For this publication’s regular feature of the Critter Corner, technology support specialist and theatre backstage guru Mr. Jonathan Hardy talks about his bond with his dog, Tiny. One of Tiny’s special feats is his musical presence at Strath Haven. Tiny has been involved in the past three musicals.

Q. What’s your pet’s name?

A. His name is Tiny.

Q. How old is Tiny?

A. I think he’s six. He’s my girlfriend’s dog, but when we moved in, I’ve been watching him for the past five years.

Q. What breed is Tiny?

A. All I know is Chihuahua, but I think there was a dog show recently, and apparently, he’s a different breed of Chihuahua… if I had to enter him into a show, they’d have to evaluate him and put him on a different list.

Q. How has Tiny been able to maintain his involvement in the musical program?

A. He’s a chill dog, which is why he can interact with the students here. He’s the official “unofficial mascot” of tech crew. I typically bring him to the set builds over the weekends, so that’s where he’s seen a lot.

Q. How is the bond between the two of you?

A. He does whatever he wants but he’s annoying, in a good way! I can’t have anything to myself. I’ll go home, sit on the couch, and maybe play some video games. If I get up, he takes my seat. If I’m sleeping in bed, he will whine even though he can get up on the bed himself. The longest I haven’t touched him would be fifteen minutes, for him to get up on the bed, and he will whine for fifteen minutes straight, and it’ll start to mess with my brain.

Q. What’s something special you and Tiny do together?

A. We just go for walks. He gets an attitude sometimes on his walks. He likes to dictate where we go, so he’ll pull and go the other way. Sometimes he hates the rain, so when it was raining and snowing two to three weeks ago, he’d take a sniff when I opened the door and get mad bougie.

Q. What do you love most about Tiny?

A. We’re both two peas in a pod. Except for maybe his pea squishes my pea to the other side of the pod.