D-O-G (pronounced dee-oh-jee) the Cat is helping a St. Louis dog training group get their canines in order by offering a little lesson on what it’s like to be around a feline.
The Associated Press reports that Support Dogs, Inc. took in D-O-G over the summer and put him to work. Their dogs are trained to help humans who may already have a much less helpful animal in residence. Assistance dogs need to be comfortable around other critters, even critters that steal their toys, eat their food, and bite them in the butt. D-O-G is willing to do all these things for “practice” and so is considered something of a dog trainer himself.
This video is worth every second of your time:
Support Dogs president and CEO Anne Klein wants D-O-G to get credit for his “fearless” personality. I would also like to note his expression of perpetual surprise and an enthusiasm for shoe-stealing games.
D-O-G doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. He certainly doesn’t understand the important role he is playing in the lives of the dogs in his world, nor the ripple effect he will have on quality of live for humans with hearing or mobility issues. D-O-G is just being his asshole cat self, and it’s helping. We should all be so lucky to contribute to society as effortlessly as D-O-G, while also getting to play with dogs. Just be yourself, and maybe the right gig will come along.