Meet the ASL Spokes-animals: Theo Mulvey!

Welcome to the third piece in a series of bios about the Spokesanimals of ASL Solutions!

Theo "Dobby" Mulvey

Theo hanging out by the pool with a beautiful smile.

Theo was adopted by his family five years ago. He and his 10 siblings were found in the woods near Carlinville, IL, and some humans took them to the pound, where they stayed until they were adopted. His humans thought he was a chocolate lab, so named him Theo, since he was found under a tree. Theobroma is the kind of tree that cacao seeds come from, which are widely used in making chocolate. His name is also an allusion to the Theo chocolate factory in Seattle, WA. As he got bigger, his chocolatey color deepened, but it became clear that he was no chocolate lab. Instead, he is a striking mixed-breed dog, likely part pit bull and perhaps part heeler or bird dog. His ears' resemblance to Dobby the house elf's ears (from Harry Potter) landed him his nickname.

Theo as a puppy is just irresistible. He had been placed next to a wallet for size comparison.

His humans were looking for a puppy, because their other dog, Bander (a former spokesdog for ASL), was getting on in years, and they thought a puppy might provide him with a little more vim and vigor.

Theo certainly has the energy to provide anydog with a little more pizazz! He especially loves to pester his neighbor dog, Hank, the Head Spokesdog for ASL Solutions. Theo's the assistant, so he figures that's in his job description. Theo likes to steal water bottles from Hank, and they go back and forth with playful growls and petty thievery. Sometimes he poops in Hanks' humans' driveway just to let Hank know he was thinking of him.

Mom, can I have a sixth hot dog? Please? No?

Theo regularly tests the CRB Palace every single night, and the heater, too. He keeps insisting that he just needs to test it out for another couple of nights, just to be sure. (We're pretty sure he just likes it a lot and doesn't want to go back to an uninsulated house. Don't tell him that his humans bought the house, okay? He likes being an official product tester.)

Who could resist this face?

When Theo's not sleeping in his CRB, he likes to take naps on the deck and lounge in the yard to catch some rays with Hank. That is, unless a mail person drives by. Then he needs to defend his territory! And if anyone pulls into his driveway, they have another thing coming, and he lets them know it. Theo is an excellent guard dog, and makes sure no strangers or strange cars go by un-barked-at.

But if you're someone Theo approves of, he'll let you know that, too--by jumping all over you! It's how Theo likes to show affection. He's just so excited to see you! He wants to get eye-level with you so you know how much he loves you. Theo could jump on people until the cows come home--because then he'd have to jump on the cows.

I did not make the window dirty, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Theo's go-to food and snacks are soft dog food, munchy bones, and hot dogs. Especially hot dogs. If Theo doesn't chase after a hot dog, something's wrong. This has never happened, thankfully, but if it does, I'd check the weather radar and see if the apocalypse is on the horizon.

The only thing that excites him as much as getting dinner is when his favorite human comes home from school on the weekends! He jumps up and down and starts dancing and gets so excited to see her that she can't help but feel loved. When Theo's getting good pets, he lets out little oinking sounds and his ears go sideways to make room for your hand, and there's a lot of that happening when he sees his favorite human. He also makes those sounds when he's getting food. And if you're just as good as food to Theo, you're pretty darn special.

Whenever Hank proposes the idea of running away to go for a swim, Theo turns up his nose. He only likes water when he's drinking it. If it's raining, you can find Theo in his CRB, all cozy, warm, and most importantly, dry.

Theo as a puppy makes every heart melt. Even when he's digging a tiny hole in your yard.

In nicer weather, Theo likes to herd people. He wants to corral his humans to go places that he wants them to go. So maybe there's some sheepdog in his DNA, too. He's a bit of a troublemaker, but an extremely lovable one.

When his humans used to have a UTV, he would always hop right in their laps to ride along with them. He didn't know he was making it hard to drive--he just wanted to come along for the ride because he loved the feeling of the wind in his fur. Just like when dogs stick their head out the window of a moving car, but even more thrilling.

Sometimes when Theo wants attention, he'll creep up on you and turn his ears sideways so you know that he wants you to pet him, and he also promises not to jump on you (assuming that you pet him).

Theo and Hank trying to persuade a squirrel to come down and "play".

Theo and Hank sometimes run away for a couple days, but they always come back. They like to go for the occasional excursion, and no fence can stop them! They usually seem pretty guilty when they come back, because they know they worried their humans a lot. That doesn't stop them from doing it again, of course--the call of the wild is too strong.

Theo's ideal day would involve copious amounts of hot dogs, sleeping in his dog house, and pestering his best friend Hank. He might also want to chase a few cats, get into the trash, tear up a UPS package, and bark at passers-by. But only if he feels like it. It's just nice to have the options available.

Best fur-ends.

Photo credit: Pamela and Lyndsey Mulvey

Written by: Skye Isabella Rose Iwanski