Best friends: Dominic and Rocket. Photo contributed
“My name is Dominic and I am 10 years old. The picture attached is of one of the happiest days of my life, when we adopted my maltipoo puppy who I named Rocket. This is the day I became a proud dog owner. I would see dogs playing and walking with their owners and would always think about how much fun it would be to have a dog as your best friend/pet. I had no idea that along with this bundle of cuteness also came a tremendous responsibility where I would have to teach my puppy everything. I did not realize that my new best friend needed to be trained. Puppies are like children and you have to teach them respect, manners, rules of the house and how to act around strangers and when visiting places. I take classes with my puppy so I can teach him to be well-behaved. Rocket does best with a consistent routine and lots of practice. I was so happy the day Rocket passed the test and he achieved the status of a Good Canine Citizen. I feel I earned the title as much as he did as I am the one learning how to teach Rocket so he can do his job. Rocket and I will continue our classes together so he can become a service dog and not only help me but, help others too.”