By Jennifer Reed
At The Drake Center, it’s no surprise our families are a bit…furry. From dogs and cats to horses, chickens and an emu, we’d like you to meet the loves of our lives—our pets.
Proud pet parent: Machal, kennel assistant
Hugh (a.k.a. Dodo Bird), cockapoo
If you had to choose, would you say you are a cat person or a dog person? Why?
I am definitely a dog person. I like that you can take dogs out on walks, to dog beach and on hiking trips. I also like that dogs are always by your side. If I’m sad, my dog is there cuddling me and licking my face. If I’m happy, my dog is running around the house with me. That is not something I could say about an ordinary cat.
How did you get your pet? Why did you choose that particular breed?
Dodo is from a breeder in Ohio (he hates hot weather after growing up there!). I chose to get a cockapoo because one of my best friends from high school had one and I fell in love with the dog’s personality and appearance.
What is special about your pet?
He is very smart, curious and athletic. He also loves the water, which I find to be a very unique trait for an 18-pound dog. We take him to Lake Havasu, Arizona, and if I get in the water, he will come swimming after me. He also gets in the water when we take him to dog beach.
If he could have anything to eat in the world, it would be an avocado. When he was really young, my husband and I placed a basket of avocados on top of the refrigerator so he couldn’t get to them. We came home one day and all that was left of the avocados were the peels and the pits. Dodo had jumped on the counter and up to the top of the fridge! Needless to say, we don’t leave our avocados out anymore.
His intelligence is so special because it makes him different. He is very in tune with my emotions. My husband is in the military and every time he leaves, Dodo will sleep curled up next to me for as long as he is gone. As soon as my husband comes back, Dodo has no problem sleeping back in his bed on the floor.
What is the cutest thing about your pet, physically?
His ears, his dodo bird hair, his almond shaped eyes and his snout!
What do you let your pets get away with that you probably shouldn't?
A lot! He is allowed on the furniture and sleeps in my bed when my husband is gone.
I have gotten better at not feeding him from the dinner table. It became a problem because he is so vocal about it. Whenever I had guests over, he would sit and stare at me and if I didn’t give him food, he would make a noise like he was throwing a tantrum. Now, he isn’t allowed anywhere near the table at dinner time.
When Dodo wants to play and I’m not in the mood, he will grab something he knows he is not supposed to have and run. I still haven’t figured out how to fix that problem because he runs so fast that I can’t catch him!
What is your favorite memory or story about your pets?
My favorite memory about my dog repeats itself every day. I leave for either work or school around 7 a.m. and every time I come home, he gets so excited and grabs his tennis ball and sprints around the house.
If I say “Hi, Dodo Bird!” in a really high-pitched voice, he’ll stand on his back legs and swing his front arms like he is dancing. Once I sit down on the couch, he will lick my face for as long as I will let him. He can change a very bad day into a very happy day in moments, and the fact that he does that every single time I come home is something that I am very thankful for.
What do your pets bring to the dynamic of your family?
He teaches us many lessons. Sometimes when I let him outside and he doesn’t immediately come back, I find him in the backyard just laying out and staring at the sun. It reminds me to enjoy the little things in life, like sunshine and fresh air. If we punish him, he is backing licking us within five minutes and that teaches us not only forgiveness, but also unconditional love.
He has brought so much happiness to our family and he has only been with us for a year and a half. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in the many, many years to come.