Service dogs have been very common all throughout the United States. BHS senior Dhru Flory has had “Duke” his service dog for a few years now. He loves Duke and what he does with him and for him.

“I have had Duke for two years,” Flory said. “I like playing fetch with Duke, it is very fun.”

Duke had to go through a lot of training to be able to be a service dog and a companion.

“Duke came from the state of Washington and he went to training for a year and a half,” Flory said.

Service dogs have many responsibilities, they have to train for what type of service they are going to be for, there are many different service dogs such as emotional companion dogs, guide dogs, etc.

Even though Duke has had a lot of training and Flory has only had him for a few years, Flory and Duke have had some good memories together.

“My favorite memory with Duke was playing fetch with him,” Flory said, “I love throwing the ball and Duke going to get the ball and bring it back.”

Aaron Nickelson, Flory’s teacher, has taught and helped Dhru around BHS and with his school work. Nickelson has also helped Duke with his job as well.

“Dhru is a very good student,” Nickelson said. “Duke helps Dhru with directions and with his emotional support.”

What Flory loves most about Duke is how loving and caring he is, and how much he helps him with any of his problems.

“All of the responsibilities he has he takes care of,” Flory said. “He is very loving and fun to play with, and he is very responsible for taking care of me.”