When the Lindenmuth family’s golden retriever, Huck, developed a habit of watching the world from the roof of their house in Austin, Texas, they knew it was unusual, but they could not have anticipated how far the story would travel beyond their neighbourhood. What began as a lighthearted family moment soon grew into an opportunity for creativity and storytelling. Allie Lindenmuth chose to explore that idea alongside her children, Hayes, Grade 3, and Georgie, Kindergarten, now students at St. Michaels University School.
After neighbours shared photos and videos online, the story of Huck the Roof Dog quickly gained widespread attention and a devoted following. That response inspired the creation of a children’s book, shaped through a collaborative, family-led creative process that invited the children into decisions about place, character, and detail.
The story continued to evolve as the family relocated to Victoria, where a second book took shape, reflecting life on Vancouver Island. Illustrated scenes draw from familiar local settings and everyday moments, with Hayes featured as a leading character alongside Huck in the first book and Georgie taking on that role in the second. In both, the children helped guide the direction of the stories by choosing locations and details that mattered to them, often including friends as characters in the illustrations.
Huck lived with the family in Victoria for several years before passing away in 2023. His death marked the end of a chapter, but not the creative path that had already begun.
For Allie, the project became a way to show her children that even small, playful ideas are worth exploring and seeing through.
At SMUS, that same mindset is reinforced through a learning environment that values curiosity, creativity, and student agency. Both Hayes and Georgie are encouraged to see themselves as active participants in their learning, whether through storytelling, art, or hands-on projects.
That approach is already evident in how Hayes engages with his interests. A participant in SMUS’s Entrepreneur Club, he is currently working on a self-directed project of his own: a fact-based book focused on professional wrestling. Built from extensive research and organized into a binder, the project reflects a level of focus and follow-through driven by genuine enthusiasm, with ideas for additional sport-themed books already taking shape.
Georgie, meanwhile, is drawn to art, storytelling, and physical activity. She speaks eagerly about her school day and has shared the Huck story with classmates, using it as a point of connection.
Together, those experiences reflect a broader belief that learning does not stop at the classroom door. Instead, it moves fluidly between home and school, shaped by curiosity, encouragement, and the freedom to explore.
In the end, the creative journey that grew out of a beloved family pet is less about a dog on a roof than about what can happen when children are trusted to imagine, create, and participate meaningfully in the world around them, at home, at school, and beyond.
