BAGGETT: What if Rev's not a collie?

Woo, mercy! Be careful what you ask for.

Last week we addressed the subject of the next Reveille, the beloved canine mascot of Texas A&M.

The powers-that-be in Aggieland have said that the next Rev need not be a collie. So I offered a few suggestions, then I asked for yours.

The result was an outpouring of e-mails that's way beyond anything I've ever seen. And they're still coming in. So here's the deal: Starting today, we're doing a survey on www.theeagle.com so all Eagle readers can cast their votes. In the meantime, here are some of the comments I've received from readers:

• "The original Reveille was a mutt. They should go to the animal shelter and get a cute mutt." -- Phil Yasskin.

• "I wish we would go back to a dog like our first Reveille. Now, that would be REAL tradition -- nothing New Army about that. Collies are beautiful, but a high-bred temperamental fru-fru dog really doesn't reflect the Aggie Spirit like a good, friendly, loving, healthy, Heinz 57 would. I vote for getting back to our roots and looking for a dog like Reveille I. The Brazos Valley Animal Shelter "dog of the week" in The Eagle (last Sunday) looks like a good candidate. -- Nancy Brown.

• "The first Rev was a rescued mutt. Why not start a new tradition of using a shelter dog? It would make A&M look good, promote animal adoption, and avoid some of the health problems associated with pure breeds.

"Purebred dogs also end up in shelters. If A&M has to have a pure breed, then they should consider adopting from a shelter or organization. I'm sure a collie rescue organization could help the Corps find a dog that could serve as a mascot. If A&M chooses a different breed, they can find a rescue organization for that breed.

"What ever the Corps decides I hope they choose to rescue a dog from a shelter or rescue organization. As an owner of a rescued bullmastiff mix, I vote for the bullmastiff.

"The bullmastiff is a powerful dog, said to be a cross between the mastiff and the bulldog. Originally bred to find and immobilize poachers, the breed has proved its value as a family pet. The bullmastiff is 60 percent mastiff and 40 percent bulldog and was first recognized in 1924. ... At 100+ pounds, a bullmastiff mascot could serve as a 12th Man if the football team runs out of players." -- Linda Causey.

• "I would like to suggest the next Reveille be adopted from the local animal shelter or from one of the local dog rescue groups. I don't the think the breed is as important as saving a dog's life. That is the sort of thing you would expect an Aggie to do." -- Johnann Allen.

• "Texas A&M should go back to its roots. The first Reveille was found alone by a highway and was brought back to A&M, where it thrived. The next Reveille, and all future Reveilles, should be rescued from the pound. The breed is unimportant, although a large dog is better than a small dog and a mutt is preferable to an AKC dog to symbolize that at Texas A&M your breeding is less important than your qualities as an individual.

"Early each spring, ceremonial representatives of A&M and the Corps of Cadets should visit the Brazos Valley Animal Shelter, meet the available dogs, learn about their personalities from the shelter folks, and select the next Reveille that very day. Reveille would then go into mascot training on campus during the spring semester, and graduate (be commissioned as mascot and member of the Corps) at the end of one of the spring graduation ceremonies.

"During the summer, there would officially be two Reveilles, the outgoing Reveille and the incoming Reveille. This would greatly reduce the travel and public appearance demands on any one dog. Both dogs would be loved and sought after. The outgoing Reveille would be officially retired during halftime of the first home football game of the season. The incoming Reveille would then serve as sole mascot for the fall and spring semesters, and complete its 1.5-year tour of duty at the end of the summer, when a new Reveille takes over. There would be no shortage of homes willing to adopt this dog, who at the beginning of the story had no home at all." -- John Nielsen-Gammon.

"Your article in Sunday's paper is timely. A few days ago someone sent a letter to the editor with a wonderful suggestion -- pick a dog from the animal shelter. Reveille I was a stray picked up by caring students between here and Houston many years ago. The dog of questionable breeding was hurt, hungry, cold and afraid. These kids took it to the vet school, where it was nursed back into good health and spirit. This humble beginning for a mascot could be brought back to life by selecting such an animal from an animal shelter somewhere in the state.

"I am an Aggie and would be proud to have such an animal for our mascot today as we were in the beginning with Reveille I." -- Jim Smith '58.

• "Well, as an Ol Ag, I think if we want to return to the true tradition of our first Reveille, we should go to the pound and adopt a mutt." -- Elmer Mooring.

• "The first Reveille was found near A&M campus by Dr. R.J. Anderson '35, who hailed from Marshall, Texas. The dog looked more like a black Lab, but was slightly smaller. The dog was brought to the vet hospital occasionally for treatment, but Dr. A.A. Lenert '14 , didn't like to see her coming because he was expected to pay for her treatment out of the hospital budget. ... We enjoyed your article and I vote for a black Labrador retriever." -- Donald L Williams.

