First Dog Basic training in dog selection for college grads

Story: Kim Marino
Photos: Emily Rasinski

Adam Smith calls his fiancée for the third time today.

John Monte, an obedience instructor at the Youngstown All-Breed Training Club, speaks with his assistant while his class warms up around him. {larger}

“Hey, Panda Bear, what do you think of Archie?”

“Archie?” Andrea Marino says. “Like Archie Bunker Archie?”

“Well, no... just Archie.” Smith says. “It’s Scottish.”

“That’s nice, but I don’t think so,” Marino says.

In the morning he called and blurted out Bella. In the afternoon he tried Connor.

“I think we’ve settled on Augie, Augustus officially, but Augie for short, but he still keeps trying other Scottish names,” Marino says.

Smith got his degree in December 2002, loves his job in Georgia as a production stage manager for a theater, plans to marry in May and can’t wait for the pitter-patter of puppy paws around the half-a-house apartment. Marino loves dogs, too, but tries to temper Smith’s enthusiasm with reality discussions about the responsibilities that go with adopting a dog.

Lots of recent grads get a similar urge to test drive their parenting skills on a puppy or a dog, but how do they know which dog to choose—or if they are really ready for a dog?

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