Raising A Dog
It’s May 25, 2019, and as a ripe 19-year-old I decided I wanted to adopt a dog to add a bit of extra love to my life. Enter Finlay: the 30-pound dachshund terrier mix that now serves as my best friend and emotional support animal.
I initially got Finlay to help support me through my struggles with mental health. I’ve had some adverse reactions to medication, and my doctor said getting a dog might be beneficial for me. Finlay has helped my mental health in so many ways and he never fails to bring a smile to my face.
That being said, he’s truly the definition of crazy, which has led me to equate raising him to playing a sport. I broke it down into subcategories for you to fully understand my life with my sweet pup.
Much like the grind of a student-athlete, there is a grind to raising a dog. I got Finlay when he was 11-weeks-old. I had to potty train him as well as teach him how to walk on a leash and every other puppy thing you can think of. I had to constantly tell him “No, you can’t get on the furniture” or to not bark at every male he sees — as many members of the Phoenix know for some reason Finlay is avidly against tall men. I truly don’t understand it.
One of the least glamorous moments I faced with Finlay was when I went on a weekend trip in November 2019. My amazing roommate — Editor-in-Chief Mary Chappell — volunteered to watch him for me and faced a puppy stomach flu. When I returned from the weekend, the sickness continued, earning me 3 a.m. potty breaks or having to clean dog puke off our rug. So, not fun.
Then there are the moments that make it so worth it, such as the greeting I get every single day I come back from class. My personal favorite is the way he snuggles up to me when he knows I’ve had a bad day. He’s such a good boy, despite the craziness.
While I’m not in the gym practicing sports every day, taking care of Finlay is truly an exercise in and of itself. I’m up by 7:30 a.m. every day. We go on two one-mile walk/runs a day. He’s a bit of an attention hog so he usually needs every ounce of my attention at all times.
I don’t get to go hang out with friends as often because I have Finlay back home to worry about. When he does tag along to my outings, a good chunk of my time is spent on short potty walks, eating up any moments with my friends.
But again, I honestly don’t even mind. He’s the best excuse for when I don’t want to do something. Just a quick, “Oh, well I have to get home to Finlay” is the best way to get away from someone.
I have never been a morning person. I probably never will be a morning person. But having a dog turns you into somewhat of a morning person. This is arguably my least favorite thing about having a dog. The amount of patience that goes into my 7:30 a.m. trips to take him to go potty is amazing. You never realize how tired you are more than when you’re standing outside waiting for a dog to pee and it’s less than 30 degrees outside.
Also, all the training takes so much patience. Finlay has a strict routine when he gets fed. Sit. Right paw. Left paw. Lay down. Wait. Go ahead. But someone had to teach him that, it wasn’t something he learned overnight.
He has quite the arsenal of tricks now, too. When someone is bouncing their knee, he will come and set his paw on their foot to alert them. His newest one: picking up markers. Not pens or pencils, only markers. My mom likes to obnoxiously throw Sharpies on the ground just so he’ll come pick them up and bring it back to her. He does expect treats for his performance.
So, I don’t know what it feels like to win an NCAA tournament or score the winning touchdown in a close game, but I imagine it’s the same feeling as the first time Finlay actually came to me upon hearing “Go to Mommy.” It was truly a euphoric experience.
I came home from getting dinner with Chappell once to find he got his head stuck in a Wheat Thins box. Upon us entering the room, he froze, seemingly trying to act invisible. It’s still one of the funniest moments of my life, honestly.
Having a dog in college is unbelievably hard, but Finlay has become such a pivotal part of my life. I am so glad I made the decision to adopt him.
WCC For Future Service Dogs
Maryland Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George’s) has made serving military veterans a major part of his mission as a public servant.
Peters himself was deployed in Saudi Arabia from 1990-91 and was awarded a bronze star for his meritorious service in the transportation corps during Operation Desert Storm. He left the Army Reserve as a captain, but continues serving veterans as a legislator and in his community.
After moving to Bowie, Peters joined his local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, working with those organizations to help veterans in their civilian lives. Members of each organization elected Peters to serve as their group’s commander.
“Anything a vet needs, they provide,” said Peters. “The goal initially was, and always will be, to serve the veterans.”
