Featured photo: David Frei with True Dat (seated middle) surrounded by attendees at The National Dog Show Agility Dog/Therapy Dog event on Thursday of show week. Rufus, the Bullmastiff on the left, competed in The National Dog Show and is a member of The National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team.
A laid-back gentleman with a muscular build and a magnetic personality could easily apply to a number of celebrities—Sylvester Stallone and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson come to mind. But in the dog show world, it describes Rufus, a happy male Bullmastiff who was invited to The National Dog Show’s annual photoshoot in Manhattan in September and a cascade of great experiences followed.
In the show ring, Rufus is GCHS T-Boldt’s Read All About It. He currently has 395 out of the 400 champion points he needs for his Grand Champion Gold title, but outside of his work in the show ring, he’s also a Therapy Dog. So, the intersection of The National Dog Show and becoming a member of The National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team was perfect for him. David Frei, the co-host of NBC’s annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast, is a strong advocate of Therapy Dog service, and the exposure to David added to my experience level and perspective on our efforts. David took a personal interest in Rufus, for which I am grateful, and was part of a successful Therapy Dog Ambassador event in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. We will also participate in The National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium at Rowan University in December of this year.
The photo shoot in Manhattan launched our journey with The National Dog Show in September and was much more than we anticipated. Rufus’ handler, Dennis Collins, brought him to the shoot. What we thought would result in a “team photo” included photos and videos with Frei and John O’Hurley (Frei’s co-host of The National Dog Show) as well as a “Rocky” impersonator representing the Sylvester Stallone character. Those special photos are being used to promote the newly-minted Philadelphia tourism program based on the movie and include the Bullmastiff “Butkus” character. Through it all, Rufus was perfectly behaved, meeting new people and letting his star shine under all the lights.
Rufus has also made a particularly close relationship with Wasabi, a female Bullmastiff, and the two of them are RockyFest Ambassadors and members of The National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team.
Dennis Collins showed Rufus at The National Dog Show, but they did not advance to the Group ring. However, the big wins for us were the experiences leading up to the show and interacting with the hundreds of people who wanted to learn about dogs like Rufus. We enjoyed some great moments at the Rockyfest booth, telling the “Butkus” story and getting loads of attention from people that Rufus has never met before. The Therapy Dog Ambassador Team booth was also special as we had a chance to watch several other team members work with the people who dropped by.
Rufus has a magnetic personality and people wanted to touch him, ask questions, and take pictures. One of the benefits of a benched show like the National Dog Show is all the people you meet. Out of the crowd, one brave little girl wanted to say goodbye with a kiss and leaned in to Rufus’ face. Rufus gently touched her nose with his, to her delight. Rufus found a way to bend the “no kisses rule” and made her day. Somehow, he knew to be just as gentle with all the disabled people who stopped by to say hello.
The momentum that began with the photoshoot will continue. The intense show crowd experiences have made Rufus a better Therapy Dog. He mastered challenges I never considered. He walks twice a day at a friend’s farm, but somehow cities, elevators, and lots of close interactions with new people were taken in stride. Rufus is a champion, great companion, and an ambassador for the breed. Recent experiences that began with a photoshoot have brought us closer together and
energized him.
The Simon Bruty/National Dog Show photos are beautiful. Rufus had four photos in The National Dog Show program book, including an appearance on the cover and a solo headshot. The staff who worked to promote the show are awesome professionals with great follow-up skills. As a Bullmastiff, Rufus already has a big head. It does not seem that the extra attention has spoiled him in any way.
