My Recent Visit to Notre Dame Elementary School

Elementary students from Notre Dame School of De Pere were treated to a visit from author Barbara Techel, right, and her inspirational pet — Frankie, the Walk ‘n Roll Dog — on Jan. 19. / Submitted


Reprinted from the Green Bay Gazette:

Notre Dame School of De Pere
The elementary students were treated to a visit by Frankie, the Walk 'n Roll Dog, on Thursday, Jan. 19. Frankie and her owner, author Barbara Techel, shared their touching story with the students.
When Frankie, a dachshund, suffered a spinal injury, Ms. Techel had her fitted with a custom wheelchair. Frankie persevered and now volunteers as a therapy dog at local hospitals and nursing homes, spreading joy and hope wherever they go.
Their message to the Notre Dame students was threefold: think positive, make a difference and keep on rolling.
Students were able to purchase books about Frankie and have them signed by both Barbara and Frankie — with her paw print. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to various disabled animal charities

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Announces Her Semi-Retirement

Happy 2012! As the New Year kicks off I am finding more time for rest and relaxation and officially announce my semi-retirement. Here I am below in the big wicker chair in my mom's writing studio... snoozing and catching glimpses out the window. How I love to watch the world go by...

I'm grateful to my mom for understanding I wish to slow down a little bit now that I am twelve. Can you believe it has been five years since I began sharing my story?  How time flies! But I look forward to meeting new kids this year too. Be sure to get on my calendar early in you'd like me to visit your school is Wisconsin because I'll be doing limited visits. I am also still doing Skype visits and booking now for those as well, so please contact us to book an in-person or Skype visit.

My therapy dog work will continue visiting Libby's House and Hospice, as long as I am comfortable in doing so my mom says. So far so good, so will look forward to seeing all my friends when I visit.

Stay tuned also to the announcement of my mom's new book about her journey and what she learned about life from me (her first adult nonfiction book!)... if you'd like updates about her new book coming later this year or early in 2013, be sure to follow along on her Joyful Paws Blog.

1st grader got Frankie's Positive Message in a Beautiful Way

Recently I visited first graders at Longfellow Elementary school in Wisconsin. As many of you know part of my story is to help encourage children to be positive even when facing challenges.

After my mom was done sharing my story and the kids settled in for reading time, as we packed up, one little girl asked the teacher if she could go to her locker. She said she had something for me. She ran to her locker and came bounding back in the room with a big smile, handed it to my mom and said, "This is for Frankie!"

The teacher noticed what she gave me and told my mom and me that the kids get these "passes" when they do good things. They then get to turn those in for chances at prizes each month. To think she gave up a chance to share her positive pass with me that would mean she might not win a prize is so special for so many reasons. It's one of the bestest gifts I have ever gotten!

To learn more about Frankie's books that help teach children to be positive and make a difference check out the right hand side of her blog. Or check out the books on our Joyful Paws website (we have a really good special running now through Christmas!)  All books ordered through our website are autographed with inscription and pawtographed by Frankie.

Thank you to the Green Bay Gazette for the wonderful write up of our recent visit to Kress Family Library in DePere, Wisconsin.

Reprinted from Green Bay Gazette

Author Barbara Techel's wheelchair-bound miniature dachshund Frankie rests her head on the table as Techel reads one of her award-winning books at the Kress Family Library Branch in De Pere on Friday. / Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette

Author Barbara Techel simply wants to uplift children through her books.

The self-proclaimed animal lover spent time on Friday at the Kress Family Branch Library in De Pere doing just that with her words — and with an adorable assist from her canine companion.

Frankie, an 11-year-old miniature dachshund, is the inspiration for Techel's series of children's books that promote positive attitudes. "Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog'' and "Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby's House,'' tell how the dog overcame a major medical challenge and has been spreading joy to others ever since.
"Frankie's story is so uplifting," said Techel, who lives in Elkhart Lake. "Even faced with a hardship, she has remained positive."
Five years ago, Frankie ruptured a disk in her back, leaving her confined to a dog cart. Not knowing how her dog was going to respond to being unable to walk on all four paws, Techel was pleasantly surprised at Frankie's willingness to continue as if nothing had happened.