In Annapolis, Peters served as co-chairman, then chairman of the Veterans Caucus from 2007-2017, working to create policies and programs that benefit veterans. And he continues to work with Secretary of Veterans Affairs George W. Owings III to help veterans get jobs, maintain their businesses, and ensure they live comfortably.
As chairman of the Senate’s Capital Budget Subcommittee, Peters has worked to secure funding for projects that benefit veterans and their families, such as Patriot Point, a retreat in Dorchester County, where fishing, hunting and other activities are available to recovering veterans.
He also secured a grant for the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), a non-profit based in Boyds. There, and at other service locations, veterans who have suffered physical or psychological trauma have the opportunity to spend time with and train future service dogs.
The veterans help teach the dogs to assist them with tasks such as opening and closing doors and retrieving items. They also teach the dogs that the world is safe, and, in doing so, they must convince themselves. In turn, the dogs support and comfort the veterans when they feel anxious or have other psychological struggles.
Sen. Brian J. Feldman (D-Montgomery) called on Peters earlier this year to help the Warrior Canine Connection get a state grant to improve their facilities for their program.
Peters, with a background in business administration, arranged to visit the non-profit, “rather than just looking at a spreadsheet.”
At the WCC’s Healing Quarters, on 80 acres within Seneca Creek State Park, about 100 veterans and service dogs welcomed Peters. Seeing the veterans’ rehabilitation process with the dogs was a “great experience,” he said.
One veteran, Peters recalled, explained how the responsibility of caring for and walking the dog had helped him out of a heavy depression and said his service dog really saved his life.
“It was just an incredible sight to see and hear the stories of all the veterans who came to talk to me about how the dogs got them back on their feet,” Peters said.
Since the WCC’s Healing Quarters stands on state-owned land in Boyds, Peters said that “putting some money towards improving the property with the veterans involved, was really a win-win scenario.”
With a grant of about $500,000, the WCC will restore a large dairy barn on the property giving them more space for raising and training service dogs.
Every WCC service dog is named after a former or current military service member.
In nominating Peters to have a service dog to be named after him, Feldman said, “Senator Peters’ lengthy military service…his position as the Senate Chair of the Veterans Caucus in the Maryland General Assembly, and the critical role he played this year in securing a bond initiative to support the work of the Warrior Canine Connection, made him an ideal choice for the nomination to have a service dog named in his honor.”
Last month, the Warrior Canine Connection announced the naming of Dougie, a Labrador retriever born in March and named after Peters.
Dougie is in the care of WCC volunteer Ashley Poindexter-Tarmy. She says Dougie is an attentive and calm puppy who, when he sees new people, “doesn’t pull the end of the leash, he sits down, and waits for permission to say hello.”
Dougie is also good at recognizing facial cues, a skill which will come in handy as he trains to become a service dog.
Peters has yet to meet Dougie but said he is eager to and hopes to introduce his own rescue dog Sierra to his new furry friend.
“It’s interesting,” Peters said. “Normally we get plaques or awards, but I think it’s one of the most unique honors I’ve ever had, to have a dog named after me. I’m very humbled.”
K9s For Warriors
There’s nothing like some quality time with your favorite furry friend. Nobody knows that better than the folks at K9 For Warriors, an organization dedicated to training shelter dogs to become service animals for veterans.
Some of those veterans and several K9 trainers made their way to the Starling Senior Living Community in Nocatee on Tuesday. They were able to share some puppy love with the residents through window visits, while the residents remained in the safety of their own rooms.
“Because of all the isolation, our residents have had a hard time doing what they normally do, and a lot of that was pet therapy,” said Isabelle Miranda, executive director at Starling. “We’ve definitely had to think outside of the box when it comes to finding ways to spend our time in a safe way.”
Greg Wells, manager of programs for K9s For Warriors, said the pandemic has been hard on everyone.
“On us, on our families, on the residents here,” Wells said. “The whole idea to me is to spread a little cheer. We need to train the dogs in a public environment.”
So while the residents got a little “Doggie in the Window” time, the pups also got some needed training.
“It’s a lot of joy, just to know how much the elderly mean to people,” said an emotional Deidre Strag, a K9s For Warriors trainer. “They’re not with their family, and that’s something this generation in the nursing home, they’ve poured into us.”
Wells said his K9 isn’t just a dog — he’s a family member.
“It’s a wholeness that they’ve gifted me,” Wells said. “He’s hope, he’s love, he’s understanding.”
