Over spring break, Mr. Dug Uyesaka added a new member to the Laguna family, his dog Palmer.
Palmer is a three and a half year-old Whippet. Whippets are known for their agility and speed and look much like an English Greyhound except for their smaller size. Whippets, when racing, can reach speeds up to 37 miles per hour in about 15 seconds.
Mr. Uyesaka got Palmer from a Los Olivos breeder, and although Palmer is still getting used to his new Laguna family and the endless attention everyone wants to give him, he fits perfectly into the daily routine at school.
Because Palmer grew up on a farm, he first didn’t know what to do with stairs or how to react to Mr. Uyesaka’s cats.
“He wasn’t used to stairs, and the first night I had to carry him up because he didn’t know what to do,” Mr. Uyesaka said.
Luckily, Palmer only weighs 32 pounds so this wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.
One of Mr. Uyesaka’s favorite memories with Palmer is when he came downstairs one morning to find Palmer “chilling” on the kitchen table like it was his lounge.
All dogs like to walk and Palmer is no exception. Mr. Uyesaka takes Palmer for walks, usually in the evenings, but he also takes Palmer on a daily stroll around campus most days.
Palmer is very shy, but as each day passes, he comes more out of his shell and more open to the never-ending attention from students that pass through Mr. Uyesaka’s classroom each day.
When asked about why he loves Palmer, Mr. Uyesaka said Palmer is “also a little love muffin and wakes my wife and I up with kisses most mornings. That said, like many young pups he likes to sleep in. When I leave for school I usually have to carry him downstairs because he doesn’t want to leave his bed. He’s a good buddy and he never interrupts when we’re having a conversation.”