"Frankie was really challenged as she was put into a wheelchair. Despite that, her spirits remained positive,'' she said.

Already an author by the time Frankie began to have medical problems, Techel was inspired by the dog to share her story through children's books. The two of them have made more than 300 visits to schools, libraries and organizations in Wisconsin to help encourage children and adults to overcome adversity.
After the reading at the library, there was a long line of children waiting to talk with Techel, purchase books, and of course, pet Frankie.

"I wanted to take Frankie home with me," said 7-year-old Venna VanRemortr. "It was really good."

VanRemortr and her older sister, Athena, come to the summer readings at the library with their grandmother Sybil Warner. This time, they say they were happy to be able to interact with the dog.

"We loved it," Warner said. "She was so articulate when reading, and it all flowed nicely."

— kmccrae@greenbaypressgazette .com and follow her on Twitter @PGKelcieMcCrae

WJ Niederkorn Library to Host Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog & Children's Author Barbara Techel

WHEN:  Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

WHERE:  WJ Niederkorn Library, 316 West Grand Avenue, Port Washington, WI

TIME:  1:30pm

WHAT:  Frankie was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease in 2006 after rupturing a disk in her back which caused paralysis. Hear her inspirational story of triumph and living life to the fullest in her doggie wheelchair. Interactive with participants helping demonstrate how Frankie gets out of her wheelchair and helping to do exercises with Frankie's back legs. Many giggles with slide presentation of fun photos of Frankie. Come meet the little dog dubbed as the "Ambassador of Inspiration" and star of her own award winning book series.  Half hour presentation will be followed by Q & A.  

Books will be avaialble for sale after presentation.

We hope to see you there!

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Visits Brooklyn Elementary School Via Skype and "In-Dog"

Brooklyn Elementary School was a highly anticipated event for my mom and I.  We could hardly wait for the big day to arrive when we would meet all the kiddo's in-person and err, "in-dog."  Arf!

Third grade teacher, Joyce Gilmour and the PTO have a special program called P.A.W.S which stands for "Positive Attitude + Work = Success."  Each year they pick a theme and this years theme was to encourage the children about the bucket filling concept based on Bucket Fillers 101.

My books messages were a perfect fit for their program since I encourage kiddo's to be positive despite challenges, and I also encourage finding a way to give back even when facing challenges.

To kick off the event my mom and I connected with the school in December via Skype and my mom read my book, Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog to the whole school.

Then in Janurary we connected with the school once again via Skype, and this time my mom read them my second book, Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby's House.

As part of their bucket filling projects Brooklyn Elementary chose Families-In-Need-of-Assistance which helps their local families who are struggling, and help with paying for food, gas, etc. They will be doing a Walk-A-Thon soon to help raise money for the program.

They also chose REACH-a-Child which "aims to put smiles on the faces of children in crisis across America through the power of books. Whether the children are in the hospital, victims of domestic disturbance, or automobile accident or temporarily homeless, REACH a Child wants to help the first responders engage these children in a positive way."

The BIG DAY finally arrived when we made the 2-hour drive to Brooklyn, WI to see the kiddo's live!  We heard there was much anticipation of the special day with many kiddo's asking days before what day they would meet us.

When we arrived we saw the big donation box for books and oodles of books surrounding the box on the floor that will benefit REACH-a-Child program.  I donated to sets of my books, along with a stack of other gently used dog books my mom had in her home library.

Here I am donating to REACH-a-Child!  Hot-diggity dog fun!

