Balto the Therapy Police Dog

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Balto the Therapy Police Dog Balto is the Princeton Police Department’s first therapy dog to work for the city. Balto is a Kuvasz that was born in June of 2025.

Balto is currently working at the 4 schools in PES District 115.

I am so loved!! I just want to take a second for a couple of thank you’s. Thank you to Mrs Atilano for the delicious tre...
10/05/2026

I am so loved!!

I just want to take a second for a couple of thank you’s.

Thank you to Mrs Atilano for the delicious treat. I have chomped this bone almost to the point where I can just swallow it!!

And thank you to Mr Miskell. He also gave me a delicious bone and this sweet doggy cot. I’m still not used to it quite yet but it’s definitely growing on me!!

I’m so lucky that all my friends keep me in good supply of things to chew on and all the nice things to keep me comfy. Thank you!! Balto out.

Edit: While making this post someone finished their small bone lol

Sometimes it’s a head on your lap, sometimes it’s a lean against your legs, and sometimes it’s holding a paw. Therapy do...
09/28/2026

Sometimes it’s a head on your lap, sometimes it’s a lean against your legs, and sometimes it’s holding a paw. Therapy dogs are very intuitive of people’s emotions and these are signs of providing comfort. I’m lucky enough that I get to hang out with such a great dog who provides me with an unending source of comfort, and get to share him with others.

This is what it’s all about. Hanging out at p.e. classes with my friends, spreading some love and comfort in between rou...
09/24/2026

This is what it’s all about. Hanging out at p.e. classes with my friends, spreading some love and comfort in between rounds of capture the flag. This is how things should always be. Balto out!!

I met some new friends today!!We were invited to Bureau Valley High School today for their College/Career/Military Fair ...
09/17/2026

I met some new friends today!!

We were invited to Bureau Valley High School today for their College/Career/Military Fair to tell everyone about us. We were joined by Officer Larkin and K-9 Lucy, Officer Kernan and K-9 Gemma, and Deputy Rokey and K-9 Maro.

We were able to tell the students about how our roles differ from K-9 to K-9 to how different our bathing routines are. It was great to meet new friends and get some extra pets while we spread some love!!!

A big thank you to the administration at BVHS as well as SRO Deputy Winner for inviting us today. Thank you!!

Enjoy these photos of us meeting our new friends!! Balto out!

Training is the most important thing that a therapy dog needs. By training constantly, it helps Balto remember his manne...
09/14/2026

Training is the most important thing that a therapy dog needs. By training constantly, it helps Balto remember his manners as well as keeping him busy. Training keeps him sharp and ready for the next person to share some love with.

Today we did some off leash training. I will say it went ok. His first stay was held perfectly and Balto came when he was called. The next time he realized he had an audience and decided to show off for them by running down the hall super fast! After being put back in position Balto held it perfectly and ran to me when called. Don’t worry he got plenty of treats for his good behavior!!

Today’s Balto’s Fun Fact Friday is a bit different. I get asked a lot about Balto’s grooming so today we’ll cover a typi...
09/11/2026

Today’s Balto’s Fun Fact Friday is a bit different.

I get asked a lot about Balto’s grooming so today we’ll cover a typical Balto bath.

I start with trimming Balto’s nails. I use a Dremel grinder to grind his nails to an appropriate length. I can’t stand when his nails click on the floor so we like to keep them pretty short. This portion of the bath takes about 5 minutes.

Next is the soaking and shampooing. It takes about 15 to get the water to fully soak his coat and then to get him all soaped up. We use a special blue shampoo on his coat to keep him sparkling white. Then another 5 minutes of getting the soap washed out of his coat.

Next I spend about 5 minutes towel drying Balto. It takes 2 to 3 fluffy towels to get a majority of the water out of his coat.

The next part is the most difficult. I spend about 75 to 90 minutes blow drying Balto. You heard that right. It takes almost an hour and a half to get Balto 95% dry. He lays nicely while I blow dry him but due to his size and with the blow dryer being slightly underpowered, it takes a while. When shedding season comes we’re going to try a stronger dryer to blow out his coat and see how he reacts.

The final part of his bathing routine is brushing. I spend about 15 to 20 minutes making sure there are no knots and he’s ready to be petted. The brushing also helps with getting any extra dead hair out of his coat.

This brings the grand total to about 2 hours and 20 minutes or less. I try to make sure I’m extremely thorough that way every pet feels as soft and as fresh as the first.

Balto gets a bath every 3 weeks or sooner if he needs it, and with it being Homestead weekend he definitely needs to be looking his best. Balto will be at the fun fair tomorrow morning from 9 to 11 so come out and and get some pets in!!

Please enjoy the pictures of his bathing routine!!

This post is a little late in coming, but we got a new office!! Since I’m growing so fast I need more room to spread out...
09/09/2026

This post is a little late in coming, but we got a new office!! Since I’m growing so fast I need more room to spread out so I can be more comfortable when I nap. Now people don’t need to worry about stepping over me or “disturbing” me. I just want to take a second to thank the admin staff at Logan Jr High, as well as Mrs Atilano for making this happen. Thank you!!! Balto out.

Balto’s Fun Fact FridayI get asked a lot why don’t I shave or trim Balto’s fur during the summer. I usually tell people ...
09/04/2026

Balto’s Fun Fact Friday

I get asked a lot why don’t I shave or trim Balto’s fur during the summer. I usually tell people that his fur acts like an air conditioner, and while that’s not technically true, I also don’t think it’s totally inaccurate.

Balto’s fur acts like an insulator trapping the air close to his skin. In the winter it’s very helpful but not as much in the summer. However there’s a very long boring science about the length of the hair. Usually the temp at the tip of the fur is hotter than the base of the fur, and it’s generally hotter. What Balto has in his favor is his beautiful white coat. That helps deflect the heat and UV rays and prevents him from getting sunburned.

What I understand about all of that is the long hair helps by keeping the cooler air by his skin and the warmer air at the tip of his fur further away. His white coat helps reflect the sun rays and prevents sunburns.

This doesn’t mean he can be in the heat and sun with no worries. When spending an extended amount of time outside shade is needed to stay cool and if there is a breeze to help move the warm air away from the surface that’s even better. This was a longer post than I originally intended but simple questions aren’t always as cut and dried as they appear to be lol

Believe it or not I’m still a puppy. I have a little over 9 more months until I’m fully grown. In that time I use a ton ...
08/31/2026

Believe it or not I’m still a puppy. I have a little over 9 more months until I’m fully grown. In that time I use a ton of energy to grow taller, longer, and put on more weight. Plus with my puppy attitude I burn tons of calories.

But there’s a downside to all of this growing that I’m doing. Naps. They’re super important for me to refill my energy tank to keep doing my super important job. I love my job so much that it’s hard for me to take crucial naps to keep me from being moody or frankly just done with people. Luckily dad makes sure I have plenty of downtime, to keep me fresh and ready for the next round. And he always makes sure I have my stuffy and chew toy nearby for when I wake up. Balto out!!

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605 N. Elm Street
Princeton, IL
61356

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