One of the hardest things about coming to college can be leaving your beloved pet behind. However, it’s a little easier when there are all sorts of dogs to experience right here on campus. With all the grassy areas, the UA Mall is a great place for a dog to run and play, and for college students to pet someone else’s pet.
David Shahnooshi, a first-year pharmacy student, and his dog, Finnegan, were spotted at the UA Main Campus Farmers’ Market on Wednesday.
Finnegan is a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who loves the snow. Over winter break, Shahnooshi took Finnegan to his hometown in Colorado. Finnegan had a great time.
“He’s really personable,” Shahnooshi said. “He likes just being with people—he wants to be part of the pack.” His favorite toy is called a Wubba, but he also enjoys cardboard boxes from Costco.
Shahnooshi said his dog is “really calm, and everyone likes him,” and this seems to be true. During our interview, several people came over and asked to pet Finnegan, who seemed very happy with all the attention.
Finnegan and his owner can sometimes be found near Banner–Health University Medical Center Tucson. The spaniel is even dressed up sometimes.
“He’s got a bunch of bow ties,” Shahnooshi said.
If one dog isn’t good enough for you, how about two? Ellie and Jak are purebred miniature Australian shepherds that love walking around campus. Their owners, Dave and Andrea Fischer, bring them to the UA to have fun and get some exercise.
These dogs are well trained and obey commands like “sit” and “stay.”
The UA campus is a great place for Ellie to practice agility training. She has herded sheep and even participated in a Treibball competition.
According to the American Treibball Association’s website, Treibball is a “competitive sport for dogs of all ages and sizes” and it “promotes better teamwork and communication between a dog and his handler.”
The sport involves the dog herding eight large balls into a goal of some kind, generally a soccer goal, within a certain amount of time. The handler directs the dog to specific balls and the dog pushes them into the goal with its head. The website says, “the game stops when all eight balls are in the net/goal and the dog lies down in front of the goal, just like penning sheep.”
Ellie also enjoys playing with tennis balls.
Jak “doesn’t like toys at all,” Fischer said. “He wanders around the house with the toys in his mouth.”
Jak also wears sweaters in the winter to keep warm. He’s losing some of his hair, so it is important that “he stays warm in the winters and out of the sun in the summer,” Fischer said.
Jak, Ellie and their owners can be found “almost every day, usually on the Mall,” according to Dave Fischer.
When asked for any additional comments, Dave Fischer said that his dogs were “the smartest dogs I’ve ever seen.”
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