Let’s go, mutts: Meet (some of) the dogs of The Martin Group – The Martin Group
Ah, August. It’s a perfect time for us humans to enjoy the fleeting days of summer with beach trips, scenic bike rides, and maybe a few beers in the fading sunlight.
But what about our dogs?
Yes, these pets are incredibly important—so much so that they have a prime summer month devoted to their appreciation. Every year, August becomes Dog-gust and gives owners (or dog moms and dads) the chance to celebrate their furry friends even more than they do throughout each year’s other 11 months.
This means more trips to the park and more drives with open windows. More doggie parties and funny canine costumes perfect for Instagram or TikTok. More fluffy snuggles, more “good boys” or “good girls,” and more treats granted—regardless of obedience or best behavior.
Why? Because humans LOVE their dogs—and we at The Martin Group are no different. Our offices are festooned with pics of pups in various states of stay and play, and our weekends are spent chasing these exuberant animals across various corners of New York State (and beyond).
This month, we’re celebrating the fun-loving mutts who make our lives brighter all year long. Here are a handful of our favorites, with interesting details about each from their owner:
Dog: Rugby
Nickname: Rug Bug the Love Bug, Rugger
Owner: Leanne Politi
From Leanne: We adopted Rugby—named after Rugby the Tiger from Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy—as a 10-week-old puppy on June 10, 2017, and he quickly grew into an 80-lb bundle of equal parts love and mischief.
A mix of coonhound and retriever, Rugby has an incredible prey drive. If (when) he ever gets loose and spots a rabbit or deer, he’s off on a hunting expedition that can last an hour—or three. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Rugby and has learned to tolerate his occasional antics because, beneath the troublemaking is the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet. We call him my “Velcro dog” because he insists on being as close to me as possible at all times. His favorite thing to do is rest one paw on my foot while I’m washing dishes, just to make sure I’m nearby.
Also, many people at Martin already know Rugby from his frequent appearances on our weekly Teams calls, always eager to be part of the action.
In my opinion, he’s the best dog ever—and also the most handsome dog around.
Dog: Montepulciano
Nickname: Monte
Owner: Bayley Ward
From Bayley: Monte is a one-year-old Italian Spinone, and we named him Montepulciano after our favorite red wine and region in Italy. Monte is a birding dog that does not bird, but stalks them daily in our backyard as if he knows what he is doing. He does not bark, only in his very aggressive dreams as he sleeps on his back with all four paws in the air. He has giant paws that he uses to smack people (and his sister) with. It’s very innocent but he loves to throw a paw and hold hands.
Monte also drools unlike any dog I have ever seen. He goes to our longtime friend and groomer in Fairport and during a recent appointment, shook his head to send a very long drool strand right across our friend’s face and cheek.
Dog: Khloe
Nickname: Miss Ween
Owner: Jim Lynch
From Jim: Khloe is a miniature dachshund AND a COVID dog, as we got her about two months into the pandemic (in May 2020). Our previous dog passed away just months before, and we swore we’d never get another dog. But after our daughter, Taylor, convinced us to get another one, we found “Miss Ween,” whose grown weight is about 13 pounds.
And in typical dachshund fashion, she literally barks at everything.
Dog: Casper
Nickname(s): Cassie, Birdie
Owner: Lindsay Neilson
From Lindsay: We rescued Casper in April 2022 through Buffalo Underdogs Rescue. He was found during a drug raid and had experienced a lot of trauma. But from the moment we met him, we knew he was meant to be part of our family.
Ever since we got him, he’s been living his best spoiled life. His favorite things include being a 65-pound lap dog, going on hikes, playing with his foster siblings, eating all the lettuce, rooting for the Ruffalo Rills (aka the Buffalo Bills), and serving as the self-appointed neighborhood watchdog. He’s also somehow managed to witness more natural wonders than most people, such as the Northern Lights three times and a total solar eclipse.
One of my absolute favorite Casper quirks is how he sleeps. He’ll roll onto his back and stick at least one of his paws straight up in the air. Don’t know how comfortable it is, but he loves it.
Dog: Daisy
Nickname: Daisy Dora
Owner: Jenny LePore
From Jenny: Daisy is our Golden Anatolian Shepherd, adopted from a rural Texas shelter. She traded stray life for a forever family and has been making up for lost time ever since.
She now holds several important positions: official mascot for our Girl Scout troop and softball team, Director of Backyard Security, and Senior Supervisor of Neighborhood Kid Activities. If the kids wander too far, Daisy promptly escorts them back. She’s also an experienced traveler, having RV’d to Big Bend, hiked the Hoodoos Trail, sunbathed in the Chihuahuan Desert, and dipped her paws in the Rio Grande.
When not on the road, most weekdays are spent supervising Mom’s remote calls—though she frequently requests time off for doggy daycare.
