Helio Castroneves with his Beagle “Tuggy”
Named by his son because the dog enjoyed playing Tug of War . Sent to “Doggie Day Care” because, according to Helio, “He needed discipline.”
Liberated from indycar.com
Saturday, March 4, 2006
By Dave Lewandowski
indycar.com
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Helio Castroneves dutifully walks to the bus stop every weekday morning and late afternoon to drop off and pick up Tuggy. That’s his 18-month-old beagle.
Yes, Tuggy is not your typical latch-key canine. He attends school because “Tuggy needs some discipline,” the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion said.
Totally Dog will take care of those issues, but the training and day camp on the outskirts of Miami is more Club Med than boot camp. Canine campers have options from taking a plunge in the pool (in the shape, of course, of a Milk-Bone dog biscuit), digging in beach sand, agility course obstacles, sun bathing on the deck, or playing with toys. There’s also afternoon naptime.
“It’s like a big playground,” said Castroneves, a Coral Gables, Fla., resident who discovered the service on the Internet. “There is the pool and a lot of obstacles, which is pretty cool. They have about 20 to 25 dogs, with the minimum weight of 25 pounds. That’s the weight of my dog, so he’s in there with others who weigh about 100 pounds. He’s a tough dude.”
The camp’s founder, Elena Lopez de Mesa, is a professional dog trainer and certified canine behavior specialist. The staff sees to it that Tuggy and the other campers get their exercise. In Tuggy’s case, trainers also work on developing obedience.
“It’s fun. He gets to waste a lot of energy,” Castroneves said. “He’s a dog who likes to run, and I run with him, but not enough I guess. I don’t have a kid, but it feels like it because 7:30 in the morning I have to take him to the bus stop and 5:30 in the afternoon I have to come back and pick him up.
“It’s another thing to have your mind free and at the same time you’re doing something good for the animal.”
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