Posted By Sophie Lange on Nov 8, 2024 | 2 comments

By Sophie Lange, Features Editor

Jasper

Jasper (Photo provided by Caroline Hartzell)

Professor and chair of the political science department Caroline Hartzell’s dog, Jasper, is a poodle and King Charles Cavalier spaniel mix with a few others thrown in. According to Hartzell, they got Jasper nine years ago, a week before her daughter left for college. She described his personality as sweet and friendly. “I like to say that he thinks his job is to be the neighborhood greeter. He’ll go up to people he doesn’t know and wag his tail until they stop to pet him,” Hartzell said.

Jasper is a rescue from Maryland. He was initially brought to Maryland with his two siblings, Brandy and Candy, who were adopted elsewhere. He enjoys walks and stuffed toys with squeakers. Hartzell said that he likes to try to take out the squeakers as quickly as possible. “The doctor who lives across the street from us is very impressed by Jasper’s surgical skills!” She said.

His everyday routine includes getting a treat each morning before his walk, as well as another in the afternoon. According to Hartzell, Jasper will remind her and her family if they are late in giving it to him. When the weather is nice, Jasper also enjoys walks in the evening. Hartzell also mentioned that Jasper has taught her how important treats are.

Eloise

Professor of political science Bruce Larson has a mini dachshund named Eloise. His family got her ten years ago after his daughter, who was 14 years old at the time, learned that someone’s dachshund was having puppies and convinced her parents to adopt one. Larson described Eloise as “off-the-charts sweet and a total kid magnet.” 

Eloise (Photo provided by Bruce Larson)

Larson said, “Eloise is so cute she essentially gets anything she wants.”

When she was a puppy, he said, “She was absolute bonkers,” but she has calmed down over time. However, she still has moments where the puppy in her shines through. Eloise enjoys eating, particularly on Larson’s chair, as well as sleeping, going on walks and spending time in their backyard when the weather is sunny, occasionally chasing rabbits. Larson noted that she absolutely hates the rain and will not go outside when it rains.

Each day, she wakes up to go outside and gets a snack. Then she naps, because according to Larson, “that’s an exhausting morning!” If the weather is nice, she stands by the door to the backyard to go outside and inside from the backyard all throughout the day. “She believes my spouse and I were put on earth to let her inside and outside,” said Larson.

When Eloise was a puppy, she even escaped the house after the door was mistakenly left open. As it was the holiday season, she was wearing a Santa Claus costume and ran through the woods in deep snow. “Deep for her, at least,” Larson noted. He said they could not catch her for a while, but when they finally did, she had managed to lose her Santa outfit. Larson said Eloise has taught him to live in the moment.

Ginger

Professor of environmental studies Monica Ogra has had her dog, Ginger, for eight years after they met when Ginger was a puppy. Ogra says she thinks of Ginger “as a people-person:  sweet, trusting and very attached to her pack (us).” She can be shy around other dogs and is generally mellow. However, she is still very playful for a dog of her age. Ogra said Ginger is also very kind to her family, “especially when we need a friend.”

Ginger (Photo provided by Monica Orga)

Ginger loves swimming in the ocean, exploring creekbeds and tennis balls. She enjoys watching the squirrels in Ogra’s backyard, but she apparently does not chase them. Ginger’s daily routine is as follows: wake up, wake Ogra and spend time with her family even as they come and go throughout the day. Ogra noted that she visits Ginger each day at lunchtime and that she believes Ginger naps a lot during the day. 

Ginger can tell which dogs are passing by in the neighborhood, and she gets very excited when her favorite dogs pass by her home. She also likes the neighbor’s dog a lot but only knows him “‘through the fence’ because she’s actually terrified of him in person,” Ogra said, despite the neighbor’s dog being sweet. Ginger also likes to do yoga with Ogra. “ She’s got a thing for mats, and it’s very wonderful for me to do downward dogs and puppy poses with her right there with me, too,” Ogra said.

Ogra expressed that she has learned a lot from Ginger’s example, especially her patience. She also said Ginger has taught her to be in the moment, “and when all else fails, play fetch. Everyone wins!”