Miranda said the visit was meaningful for the residents.
“This means the world to us. It’s all love. These animals represent love,” Miranda said. “That’s what everyone needs.”
Starling Senior Living is now back open for limited visitation. Staff said it’s been “emotional, but beautiful” to watch families reconnect after the months-long quarantine.
Abandoned Dog Gets Adopted
Thanks to one California animal shelter, this senior dog was able to find his next forever home.
Humboldt County Animal Shelter in McKinleyville sprung into action this week when a local resident discovered an abandoned dog trapped inside a vehicle.
The woman contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, who were able to figure out that the dog’s name was Banks and that his owner had recently passed away, the office shared on Facebook.
The HCSO also determined that Banks had been left in the vehicle for several days.
The animal shelter took over from there and was able to locate Banks’ “next of kin” who shared that the black-and-white pooch was about 15 years old.
“They requested that we find him a nice home to spend his golden years here in Humboldt,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “This is where the story becomes the best outcome ever!”
Duncan then put in a call to the applicant, Meredith Maier, the co-owner of a local eatery, Six Rivers Brewery.
“It was love at first sight,” the sheriff’s office wrote of Maier and Banks’ meeting.
“We are so very proud and touched to do the work that we do here at the shelter providing a safe landing spot for so many pets in need and either getting them back to their owners or on to their new lives,” Duncan wrote.
The Facebook post also included a sweet picture of Maier with her new furry friend.
Banks is seen with a big smile in the photo as he sits in the back of a car in his bed.
Those who read about Banks’ journey on Facebook commented on the post about his happy ending.
“Poor guy but now he is getting the love he had been and is safe, warm and fed! Enjoy the rest of your years with your new human Banks!” another added.
One person replied, ” I am sooooo happy Banks found a good forever home.”
Service Dogs Visit Patients
OU Children’s Hospital just got another service dog to help kids battle illnesses.
Two-year-old chocolate lab, Litta, just joined the team as part of the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation’s ‘Dogs for Joy’ program.
The programs goal is to increase the number of service dogs nationwide.
Litta is skilled a teaching kids how to take medicine or how to put on a hospital gown. She is a stylish pup, too.
“She loves to wear bows – she wears a different bow everyday,” Bailey Wetzel, A child-live expert and Litta’s handler said.
Litta’s got a lot of fans at the hospital and the feeling is mutual.
“We call her wiggles and she wiggles her whole body – so we know she just loves to be here,” Wetzel said.
Litta’s even taking COVID-19 precautions. Hospital workers ensure that everyone must wash their hands before touching her and sheets are cleaned too.
Durham K9
Police Service Dog Six was No. 1 in nabbing a suspect over the weekend in Oshawa.
Durham Regional Police were called around 10 p.m. Sunday to the Simcoe St. and Rossland Rd. area for reports of a man with a gun.
Cops say a member of the K-9 Unit located a suspect, who fled on foot but was quickly caught by Police Service Dog Six.
The man was bitten during the takedown and was treated in hospital for minor injuries, police say.
A starter’s pistol was allegedly located on the suspect along with about $2,000 worth of cannabis.
Lucais Dayron, 18, of no fixed address, has been charged with possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling and fail to comply.
Anyone with new information is asked to call police at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5100 or Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Pawfficer Sage
Entering her second year as Illinois State University’s favorite ‘pawfficer’ from ISU’s police department, Pawfficer Sage and the Community Engagement unit is taking advantage of connecting with students, faculty, staff and community members as much as they can amid the pandemic.
Despite the spring semester being cut short and students being sent home due to the coronavirus, Sage’s first year as ISUPD’s new recruit was successful for her and the department.
She attended over 100 events and bonded with about 9,000 students, faculty, staff and community members since joining the team last fall. Additionally, ISUPD officers have handed out over 5,000 Sage badge stickers at these events.
However, bonding with the ISU community has been harder for the pawfficer with the virus and health guidelines in place.
“When she was brand new, our unit was brand new. We just had request after request after request [and] we have had some [this year],” Sergeant of the Community Engagement unit Mike Gardner said.
“Because of COVID, frankly, a lot of the [residential assistants] and people that will call us, they’re unsure about what they can do within the university’s safety guidelines regarding COVID-19.”
After students were sent home and the department reduced the number of staff members coming into its location in the Nelson Smith building, Sage was able to stay with the deputy chief for some time.
