ‘Thanks, Ruby, we love you’ or tape them on my door. It's really cute; she’s become quite the celebrity,” Rogers said.

Rogers said she brought in a dog to help her do her work better.

“I wanted to work with some of these kids who I couldn't reach,” she said. “Now, when I bring Ruby, I know I’m going to be able to break that barrier and help the student know they're loved and I got them and they're going to be OK. I always try to show them unconditional, positive regard. That's important to me.”