Yarrow

Yarrow (Photo provided by Jack Murphy)

Professor and Chair of the French department Jack Murphy’s dog is Yarrow, a Welsh Pembroke Corgi. He has had Yarrow for around two and a half years, but he and his family met him when he was just three months old. He was originally supposed to be a show dog, but instead, he became a well-loved family pet. According to Murphy, “Yarrow is a gentle yet stubborn corgi who absolutely adores attention. He’s loyal and has a strong opinion on almost everything—especially when it comes to keeping his yard free of bunnies and squirrels! He also has a soft spot for treats and will never pass up the chance to show off his charm for one.”

Yarrow enjoys his everyday routine, particularly walking to the bus stop to see Murphy’s 10-year-old son off to school. He also takes on the role of “household supervisor,” as he wakes Murphy and his family each morning, oversees meals and takes much-needed naps. Yarrow also loves his evening walks, especially when he runs into his friend Weezy. He often spends his days patrolling his backyard, watching the squirrels and rabbits, and greeting his dog friends through the fence. Murphy explained, “It’s his way of keeping everyone in check!”

Yarrow also likes walking the perimeter of the fountain on campus as if it were his own personal runway. However, this past summer, he accidentally fell in after getting too close to the edge. He was so shocked that he did not realize he could stand in the shallow water at first. “It hasn’t stopped him from continuing his catwalk—he’s just a little more cautious now!” Murphy said.

Murphy said that Yarrow has taught him to enjoy the little moments in life, “like a quiet walk or a sunny afternoon in the yard, and to find beauty in the simple things around us.”

Boba

Boba (Photo provided by Sarah Principato

Professor of Environmental Studies Sarah Principato’s dog, Boba, is a lab mix of some kind. She got him six years ago from Crossing Paths Animal Rescue. He was driven all the way from Alabama to Hagerstown, Md., and Principato said she and her family adopted him before meeting him. They met him in the PetSmart parking lot, and he ended up being a perfect fit for her family. 

Principato described Boba as being sweet and friendly. She also said he loves meeting new people and dogs: “Sometimes, he will stop in the middle of his walk, just waiting to say hi to someone or another dog. The problem is that he stops and waits even when the other person doesn’t want to say hi, and it can be hard to get him to move.”

Boba has a pretty standard daily routine: eat, walk, sleep, eat, walk, sleep. He barks at the delivery trucks as they pass by as well. He enjoys taking naps, either at Principato’s feet when she is working from home or in a warm, sunny spot. He loves walking and hiking, particularly when he gets to explore new places, and Dog Days on campus. “It’s his dream come true for so many students to pet him,” Principato said. 

Boba does not like the noise that the air conditioner makes, and whenever it clicks on, he often runs to hide under one of their beds. Principato also mentioned that Boba can be sneaky at times. “He has been known to swipe a waffle off of the counter when no one is looking,” she said.

“We love Boba so much!” Principato said.

Nelly

Nelly (Photo provided by Lindsay Reid)

Professor of political science Lindsay Reid adopted her dog, Nelly, this past August. Nelly is a 14-month-old miniature Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She said that she and her husband saw her on the Adams County SPCA’s website on a Tuesday, and the next morning, they met and adopted her. She described Nelly as energetic, silly and loving (“Usually shown via big hugs and kisses,” Reid noted).

Reid said Nelly loves to go on long walks, play fetch, chew on her human brother’s toys (much to his dismay) and attempt to steal food from the table. Nelly wakes her family every day, without fail, at 5:30 a.m. by jumping on the bed and giving her family kisses.

When asked what Nelly had taught her, Reid said the importance of patience and vigilance: “Our last dog, Rudy, passed away in April at the age of 15 — we’d had him for ten years, and he was such a calm and constant presence for us. Nelly is full of energy and always getting into mischief, which is exciting but an adjustment. We’re learning to adapt to this new stage for our family, and Nelly is teaching us to be patient… and vigilant!”

This article originally appeared on page 14 and 15 of the No. 2 October 2024 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.