“The deputy chief has two dogs. She would also go home with one of our detectors or even meet here with his dog who is also a black lab. They really love each other, so she’s had a few playdates [as well],” Gardner said.
Since Sage has come back to the Nelson Smith building from her stay with the deputy chief, Gardner explained the steps and guidelines put into place when the Community Engagement unit and Sage attend events and socialize with members of the community. He put emphasis on how the unit wants to avoid using Sage as a transmission device.
“We also have a request from her vet that when we go to these events now before somebody pets her, they sanitize their hands before they pet her. [This] way, we don’t use her as a transmission device,” Gardner said.
Initially being trained as a service dog through Supporting Independence through Teamwork Service Dogs, Sage made the transition to her job with ISUPD after trainers thought she was too social.
ISUPD Chief of Police Aaron Woodruff said that she’s continuing to live up to her mission of helping officers with educational programs and students adapt to campus and offering comfort and support to crime victims and students at various on-campus programs.
“If there’s some housing events, things where the group sizes [are small and] smaller group events is what it will come down to,” Woodruff said.
“I know [in previous weeks, we have] had some impromptu meetings with students just out on the Quad, so those things can still happen. They may not be formal events, but you know you still have interaction, some positive interactions and in other venues.”
Drool Magazine
DROOL proudly announces its launch as the first-ever quarterly magazine that puts dogs at the heart of the story. Written as a celebration of our canine companions, DROOL is a new platform from pet nutrition company, BIXBI, to share the most interesting stories about dogs. While editorial coverage around man’s best friend has typically revolved around product reviews and training tips, DROOL goes deeper into dog’s lives than ever before to discover the experiences, relationships and connections with our dogs that enrich our lives.
The inaugural issue introduces readers to 96 pages of curated, dog-centric editorial with in-depth features that uncover compelling canine stories. The full-length articles spotlight the most interesting things our four-legged friends are doing across the country, including a pair of Italian Maremma sheepdogs managing livestock at Hanzell Winery in California, service dogs helping with prisoner counseling through non-profit organization, Pawsitive Change, and pups working alongside their owners at Denver-based record of the month club, Vinyl Me, Please.
DROOL also playfully explores the connections at the heart of the canine-human relationship – from a first-hand narrative of a new owner on his first 5,000 mile road trip with his new puppy, Blue, to a look at Mork Skywalker, the rescue dog turned internet sensation with a strong resemblance to Yoda. Further highlighting the joy that dogs bring into their pet parent’s lives, the first issue contains an interview with “Mean Girls” Broadway star and dog fanatic, Erika Henningsen.
“With over a decade in the pet industry, I’ve had the privilege of discovering so many cool dogs and awesome people whose stories haven’t been told,” shared James Crouch, Editor-In-Chief of DROOL and Founder & CEO of BIXBI. “DROOL was born out of the desire to provide free access to these types of interesting narratives that have been previously undocumented in the world of pets. Our editorial isn’t about tips and tricks for dogs – we’re going direct to the core of dogs’ lives, and telling the most intriguing stories about pups and dog lovers.”
Alongside the curated editorials and bold visuals, DROOL features unique, canine-focused artwork throughout the issue that highlights a variety of styles from independent artists nationwide. Photography from Keith Ladzinski, contributor to National Geographic and world renowned photographer, is additionally included to bring light to the playful, unseen moments of the canine existence.
Ella And Her Pets
My 10-year-old daughter with SMA, Ella, loves animals, so much so that she has a computer game simulating the adoption, trading, and buying of animals with others. She and her friends play that game every day.
We have several animals in the house, including two vizsla dogs — Ginny, 3, and Radcliffe, 7 months. While their breed originally was a Hungarian hunting dog, we don’t hunt with them. They are smart, loyal to their owners, and affectionate.
Every morning, I get Ella, who has SMA, dressed in her room. When she’s ready, I carry her downstairs. Both Ginny and Radcliffe wait patiently for her to arrive at the bottom of the stairs. I take Ella to the living room and place her in the wheelchair.
The dogs follow us and wait until I strap Ella in. Once she’s strapped in, the dogs approach her with their tails wagging and bodies excitedly moving. Radcliffe, a puppy, jumps on Ella’s lap and gives her morning kisses. Ella squeals in delight.