As we moved down the hallway the walls were lined with bucket cut outs in all colors with one representing each child and their bucket filling efforts for the year.  So inspiring!  And then as we neared the end of the hallway, there on the wall were pictures of me and my mom!  Perfect time for a picture for me to pose with extraordinary third grade teacher of 36-years, Mrs. Joyce Gilmour.  BTW:  Mrs. Gilmour will be retiring this year and we wish her the best of luck!

I love Mrs. Gilmour!

My mom and I did two presentations that day and enjoyed each and every moment. One of the most touching moments was meeting a little girl who had a brain tumor removed earlier that year.  She is now in remission and we are praying that she will continue to recover and heal.  Please keep her in your prayers.  

The kiddo's had FANTASTIC questions!  My mom got all choked up when one young boy asked if my mom would rather have a Frankie that walks or one in a wheelchair.  She told the audience that of course she wished with all her heart that I could walk normal again, but she wouldn't trade one single moment of what she has had with me... and someday she hopes to adopt another special needs dachshund.

To round out the perfect day we were presented with thank you cards, which always brings tears to my mom's eyes.  We LOVE getting thank you cards and letters.  Once we got home, Mom read each and everyone of them to me.  Then it was time for another photo session!

Posing with all my special thank you cards!

Thank you, Brooklyn Elementary for a wonderful day!  It was the best meeting all of you, and my mom and I are so proud of all your bucket filling efforts!  Keep up the great work!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I had a super fun time at Lakeshore Elementary School today and met K-5th graders who were very excited to meet and learn all about me.
My mom shows photos of me via PowerPoint before my IVDD diagnoses and after.  One of the photos of me that she shows is how I ride in the car in my doggie car seat.  I get strapped in, just like you would put your seat belt on.  Here's a photo of me in my doggie car seat:

So as the kids stood in line to get a close up glimpse of me after the presentation, one very curious little boy said to my mom, "Where does your husband sit?"  At first my mom did not understand his question.  Then all of a sudden sher realized what he meant and grinned and said, "Do you mean when Frankie rides in the doggie car seat?"  He shook his head with a very concerned look on his face.  My mom said, "Well, actually, my husband does sometimes sit in the back seat!"  And yup, it's true!  Even my mom's best friend had to sit in the back seat one time when I was in my doggie seat in the front.  What a life I have, huh?

Frankie Makes Visit to New Holstein Public Library

Tuesday, April 5th I made my 2nd appearance at New Holstein Public Library in Wisconsin and I was once again a big hit!

My favorite part is when my mom shares with the children how when I first got in my wheelchair and I didn't budge an inch. The kids really giggle when my mom says, "Run free Frankie, I know you can do it" and I stand still as a statue!  My mom then shows the children how I learned to 'walk 'n roll' in my wheelchair by throwing treats for me and I roll after them!  yum and fun!

Frankie is available to visit your school or library in-person if you are located in Wisconsin or she also can visit your school or library via Skype!

Teachers: download our free ebook to help plan an in-person or skype visit.
Librarians: download our free ebook to help plan an in-person or skype visit.

3rd Grader Shares Thoughts about Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog book

As part of a wonderful program at a school in Wisconsin, the focus for the school this year is about "Bucketfilling."  Giving back each and every day.  As part of the program they have invited me to share my story (with a little help from my mom since I can't talk human!).

In December I snuggled in my mom's lap while she read my first book Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog to a gymnasium full of kids via Skype.  Jan. 17th mom will read my 2nd book via Skype Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby's House which has many bucketfilling lessons!

Getting ready to share my story via Skype in mom's writing studio

After the reading in December the students had to write something about the first book and here is what Carrie, in third grade, had to say:


Frankie the Walk ' Roll Dog is about a dog named Frankie and how one day her owner goes to Florida, leaves her at a kennel, and when she jumps up to get some food, she falls and loses feeling in her back legs and needs a dog cart.  I think that this book is a five star book for family friendliness and you should get it right away!!