• "We enjoyed your 'What if Rev's not a collie?' column. Like you and your wife, we are allowed to share our home with not only a Labrador retriever (black female mix) BUT a genuine Catahoula leopard (also a mix but has the important breed characteristics; really a fun, smart dog to live with). Both these girls are rescued from, literally, what we called in West Texas 'bar ditches.' Anyway, our Cookies n' Cream (Cookie) has the huge job of protecting our home from the Briarcrest golfers as they tee off on Hole 16; actually, she has decided they 'belong' there, but it is the joggers who must be sent on their way!

"Our Kilgore friends have a yellow lab male, 105 pounds, like your 'Baby Gus.' I will send your column to them. They happen to be huge fans of the Lonesome Dove series and are devotees of Captain Gus McCrae. Apparently it did not occur to them to name theirs Gus. 'Digger' is an apt description, however, of their fella's primary talent." -- Donna and Marshall Seymour.

• "Well, I was trying to think of one word that would answer your question, 'What if Rev is not a collie?' After racking this 75-year-old brain of mine, I think I have found the word I was looking for. It is detrimental. It would be detrimental to the traditions and the spirit of Texas A&M.

"If this happens it would be a step toward the downfall of the nation's most visible and known mascot. ... When Texas A&M is mentioned to Aggies or non-Aggies, the first thing that comes in people's mind is the Corps of Cadets and Reveille. ... Let's not try to fix something that is not broke." -- Sam Netterville.

• "The next Reveille should be a border collie. They are the smartest dogs and can herd longhorns and other mascots. They also have very sweet temperaments. ... Also be sure to pick one that doesn't have severe noise phobia, which is prone to the breed. This would be embarrassing when the cannon goes off." -- Joni Baker.

• "I enjoyed your article concerning choosing a new Reveille. Just FYI, I had some serious thoughts about the Reveille situation.

"When I worked with Reveille and the Corps of Cadets through the Vice President of Student Affairs' office, I made many official recommendations for the Reveille situation. Much to my disappointment, much of what I suggested was discarded as going against tradition. I am an Aggie and I value tradition, but not when it is harmful or counterproductive to the dog's welfare, the reputation of Texas A&M, and the public safety.

"Some of the recommendations I made include:

"1. Take the care of the dog from the students and put in the hands of a trained, mature, professional, experienced animal trainer. This dog is on constant public display and represents the university. Such an important position should not be in the hands of untrained 19 year olds that refer to Reveille as a 'chick magnet.'

"2. If the students must be in charge of the dog, then change the selection process. The current selection process picks a sophomore based on traditional methods, not on any experience or skill with dogs. Make being Reveille's caretaker something to be earned by working as an associate caretaker as a sophomore and junior, then be in charge of the dog as a senior. Require the students to have formal education in animal behavior, training and care before being allowed to work with the dog.

"3. Select an older, already trained dog and have the dog start duty as a 1- or 2-year-old dog instead of a bringing an untrained puppy into an overwhelming situation. This is how seeing-eye dogs and service dogs are used, and Reveille's job is every bit as difficult and demanding as the work they do. Service dogs are carefully bred, selected and trained and yet have a high failure rate, but A&M thinks it can pick a dog simply because it is a pretty collie, give it minimal training, and have it succeed under nearly impossible circumstances. Have an experienced trainer select a dog with suitable temperament from an animal shelter and train it before allowing the dog to go on duty. Make sure the dog's training is maintained with supervision and review work on a regular basis.

"4. Change breeds. Collies are beautiful, intelligent and active dogs, but many are sensitive to sound, motion and heat. Having worked with Reveille VII at Kyle Field, I can say that the situation for the dog was noisy, chaotic, hot and dangerous. Her handlers seemed more interested in watching the game than caring for the dog when I was there. A less-excitable breed might better handle the intense situation.

"5. Forbid using the dog to intimidate people. One tradition I observed was Reveille being encouraged to lunge, bark and snap at cadets who were 'whipping out' to upper class members. She was also forced into situations -- usually at sporting events -- which were poorly controlled and frightening to the dog, a sure recipe for inciting a fight-or-flight reaction.

"6. Control the dog and handler's schedule. When I worked with Reveille, she was required to do public appearances almost every day. On the day of football games, she had a busy schedule and had to be exhausted at the end of the day. Rev VII was afraid of the noise of the band and I recommended she not be around the band on game day. In spite of this, she was forced to be next to the band after a football game while celebrating a victory and was so terrified she pulled out of her collar and was seriously injured jumping off a stairway. Incredibly, the cadets later referred to this incident as Reveille's 'leap of faith.'

"7. Attend to the dog's health. I recommended a quarterly complete medical checkup to make certain she was fit for duty. Allow the dog adequate downtime and exercise periods." -- Kay Stephens, DVM.

That's a smattering of the responses to last week's column. To put in your two-cents' worth, go to www.theeagle.com, look for Reveille's picture and cast your vote.

Meanwhile, Gig 'em!

• Donnis Baggett is editor-in-chief of The Eagle. His e-mail address is donnis.baggett@theeagle.com.

Comments

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1 comment(s) found!

Posted by: On: 5/8/2008

Comment Title: no it should change
mt great granpaw fred Echolts founded the first reveilli and it should go back to that

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