Ella turns her chair toward the dogs and lifts her arm commanding them to sit. She commands Radcliffe to give her his paw, and he obliges. Praises and kisses are given.
Ella has told us she would like a service dog at some point in her life. While we know it takes a few years to train these dogs, we believe Ella would benefit from having one. She loves animals, is good with them, and they seem to understand her disability. Maybe someday we will take the plunge and look into this option for Ella’s care.
Each day that goes by, Ella becomes closer and closer to our animals. She delights in their affection and has a command over them. We’re fortunate to have found a breed that is so endearing to our family, and we look forward to many years of the unconditional love that they offer.
Purina Dog Chow
The month of September is National Service Dog Awareness Month and fittingly Purina Dog Chow has teamed up with radio and television personality, as well as, avid military supporter Bobby Bones to launch the third annual Service Dog Salute campaign. This will mark Bobby Bones’ second-year joining forces with Purina Dog Chow to support this amazing campaign.
A service dog can be life-changing in helping veterans with PTSD and other post-combat challenges. Unfortunately, due to the cost and time, it takes to train a service dog, less than 1% of veterans in need can obtain one. Dog Chow is on a mission to help change that. The Service Dog Salute campaign supports the care and training of more service dogs for America’s military veterans — so that every hero in need can find a canine hero of their own.
Psychiatric service dogs are not the same as emotional support, therapy, or companion dogs. Like service dogs for the blind, deaf, and physically disabled, psychiatric service dogs for veterans must be specifically trained to help their handlers perform tasks they cannot otherwise perform on their own. The training process can take from one to two-and-a-half years to learn to perform tasks such as:
Placing body weight on the veteran to promote a sense of calm during panic attacks
Waking the veteran from upsetting dreams or night terrors
Reminding the veteran to take medications
Alerting the veteran when someone is approaching from behind
Patrolling the perimeter of a room for triggers and threats
Over the next year, Dog Chow will follow the journey of several service dogs in training that are currently preparing to serve a veteran in need.
We had a chance to catch up with Bobby Bones and he opened up to us about how he became involved with Purina Dog Chow and the Service Dog Salute campaign, what it means to him, the importance of service animals, his upcoming projects in the works and more!
I think it is absolutely wonderful, what you are doing, pairing up with Purina Dog Chow for the Service Dog Salute campaign! Can you tell us more about how you became involved with this wonderful cause?
It is such a wonderful cause and on my show, even before I started working with Purina, what we were doing was getting service dogs for Vets because it is a thing and Purina was doing the same thing just on a bigger level. So we were both doing it and running parallel to one another and then they had the idea of why don’t we just combine our strengths and that’s kind of how we ended up in this spot. We had like-minded ideas, so yeah, I’m really excited, mostly because having raised a bunch of money for Vets and dogs …they are super expensive… like $20,000 to get it trained and ready to go into acting as a service dog, so when I found out the amount of good they were doing it was hard for me to not jump in so I did!
What are some ways that people can be involved with the campaign? Would you recommend donations or talking to their local and state government representatives?
It’s great that you bring that up! Actually, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act was passed by the House and they are waiting on Senate approval and the easiest way to get involved, for those, like myself, who may not want to write their own letter …I want someone smart to write it for me … but if you go to DogChow.com the letter is already written and it goes right to your own people. That’s a big part of what we’re doing …one, raising the money to get these dogs trained up and two, raising awareness so we can get this bill passed. In the end, we just want to make as many Vets feel as comfortable as they possibly can and these dogs are a solution to that!
Absolutely! I don’t think people always understand the differences between various types of service animals as they mostly think of seeing-eye dogs but don’t often think about PTSD or other types of mental illness that our troops are coming home with!
This is my second year working with them, so at this point, we are so on the same team and last year I was getting to hang out with some of the guys and one of the guys had his dog with him and he was protecting Presidents at Camp David, so he was doing security for Presidents and he’s seen a bunch of stuff and he suffered from panic attacks while he slept and his dog took control of him while he slept, meaning he would jump up on the bed and lay on his chest …he was so trained …and his kids were with him and said our dad is a completely different person because he has this dog. In the end, these guys are the ones fighting for our country, our rights, our liberty, and we should be taking care of them, so that’s why I love working with Purina Dog Chow cause they do! They don’t just say it, as I make sure to partner with folks who don’t just say it, they just do it! It’s really cool and I’m really honored.
