Capitals Pup-date: Captain’s Growth Four Months Later

Photo: @CapsPup

Today marks four months since the Washington Capitals in partnership with America’s VetDogs welcomed Captain, the “team dog” and service dog in training. Players, staff, and fans have fallen in love with the Labrador Retriever. Let’s take a look back on the Caps Pup’s growth from October 5, 2019, to February 5, 2020.

October 8
Captain has his own locker room stall decked out in mini gear and themed toys.

October 15
He met with several Arlington County police officers during practice to work on socialization.

October 30
One of Captain’s “7 Days of Halloween” costumes was Captain America from the Avengers.

November 3
It was a phenomenal night in the District on November 3— the Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 4-2, forward Jakub Vrana recorded a hat trick, and the team honored (and celebrated with) the Washington Nationals on their World Series Championship. Captain got a photo with pitcher Sean Doolittle.

November 11
He thanked vets on Veteran’s Day.

November 19

November 23
The Capitals hosted their “Hockey Fights Cancer” game against the Vancouver Canucks. Captain and former Capitals center Jay Beagle snapped a photo prior to the game.

December 13

December 18
The Caps Pup was also featured in the team’s 2019-20 issue of Washington Capitals W Magazine.

December 29

January 5

January 16
The Capitals hosted their first “HockeyTalks” Mental Health Awareness Night as they clashed with the New Jersey Devils and Captain tweeted about the initiative. An important quality of Captain is his 16-month training to become a service dog for a veteran or first responder with disabilities, which includes mental health.

January 27

February 2

Captain has certainly grown in his first four months with the Capitals. Not only do fans have the opportunity to enjoy his company and cuteness at practices and other events, but they also get to watch Captain’s progression as a future service dog and his growth as a future helper to a first responder or veteran.

All photos are from CapsPup on Twitter.

By Della Young