When Brandon Gross started his freshman year at The Ohio State University, he had a guaranteed conversation starter named Snoopy trotting along beside him.
“You're kind of like I don’t know this place. I'm going to stay to my corner, you guys stay to yours. I’ll go to class but I’m not going to talk to anybody in the class and then Snoopy kind of forced me to talk to people who were like ‘Hey, your dog is cute.’”
Snoopy is the latest in a series of young dogs Brandon and his family have fostered while they grow to the point they can begin service dog training or find their forever homes if service training doesn’t fit their personalities.
“I’m the dog’s kindergarten teacher and then the dog jumps straight from kindergarten to college,” Brandon said. “They go from learning the basic ABCs to learning how to smell drugs, to learning how to specialize in their fields.”
Brandon’s first foster met the criteria for a service dog with a strong work ethic and just the right amount of energy. He was such a good student that he went on to become both a test-anxiety dog and a drug detector at a high school. His second foster, Sadie, starts service-dog training this month.
The role of the foster family is to give the puppies a strong start with plenty of socialization and exposure to a variety of situations. Like many youngsters, the puppies learn by doing. Where Brandon goes, the puppies go, too, whether it is the grocery, the zoo or The Ohio State University at Lima.
“It’s kind of cool. It's a fun experience to be able to take them out to anywhere honestly, I’ve taken them to restaurants, stores, college, high school,” Brandon said.
While most people light up when they notice the dogs, Brandon is careful to respect any fears or discomfort people may have. Before Snoopy got to come to class, Brandon talked to his professors and took the temperature of his classmates.
“It’s been a good experience so far, especially bringing Snoopy to campus here. It’s different than a high school,” Brandon said. “Here I have a class on third floor Galvin, second floor Galvin, first floor Science, third floor Science and I took her into the Webb. Then there’s the outside and the elevators.”
Snoopy moved to her new home over the holiday break so spring semester is dog-free for Brandon until his own service dog-in-training is ready to rejoin the family. He is taking a moment to focus on being a college student, but he has seen the power dogs have to help people and is looking forward to spreading that kind of calm and happiness.
“I would absolutely love to do that if I get Sadie trained. I would absolutely love to bring her in and say ‘Hey, everybody, come on in and pet her,’” Brandon said. “I would love for her to be helpful to as many people as she can be. I don’t want to take her just for myself.”
