UPDATED : University community dog, Cotton, performing the literal watchdog function at the college for a free press
Cotton, our University community dog, switches to “watchdog” mode on Sundays and on holidays (offices are closed) and on late evenings of weekdays when the building is shut down: Anyone who is creeping in or sneaking in alone (or not accompanied by any mass comm person) would be barked at ferociously by Cotton – most of the time, these are cyclists, runners, vendors, and promenaders not accompanied by a mass comm person who want to take a drink at the open and free drinking water fountain located at the Film Institute lobby of the UPCMC Media Center, or who want to use the rest room of the UPCMC buildings; on late evenings of weekdays, these are visitors who say they want to see someone inside the building late at night. (the security staff can be interviewed on this for verification)
Then he switches back to “sociable mode” during office hours : He likes to interact with everyone. In particular, he would sidle up to the following categories of people: 1.people who have food in their bags or are carrying food or milk tea in their hands; or who smell of food; 2.people who own dogs themselves in their house; 3.people who are “nursing a heartbreak” whether they are aware of it or not. He also enjoys the attention of young people and children; he sits in with any group of two, three or more people who are discussing their work and looks like he is listening to them; he doesn’t bark or snarl at anyone on weekdays during office hours EXCEPT at stranger-dogs entering the mass comm grounds, and at the cats (all other dogs except Chess are stranger-dogs to Cotton when they enter the mass comm area). He chases stranger-dogs until they’re outside the mass comm grounds. Then, he comes back immediately if you know how to call him back.
In the first video spontaneously shot early morning two Sundays ago: all sorts of pedigree dogs were parading themselves crossing thru Ylanan road on their way to the academic oval – German shepherd dogs, Italian greyhounds, Siberian huskies, Belgian Malinois, golden retrievers. Cotton and Chess positioned themselves before the gate of the parking lot and continuously barked aloud with their tails up at each pedigree dog passing in front of the mass comm gate on Ylanan. (i don’t know if this is good or bad, i’m just writing what I saw two Sundays ago)
In the video below, we called them back so they won’t get too exhausted. He learned “Cotton, come here” by practice, it was not taught in any formal training — it works if he is wide awake or excited or stimulated; it does not work if he is drowsy, or sleepy, or hibernating, or weakened by the heat: (apologies for the initial few seconds of shaky shot, this was spontaneous, first video below)
The second video was shot three days ago: Cotton gave chase to a look-alike of the dog called Redford White (“Redford White” is a big aspin owned by the construction workers in SURP, he is not vaccinated and not neutered, and is always straying into the parking lot. While Cotton and Chess perform their absolutions in the meadow far away, “Redford White” — if no one is looking — would execute his on the mass comm soil between the sunny flowers planted by Gina and the faucet); Cotton chased away a dog that looked like Redford White — it was all-white with big beige patches on the ears. He gave chase up to the College of Music lawn, then, after “Cotton, come here”, he came back: (this is post-chase, the chase happened so quickly that they had already crossed the street onto the music lawn when the camera phone became accessible)
