His name is Natty and he has a job to do. The Washington Nationals’ new team dog, who made his first public appearance at the team’s ballpark on Thursday, means business. Furry, furry business.
The two-month-old golden retriever and Labrador mix is set to be a feature at many Nationals games over the next 18 months as he prepares for life as a service dog, thanks to a partnership between the MLB franchise and the Canine Companions charity.
“Natty isn’t just something for us to smile at and say, ‘Oh my gosh. He’s so cute,’” said Valerie Todryk Krebs, the Nationals’ vice president of communications. “To help be part of his training and his journey of being a service dog is really rewarding. It’s another way for us to connect with our community and give back.”
It can cost upwards of $50,000 to train and raise a service dog. Canine Companions provides them to people in need free of charge.
“He’s going to provide daily living tasks for people with disabilities,” Debra Dougherty, Canine Companions’ senior major gifts office, said Thursday. “We’ve served people with 65 different disabilities, and we have very different placement categories. We place dogs with children, veterans, adults.”
Natty’s exact role will be determined in the future, based on where he excels during his training.
For now, he’s learning how to be a dog in a unique environment.
The pup will spend plenty of time at Nationals Park, spreading awareness about Canine Companions and becoming equipped to deal with loud, busy areas for his future job.
But in the clubhouse, he’ll be responsible for boosting morale. The Nationals players, who ended a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, are eager to meet their new teammate.
“I heard chatter in the clubhouse, ‘When do we get to meet the dog?’” said Todryk Krebs. “A lot of the guys have dogs that they don’t get to see because they’re always traveling. So, Natty is going to be a great addition to the clubhouse.”
His two volunteer puppy raisers, Jackie Cheshire and Laura Toelle, will be with him every step of the way. They’ll be responsible for teaching Natty 35 cues and socializing him. He’s still learning how to be a dog.
On Thursday, Natty urinated on the warning track, crashed into photographers and took a nap during interviews. He’s a work in progress.
“This is a huge opportunity for Natty with regards to his socializing,” Cheshire said. “We’ll get to meet all different kinds of people, all different ages and races and abilities and disabilities. Baseball’s a wonderful place where everyone comes together.”
Having an adorable dog to fawn over only helps the unity.
“It’s not unusual for us to have [the service dogs in training] in a stadium, in an airport, in a store. But it’s extra special here because he will be the team dog,” Toelle said. “He’ll be kind of a big deal here.”
Natty is set to interact with Washington fans on Friday for the first time, as the Nationals welcome the Orioles for a three-game series.
He won’t be at every home game, but officials from the Nationals and Canine Companions said fans should get used to seeing the youngster grow up.
The dog might even be the Nationals’ good luck charm.
“When Natty was here for his first photo shoot on May 5, [catcher] Drew Millas did have the chance to meet him,” Todryk Krebs said. “Drew Millas did have his first home run of the year on May 6. It might be a coincidence. It might not be.”
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