Best in Show

Meet seven canine companions that bring new meaning to the term 'teacher's pet.'

DOG DAYS OCCUR YEAR 'ROUND ON THE DARTMOUTH CAMPUS, which offers room to romp and plenty of students eager to play.

Lest anyone think Dartmouth's dogs are valued for their good looks alone, we asked several College dog owners to tell us what makes their pooches special. Because we know faculty members can always be relied upon for the truth, we chose to believe what they told us and in the process learned not only about the dogs but also about their masters.

Lenore Grenoble, associate dean of the faculty of humanities and professor of Russian and linguistics & cognitive sciences, says she turns to her collie, Zeno, to relieve stress. "Being a dean is tough work and I get beaten up a lot," she says. Could it be mere coincidence the trick she most enjoys doing with her dog involves shooting a fake gun?

While many faculty members say they enjoy having their dogs for company while working and rely on them to entertain students during office hours, Dan Rockmore, professor of mathematics and computer science, draws the line at the classroom door. "Rule No. 1 of teaching is to never bring anything more interesting than your own lecture," he says.

To an owner, those whose dogs appear here are rightfully proud of their pets, and if those pets could talk we feel certain theyd say how happy they are to be in Hanover rather than a place like Cambridge or New Haven.

Tosca

BREED: Weimaraner

OWNER: Linda Fowler, professor of government, director of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center and the Frank J. Reagan '09 Chair in Policy Studies

WHYTOSCA IS POPULAR: She has a sweet temperament; she displays power and grace while running in the woods. Whether or not she'll ever run for office has yet to be determined.

BEST TRICK: She doesn't do any. HOW SMART IS SHE? She doesn't do tricks—perhaps because she's heard about Richard Nixon.

WHY SHE COMES TO CAMPUS: To keep Fowler company when she's writing; to greet students during office hours.

Digger

BREED: Golden retriever

OWNER: Dan Rockmore, professor of mathematics and computer science

WHY DIGGER DESERVES A BONE: He's the most famous dog in all of mathematics, thanks to appearing in two math papers, a film and a TV show.

BEST TRICK: Counting, although he also sings (in the key of E).

HOW SMART IS HE? After being sprayed by a skunk, he returned home and walked straight into the shower.

WHY HE COMES TO CAMPUS: He lends an air of calm and joy to Rockmore's office.

Zeno

BREED: Collie

OWNER: Lenore Grehoble, associate dean of the faculty for the humanities; professor, department of Russian and linguistics & cognitive sciences

WHY ZENO IS ZENO: He is named in part for the work of Grenoble's husband, physics professor Jay Lawrence, who wrote a paper with the winning title "Nonexponential Decay at Late Times and a Different Zeno Paradox."

BEST TRICK: He rolls over and plays dead after someone points a finger at him and says "bang."

HOW SMART IS HE? When Grenoble went to him for comfort after inadvertently deleting the index to her latest book, he bit her.

WHY HE COMES TO CAMPUS: He loves to run around the campus, Occom Pond and the golf course. The students pet him. He loves the Bema and barking at the Robert Frost statue.

Floyd

BREED: Welsh corgi

OWNER: Barbara Will, associate professor of English

WHY FLOYD IS TOPS: He climbed Mount Cardigan with Will to see the sun rise on New Years Day 2000.

BEST TRICK: Opening doors with his muzzle.

HOW SMART IS HE? He's simply the smartest dog in the world.

WHY HE COMES TO CAMPUS: The students love him and he loves them.

Joe

BREED: Labrador retriever

OWNER: Gerald Auten, lecturer in studio art

HOW JOE EARNS HIS TREATS: He's dignified, urbane and sober as a judge.

BEST TRICK: When riding in a car, he stays as still as a statue, even on curves.

HOW SMART IS HE? He has climbed the stairs of Bartlett Tower; he likes to hike the Sachem Village trails with his girlfriend, Bekka.

WHY HE COMES TO CAMPUS: He likes to hang out with the other faculty and student dogs at the sculpture studio- especially with his brother, Gus.

Shannon

BREED: Standard poodle

OWNERS: John Watanabe, professor of anthropology, and Deborah Nichols, the William J. Bryant Professor of Anthropology

WHY SHANNON GETS PETTED: She befriends students who miss their dogs back home. She catches mice in the basement. She has naturally curly brown hair.

BEST TRICK: She is an ardent squirrel chaser.

HOW SMART IS SHE? She barks loudlywhile chasing squirrels on the lawnbehind President Wrights house earlyin the morning.

WHY SHE COMES TO CAMPUS: Because she is smart.

Obedience 101 Rani, the border collie/ Australian shepherd mix owned by education professor Andrew Garrod, herds cats by putting their heads in her mouth. Her master has yet to try this technique on students.