Leopard Look: Vlad the Dog

Jackson Willard, Staff Writer • January 23, 2018

Vlad shares his thoughts about his experiences as an emotional support dog.

Emotional support trainee dog Vlad has spent eight months preparing for his future with sophomore Lauryn Fuller. Vlad himself shares his experiences in this interview.

At a Glance:

Breed: Plott Hound

Wet or dry dog food: Dry

Indoors or outdoors: Both

Squirrels or rabbits: Rabbits

Favorite chew toy: Balls and KONG Cozie Moose

Looking Deeper:

The Red Ledger: What is your job?

Vlad: My job is to provide emotional support to the humans around me. They have a lot of tough issues to deal with. There are many different jobs for dogs in training like emotional support, service, and therapy dogs.

TRL: How did you become an emotional support dog?

V: I feel my destiny in this life is to be an emotional support dog. I still have training to complete in order to officially be considered an emotional support dog, but I’m on my way.

TRL: What is it like being a trainee dog?

V: It’s hard some days, and I have a hard time staying focused on my job. There’s so many different smells to explore. But I do love people staring at me, all the attention from the humans, and being able to help people. Free belly rubs are also an added bonus.

TRL: Is it difficult being a trainee dog at a high school?

V: I love going to school. I go to classes, the cafeteria (my personal favorite), choir performances, basketball games, pep rallies, and so much more. I get to experience things not many dogs can. Not many of my doggy friends can say they graduated high school.

TRL: What does your training consist of?

V: My training consists of taking classes to better enhance my manners and walking around high school with my owner, Lauryn. This helps me learn the criteria needed to be the best emotional support dog I can be.

TRL: How do you maintain your own happiness and health in such a stressful job?

V: I have four other doggy friends at home to play with, so there’s never a dull moment. They help me keep my mind off of all my other very important responsibilities.

TRL: How do you feel about cats?

V: Yes [I like cats], but not all cats. [Some] are very rude and impolite. They obviously need some serious training. Others are really scary, like the Siamese cats from “Lady and the Tramp.”

TRL: Do you like when humans pet you?

V: Yes, I love all the pets and attention. It’s really a big part of my job as an emotional support dog. It’s a really big part of walking around the big building. Pats sometimes hurt more than you would think, but most of them don’t mean any harm.

TRL: Do you have any children?

V: No way–I’m only 2 years old. I’m waiting until I’m 4 and more financially stable. I always say you should wait until you are at least 4 to have pups of your own.

About the Contributors

Jackson Willard, TRL Reporter

Jackson Willard is a 14 year old freshman with a passion for journalism. He is often found in his favorite Von Miller jersey, watching his fantasy football team beat out his opponent, or binging the latest show on Netflix. Jackson stumbled upon his love for journalism in the seventh grade when he and his friend, Abe Bedjaoui, raised their hands for a question they didn’t hear, which they later found out was, “Who would like to be a sports writer for the newspaper instead of a photographer?” This mistake turned into one of the best things to happen to him in his entire school career. He has two siblings, one younger brother and one younger sister, who, despite what they might deny, he loves very much. This is his third year in journalism, and he is excited to see what happens.

Shae Daugherty, Section Editor

It’s Daug·herty, /Dortee/, Daugherty. It’s not that hard. Coaches never get it wrong, and that may have been what drove her to sports photography in the first place. When she isn’t leaving sticky notes all over the newsroom, she’s in the heart of the sideline with a few cameras and a small bag of SD cards. She spends nearly all her time with the Sideline Team, causing trouble or residing in the studio. Her favorite part of football season is the two hours before any game, when the photographers go to dinner, or at least they try to. Shae’s sustained many injuries during her five year run as a sports photographer due to her inability to see players charging at her. Ironically, the Photo Editor is legally blind, and will crack numerous blind jokes, at the disapproval of one Benjamin Nopper. Her goal this year is for The Red Ledger to finally win the Pacemaker, and nothing will stand in her way. Coming in right at 5’10”, she certainly doesn’t need heels, but she wouldn’t be caught dead without them. Let her leave you with this one piece of advice–keep your heels, head and standards high.