One of USC’s professors was recently on television, but it was not for a scientific discovery or for the release of a new book. USC’s wellness dog, Professor Beauregard Tirebiter, was shown on National Geographic Wild in the premiere episode of Dog Nation: City of Angels on Friday.
Professor Beau, as students call him, could be the only of his kind at any American university, according to USC News.
According to USC News, therapy dogs help students mitigate stress and create a sense of community at USC. The University made Beau a permanent part of the faculty last fall after receiving a positive reception from students about visiting therapy dogs.
When Beau first started his role as a professor at USC, he held office hours in the student wellness lounge of the Engemann Student Health Center. However, now Beau holds out-of-office hours Monday through Thursday. During these hours, Beau is found at different locations on campus, where students can pet and play with him.
Before being featured on Dog Nation, Beau appeared during a primetime section in the “Top 10 Plays” of ESPN’s SportsCenter and during the daytime news on ABC7. Host Cesar Millan’s show, Dog Nation, is about helping organizations across the United States by transforming dogs’ behavior. Millan’s son Andre Millan visited USC, where Amanda Vanni, a health promotions specialist and Beau’s caretaker at USC introduced him to Beau.
Beau’s popularity has increased even more with his appearance on Dog Nation. Jereme Barnett-Woods, a graduate student majoring in electrical engineering, watched the premiere of Dog Nation and was ecstatic to see Beau on it.
“I think [he] is a great addition to the campus,” Barnett-Woods said. “More schools should look into training a therapy dog as a full-time resource to the academic stresses of being a student.”
Harini Reddy Mali, a graduate student majoring in computer science, was thrilled when she heard about Beau’s feature on Dog Nation and is interested in visiting Beau so that she can enjoy a moment of relaxation during her hectic schedule. According to Mali, Beau’s appearance on the show will encourage other schools to have therapy dogs to help students tackle academic pressure.
“It was such a different idea of having a professor who is a dog to help students feel stress-free,” Mali said. “I am definitely going to visit him during his office hours because I love dogs, and I would love to spend some time with Beau. It will truly help me feel relaxed and less stressed about school.”
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