Sporty The Golden Retriever rules Chicago, for the right reasons
Us dog owners, we don't need alarm clocks. Our dogs double up as that. They break our morning sleep prodding us to take them for a walk. They should now learn something from this 10-year-old golden retriever, who strolls on the streets of Chicago like he owns them. What's more interesting is that he's never on leash; rather, he carries it in his mouth!
Sporty rules Chicago, for the right reasons
"He walks right in the middle of a crowd"
Sporty, the insanely intelligent pooch, and his human-dad David Duncan go out for walks regularly around River North and the Loop. Office-goers and regular commuters are familiar with the duo. "He walks right in the middle of a crowd to get attention," he laughingly shares. Sporty follows a 'three-second' rule: if you don't pet him for at least three seconds, he would get fidgety.
Sporty judges you on the basis of your pats
Sporty judges people on the basis of how much they pet him, David said. He commands quite a following. He stops when people pet him, and he can go undirected to Montauk Sofa, a store where he knows he'll get treats from the manager. "He thinks he's a person. He sniffs dogs but struts on by showing off. Exceptions? Female golden retrievers," David shared.
Sporty also navigates through the city expertly
Sporty deftly navigates through the city. "He stops at the edge of a road. He wouldn't walk more than 20-30ft without making sure I'm nearby," said the 35-year-old options trader, who grabs Sporty's leash when he spots a child or another dog that looks antsy or people who're nervous in his presence. But Sporty gets better "once we put leash in his mouth."
Sporty even has his own social media accounts!
Recalling the moment when he first saw Sporty, David narrates, "Two breeders had seven golden retrievers with them. Sporty being the oldest wasn't getting along with the two youngest puppies." They gave him a photo, and "I fell in love with him." Their journey started. David also has created Sporty's Reddit, Instagram and YouTube accounts. "The world could benefit from more Sportys in it."
