This week I got another opper-TOO-nitty to visit the world of baa-LAY, which is a kinda dancin’ humans do. There’s Speshull Music, an they jump all over the place an zip around on tippy toes without fallin’ over inna heap. Sorta like Zoomies, but way fancier. An they wear lotsa COS-tooms. It’s Seriously Cool Kibbles.
Anyway, I got to innerview Frankie Schnodriguez, a very frenly, hansome, smart, creamy-brown Australian Labra-doodle with Very Fluffy feet. Frankie’s the O-FISH-ull mascot, greeter an therapy dog for Ballet Vero Beach. (Fun Fact: His fluffy front paws do a Turn-Out, just like the dancers.)
Me an my assistant met Frankie at his super Crispy Biscuits workplace over at Riverside Theatre in Riverside Park. We were escorted to the baa-LAY building: There was a long hallway, where Frankie (onna leash) an two humans greeted us.
“Welcome, Welcome!” Frankie said. “I’m Francois Schnodriguez, but everybody calls me Frankie. These are my Daddies, Adam an Camilo.” (Camilo was holdin’ the leash.)
After hellos all around, Adam zoomed off to do Other Important Stuff. Frankie an Camilo led us into a big room with no furniture ’cept for two chairs, anna big wood floor with Ji-NOR-muss mirrors on the walls.
“This is our rehearsal/classroom,” Frankie explained. “I spend a lotta time here. There’s 12 in the comp-nee. Other than my Daddies, of course, they’re my human Besties. I greet ’em when they arrive, an I’m always avail-ubble to sit on their laps when they wanna snuggle, or pat me or, if they’re gloomy or anything, I cheer ’em up.
“Sometimes, during a long rehearsal, I might get a liddle bored, so I get a toy an puh-lightly bring it to one of the dancers, hopin’ to maybe play a liddle. But usually Daddy Camilo says, ‘Not now, Frankie. It’s not time yet.’
“So I go curl up in my Lovely Kennel an patiently wait. Then, after rehearsal, everybody claps, and me an my Daddies an sometimes one or two of the dancers play catch-the-stuffy (or ball) with me. I have a dinosaur stuffy and a couple of octopus stuffies. Then me an Daddy Camilo usually go outside for a lovely walk.”
“Woof, Frankie, that IS a big responsibility,” I said with admiration. “I can see that you do Very Important work, an I TOTALLY see how you might get a liddle restless. Anyway, I can’t wait to hear all about your life.” I opened my notebook. “How’d your Daddies find you?”
“Well, we were all livin’ (not together) inna state called MISH-again. It’s up north, an it’s cold a lot. Anyway, I was born there, at Jubilee Doodles. I’m 3-anna-haff now, but I was only 10 weeks old then. My (future) Daddies were lookin’ for a calm pooch, which I was. When we first met at the kennel, I was only 10 weeks old an weighed 28 powns.
“They took one look at liddle me an said, ‘THAT’S A GREAT PUPPY!!’ They weren’t sure whether I was a Big Little Dog or a Little Big Dog. Either way, I musta been just right.”
“No doubt about that!” I exclaimed. “So, when did you come down to here?”
“Well, lemme see, it was right in the middle of that Soggy Dog Biscuits time when all the humans were wearin’ masks, an us pets – you probly remember – were tryin’ to figure out what the woof was goin’ on.”
“I sure do remember,” I said. “That was a weird time, fur sure.”
“Other than my Daddies,” Frankie continued, “I have pawsome human an pooch rella-tives: Daddy Adam’s mommy an daddy, Joanie an Mike, who I call Omu an Opu. An then there’s Daddy Camilo’s mommy, I call her my Abuela, an Daddy Camilo’s sister, Titi Adri. They live in that Mickey Mouse Town. Their dog (my cousin Paco) is one of my BFFs. He’s a mixture. We have the best time playin’. My dog Gramma, Birdie, lives with Omu an Opu. We run all over the place together.
“Here in the studio, I hang out with Henry. He’s a liddle 1-anna-haff-year-old human. His Mom Katherine’s a dancer. Sometimes we sit together on red chairs an watch the dancin’.
“Around town, I also have pooch pals: We mostly just woof ‘Hi!’ A liddle chit-chat, on walks, ya know? Lemme see, there’s Lovey, a Westie; Gus, a Shiba Inu; Lucy, a German Shepherd; an Bertha Bee, a Bernese Mountain dog.
“Other than work, what’s your day like?” I queried.
“Umm, well, I love the beach. Speshully DIGGIN’. However, my Daddies say it’s too MESSY, cuz when I get wet, my fur is a Total Soggy Wet Mess. I can’t argue with that. But that sand IS way fun. For me. Not them.
“Every day after my walk, I have a Brush Out. I sit on a speshul stool for it. An I also get a weekly shower, which feels very nice, ackshully.
“I also love boats,” he smoothly segued. “I have my own life jacket, of course. One time we won this PAWsome boat ride inna fund-raising’ raffle. Woof, was THAT Way Fun.”
“Did you by any chance, dress up for Halloween?” I had to inquire.
“Oh, woof, yes!” Frankie replied with enthusiasm. “I dress up EVERY Halloween! I’ve been a PICK-el, anna BUNN-ee, anna PUM-kin! TRAY fun!!
“An now, we’re all Super Busy getting’ ready for our Season. My favrite part is always ‘Nutcracker on the Indian River.’ There’s lots of adorable liddle human kids dressed up like river cree-churs.
Plus, it’s so fun seein’ my dancer pals runnin’ an jumpin’ an twirlin’ all over the place. (An never fallin’ on their kazoos, either!) I wish there was a part for a dog such a myself. But I’d probly get Very Excited an start playin’ with the liddle kids. Oh, well.”
“I hear ya,” I said.
Headin’ home, my mind was re-runnin’ Frankie’s fascinatin’ story, an wonderin’ what my chances were of sneakin’ in to watch “Nutcracker on the Indian River.” Then I wisely started thinkin’ about my Lovely Evening Dish of Yoghurt instead.