Dog: Benny
Nickname(s): Benny Beans, B-Boy
Owner: Ashlee Bueg
From Ashlee: As a high-energy, loving goober, Benny is a typical Field Golden Retriever. He turned one in April, and loves long walks, sticks, water, snow, grass, rolling on smelly things, playfully attacking feet, treats, destroying toys, and giving out free kisses.
He went to Maine for the first time this year and, in turn, learned that he loves lobster—and that the spicy water (salt water) is not for him!
Dog: Nash
Nickname(s): Nashy, Nashy Pants
Owner: Natalie Opp
From Natalie: Nash is a six-year-old Golden Retriever who joined our family as a COVID puppy.
His favorite hobby is convincing everyone to pet him, and he truly believes there is no such thing as too much attention. When he’s not asking for belly rubs, you can usually find him rolling around in the snow, swimming at his grandparents’ house, or playing with his Uncle Ryder, another Golden Retriever. Whenever Nash goes swimming, he smacks the water with his paws as if he can actually catch the splashes, and he never seems to realize that the water always wins. He also loves going for walks, where he proudly searches for the biggest stick he can possibly carry, even if it’s twice his size.
Life with Nash is never boring, and his goofy personality and endless affection make every day a little more fun.
Dog: Snoopy
Nickname: Spoon, Snoop-a-loop
Owner: Jessie Lewis
From Jessie: Snoopy is a 10-lb, one-year-old miniature dachshund—who somehow believes he’s an escape artist.
He’s just small enough to squeeze through the bars of our black metal fence, so after a few successful jailbreaks, we had to get creative. Our solution? A wooden spoon zip-tied to the back of his harness. It catches on the fence before he can slip through, stopping his great escape before it starts. It looks absolutely ridiculous, gets a laugh from everyone who sees it, and somehow works better than anything else we tried.
Snoopy may be tiny, stubborn, and determined to explore the neighborhood, but for now, the wooden spoon has finally outsmarted him.
Dog: Gus
Nickname: Gustavo, Gus Bus
Owner: Mike Martin
From Mike: After adopting Gus in 2020, I learned the Plott Hound actually had a role in American expansionism. Johannes Plott brought his bear hunting hounds to modern day Western North Carolina in the 1750s from Germany and maintained a wide plot (pun intended) of land for generations.
In the 2000s, the Plott Hound was named the state dog of North Carolina by order of the legislature, and the small town of Maggie Valley, NC has a street marker acknowledging this recognition. I packed up the truck and took Gus down to see this a few years ago and was shocked to be stopped by residents and families everywhere we went asking if he was a Plott and telling us about the breed’s lineage. As we were about to leave town, Gus was treated to a BBQ dinner from a local restaurant who proudly showed us this statue of a Plott Hound outside his restaurant.
Safe to say Gus has been wanting to go back ever since, as his celebrity isn’t as appreciated in Albany.
Dog(s): Emma and Hank
Nickname(s): Emma Lou and Henry
Owner: Andi Ridge
From Andi: Both of our dogs are rescues. My husband got Hank in 2019, and I got Emma in 2021. Emma is a true golden retriever, and she’s every bit the attention lover you’d expect, though there’s a little diva in her, too: stubborn, opinionated, and firmly convinced things should be done her way. Hank is a shepherd mix. He’s just happy to be here. Give him the outdoors and a long walk and he’s a happy guy, though he’s also permanently on duty, patrolling the fence line or posted up at the window waiting for someone to walk by.
Also, both gained significant fame when their names and faces were used to identify our wedding’s signature drinks. “The Emma” was an espresso martini, and “The Hank” was a delicious Manhattan.
Dog: Callie
Nickname: Booger
Owner: Grace Carra
From Grace: Callie is the weirdest, most awkward dog I’ve ever met—and everyone who meets her agrees. She talks a lot. She likes attention, so when she’s not getting any, she makes extremely strange noises. I like to refer to them as “warbles.” Something funny she’s done? Simply existing. At times, she kind of sits up like a human.
She is my constant source of entertainment. She rarely settles down, and her warbles are quite constant.
Dog: Stella
Nickname: Stella Bella, Meatball
Owner: John Jiloty
From John: While we certainly love Murphy, our two-year-old Irish Doodle, the OG, Stella, set the bar pretty high. Originally a city dog who banged out miles at a time in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, hiked Adirondack High Peaks on vacation, and was a surprisingly good swimmer, the little meatball settled into country life pretty comfortably after moving to Western New York. Always a traffic-stopper wherever we went, in her later years Stella would line up at our oldest daughter’s door every night waiting to sleep in her bed—which was a nice evolution from when I used to wake up with her snoring next to me.
She had a great run, and did an amazing job as the big sister—and guardian, face-licker, snuggler—to our two girls. RIP, Stella.
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