Wonderful, Carrie!  Arf-a-roo!  My mom and I are really looking forward to our visit with all of you again via Skype in a few days, as well as our in person (and dog!) visit in May!

How to Plan an Author Visit with Barbara Techel & Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Upcoming Appearances

I'm off to a great start this fall sharing my message to be positive, make a difference, and keep on rolling despite obstacles!  I'd love to visit your library, school, or organization in person (depending on location) or we can visit via Skype too.... with a little help from my author mom, Barbara Techel (a.k.a taxi driver).  Id love to hear from you!  Be sure to watch our calendar page on our website for updates to added appearances!

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog Upcoming Fall Season Appearances

*Monday, Sept. 13th: Portal Industries, serving adult citizens with disabilities, Grafton, WI, 5:30pm
*Saturday, Sept. 18th: Woodhaven Animal Health Clinic, Open House Health and Wellness event, Plover, WI, 10:00am-2:00pm
*Wednesday, Sept. 22nd:  My author mom, Barbara Techel will be on The Passions and Possbilities Radio Show talking about how animals with disabilities are her passion (I am her inspiration!).
*Saturday, Sept. 25th:  Alzheimer's Memory Walk, Kohler, WI
*Thursday, Sept. 30th:  Rainbow Diamond (Dachshund Rescue) Live Stream show
*Saturday, October 9th: Book signing and talk at LaDeDa Books and Beans, Maintowoc, WI 10:30am
*Monday, October 11th: Poynette Library presentation, Poynette, WI, 4:30pm
*Friday, October 15th: Reception and book signing at Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan, WI 6:30pm-8:30pm
*Wednesday, Oct. 20th: Presentation for Women's Auxiliary at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Sheboygan Falls, WI, 1:30pm
*Saturday, November 6th: Key note speaker for "Celebration of Pets" banquet and fundraiser for Rudy's Fund to help bring Humane Welfare Animal programs to Sheboygan County, Breaking Bread Banquet Hall, Sheboygan, WI, 6:00pm-10:00pm
*Thursday, November 11th: Waunakee Public Library presentation, Waunakee, WI, 3:00pm
*Thursday, December 9th: Presentation at Longfellow Elementary School

NEW! Author Visits EBook Guide for All Teachers

Calling all teacehrs!!  Mom and I want to make planning a visit with us easy, whether virtually or in person (and dog!), because we know how hard teachers work.  So we came up with an idea... ok, well, my mom did.  We now have a Author Visits Ebook guide to planning a successful visit with us.  It is yours for free by visiting our new teacher section on our website.  Just click and download... then feel free to give us a call or email us to book your visit with us.

REMEMBER:  We are giving away 10-free Skype presentations (or other video conferencing if you prefer) to the first schools that contact us (one per school).  Hurry, before they are all gone!

Visiting Canada

Question submitted by Jordan, age 10

Can you and your mom come to our school one day?

Well, Jordan, you never do know! We certainly won't rule it out. Visiting schools is very fun for me and I hope to do more Skype sessions like I did with your school. That was way cool! I got to see all of you in Canada via the computer, but then I got to take a nap right afterwards. Dosen't get any better than that!

Thank You Elkhart Lake Elementary and Middle School!

Between last week and this week Frankie and I visited our community school and did a total of six presentations! We had a ball!

The staff and the students and especially Mrs. Nevin's the librarian extraordinaire were so good to us. Frankie and I now feel like a part of the school family! I felt today feeling so good about all the new friends we made. I have always loved Elkhart Lake, but now I love it even more. My community has been so supportive of Frankie and now being at school has made us feel even more a part of wonderful Elkhart Lake.

The teachers just started putting together websites for their classrooms. They took pictures of our visits and I want to thank Mrs. Reineking and Mrs. Matthias for posting pictures of our visit (please be patient as they do take a bit to download).

Thank you again, especially to all the students for their enthusiasm, kindness and compassion for Frankie. We will never forget our three very special days with all of you!!