New therapy comes with a wet nose and wagging tail

By Mark C. Anderson

“I love finals!” said no one, ever. 

Until now.

A breakthrough Cal State Monterey Bay dog therapy program, recently named Otter Pups, is making what might seem impossible a reality. The operating philosophy is simple: Dogs help.

Lisa Leininger, a CSUMB kinesiology professor and campus wellness coordinator, launched the initiative in cahoots with Blue, her golden retriever who has his own Instagram handle (@blue_otter_pup) and a disposition destined to soothe humans, especially those cramming for finals. 

“What’s great about Blue is he doesn’t seem to get tired,” Leininger said. “He can have 10 people petting and touching him, and he’s fine—so relaxed and so chill. The temperament he has is just ideal.”

Blue is Leninger’s fourth golden retriever. He joined her family in 2022, and she quickly noticed he was different. 

“Even on the spectrum of golden retriever friendliness, he’s off the charts,” she said. “If he’s not able to socialize with lots of people, he's just not happy. Early on, it hit me: ‘I think you could be a therapy dog.’” 

Blue started on his certifications young, and before long, he and Leininger started going to the library during finals. They now rotate appearances with Blue’s fellow Otter Pup, mini sheepadoodle Dolly.

“We figured the visits could have a big impact for minimal time and commitment.,” Leininger said. “Then their popularity just exploded, and it evolved from there.”

Library Dean Jacquikie Grallo collaborates on the Otter Pup appearances in the therapy corner.

“One of the main things Blue has done, in addition to generally delighting students who interact, is he’s created a little community that’s not only enjoying him but they’re getting to know each other,” Grallo said. 

Another of Blue’s buddies serves the CSUMB community across longer hours and has a wider set of job duties. 

Golden retriever-Labrador mix Mochi works alongside CSUMB police Detective Joey Cox as what’s called a “facility dog.” His catalog of skills ranges from opening ADA push-button doors to comforting victims of trauma—whether that’s by retrieving a Kleenex or sitting at their feet on the witness stand in court.

“He’s something else,” Cox said, then noted another accomplishment that might be Mochi’s most important. 

As he strolls CSUMB with Cox, students aren’t feeling alarmed by a campus cop. They’re seeing a fellow dog lover.

“Before, when students saw me walking with the uniform, gun and badge, they didn’t want to make contact,” Cox said. “Now, when we walk around, students approach me, [thinking] ‘I like dogs, that guy likes dogs, he must be OK.’ It’s not, ‘Police are different than us.’ He’s really been like a bridge.”

The Otter Pups program is set to steadily grow with the addition of more certified dogs. Cox said, based on what he’s observed, Mochi and Blue will be on board with the expansion. They not only can’t get enough human interaction, he said, they also celebrate when they see one another. 

“I think Mochi loves it,” Cox said. “He loves the attention. He loves playing with different dogs and people. He likes to be busy. He loves to work.”

Otter Pup winter hours in the main lobby of Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library run 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays (with Blue) and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays (with Dolly). Mochi is a regular attendee of Otter Thursdays at the Otter Student Union.