Two years ago, it was finally time for Allie DeRocco and Craig Hollish to get a dog.
“I moved to Philly eight years ago, and I always had wanted a dog,” Allie said. “I traveled so much for work my first five years of work. Things had calmed. I was like, it’s time! I was the only person I knew without a dog.”
She and her husband, Craig, met through their work as engineers for the United States Navy seven years ago. When they found themselves in a good position to get a dog, Craig found Belle, a lab mix, through a New York City rescue called Muddy Paws. “We had to go through their screening process and we met her at an adoption event,” Allie shared. “It’s actually funny – she had a sister. We were watching them play and we picked her because we thought she was calmer than her sister, but it turns out she’s full of energy, so we did not get the calmer of the two.”
They started training with Philly Unleashed when Belle was three months old. “When we had gotten her, she didn’t have all of her vaccinations, so it was hard to burn energy because we couldn’t take her places,” Allie explained.
Belle started in Puppy Club, then completed Puppy Kindergarten. She also started spending time at Farm Camp, and staff suggested that Belle train for her therapy dog certification. “When we thought she was ready, we enrolled her,” explained Allie.
Now two years old, Belle passed the Canine Good Citizen and Comfort Caring Canines therapy test on March 24. She will continue her work as a volunteer and can be often seen on Instagram having fun at Farm Camp. “We travel a lot for work all over the world, and we’re overseas a lot,” Allie explained. “We are gone frequently, and that’s why it’s nice to have her super well trained. My parents don’t mind now that she’s super well trained to have her over. It’s kinda nice.”
As much as she knows, training is still a constant process. “We definitely do a lot of work with her at home,” Allie said. “We’re slightly neurotic when we get her back from Farm Camp. We try to keep up her good habits.”
It helps that they live near the art museum in Philadelphia, in a neighborhood that promotes community and dogs. “People have lived there for so long,” Allie explained. “Everyone there is so passionate about dogs. We’ve been trying to get a dog park. People who have all this passion. They really really care.”
Belle has been the core of facilitating those new friendships. “I can’t even express how many ways she’s changed my life,” Allie said. “Getting out, even meeting people out and about. Unless you know the people, you don’t have a reason to talk to them. I’ve met so many of my neighbors just having her and walking around. The hot news of who knows what’s going on. You talk to the people who’ve been around forever.”
Even outside of their neighborhood, Belle’s manners shine in Philadelphia. “They allow dogs kind of everywhere, so we do city stuff together,” shared Allie. “We bring her with us when we go out to eat and do anything downtown. I’m actually shocked how many places let dogs into the restaurants because we do that quite frequently.”
Of course, Belle has other wonderful qualities as well. “She’s really smart. She definitely picks up things quickly. While she does have a lot of energy, she is a cuddly dog. She’s very affectionate and always wants to be around you. Just a really sweet disposition. If she’s standing next to you she’s between your legs. If you’re sitting down, she’s almost on top of you. She’s an energetic dog, but also a lap dog cuddler too.”
Allie and Craig also make sure that training is fun for all three of them and incorporate games as much as possible. “We’re trying to master her putting away her toys,” Allie shared. “She has a thousand toys and this little basket. She’s really good at taking them out and leaving them everywhere, so we trying to work on her putting them away.”
Allie encourages other dog owners to start training as soon as possible. “Make sure you start early with training,” Allie advised. “The earlier you start, the easier it can be. Also, consistency is key! Being consistent with your commands and actions ensures you and your pup will have a good relationship.”
