Comfort dog gets top marks

No cramming needed. TU’s comfort dog, Bruno, has passed his American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen test, proving once and for all that he’s the top dog—and bestest boy—on campus.

The evaluation tested Bruno’s ability to perform 10 skills of obedience ranging from calmly greeting strangers to walking through crowds. It was performed by an AKC-certified trainer to ensure the two-year-old dog has the training and temperament for his job. Bruno works alongside TU police Sgt. Jafar Taru while he patrols campus, attends events and responds to calls for assistance.

“He’s a natural,” Taru says. “He loves to meet people out on campus, and their faces light up when they see him.”

Preparing for the test

He’s a natural. He loves to meet people out on campus, and their faces light up when they see him.

TU police Sgt. Jafar Taru

Bruno may be a natural, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have to study. Taru, who works and lives alongside Bruno, has done regular training sessions with the chocolate lab since he was weaned. In preparation for this test, they stepped up the number of sessions each week, putting extra attention on repeating exercises and following commands. Afterward, Bruno was rewarded with treats and extra cuddles.

Both the training and the cuddles are good practice for Bruno’s job. As a comfort dog, cuddles are his primary currency.

Unlike traditional K-9s geared toward chase or detection, police comfort dogs are solely focused on supporting and connecting with the community. They help deescalate situations and prioritize relationship-building between police officers and students, faculty and staff. When the TUPD expressed an interest in bringing a comfort dog to campus in 2023, the campus community responded: More than 100 students, faculty, staff and alumni donated to bring him to campus and support his continued care. Taru brought the new pup home in January 2024, and shortly after the community chose the puppy’s name—selecting Bruno over other contenders like Ty and Goldie.

How to find Bruno

Interacting with students, faculty and staff is the best part of the job...our favorite thing is to talk to folks, let them pet Bruno and try to make their day a little better. We love it.

TU police Sgt. Jafar Taru

Bruno and Taru are on campus 220 days a year. They’ve done walk-throughs in every campus building and attended dozens of campus events. They comfort nervous freshmen (and parents) at Move-In, shake paws at Commencement and give friendly nuzzles everywhere in between. Anyone can request a Bruno visit at campus events or you can catch him out on campus performing regular patrols. When you see the duo campus, don’t hesitate to say hello.

“Interacting with students, faculty and staff is the best part of the job,” Taru says. “Unless we’re actively responding to a call, our favorite thing is to talk to folks, let them pet Bruno and try to make their day a little better. We love it.”