DeKALB – You’ve got some big paws to fill when you’re not only the face of an entire university but also of every “Go dogs” chant at NIU.
As the third in a long line of Missions, the role of NIU’s live “Huskie” mascot can seem impossible, but Mission III has stepped up since his big brother’s retirement.
Being NIU’s live mascot means you don’t always live the life of a normal dog.
While normal dogs learn to “sit” and “stay,” being “Mission” means interacting with all kinds of people from small kids to entire football stadiums.
NIU’s head live mascot trainer Lisa Boland has worked with every past “Mission” and now houses and trains Mission III. Boland has been part of NIU’s Mission Program since 2012 and has worked with Siberian Huskies for 15 years.
“I like to say Siberian Huskies are a partnership breed,” Boland said. “Siberian Huskies don’t like repetition; they think it’s silly, so I have to make it part of their daily basis.”
She said Mission III hasn’t lost his puppy years. But, a good part of his first year has been spent learning how to wear the Mission vest and act in various situations as a mascot.
“Since we got Mission III as a puppy, we were able to start from the ground up,” Boland said. “He knows how to work with loud environments and get used to getting a camera or a video camera put up to his face. It’s a long list of activities that are broken down, and he’s continuously acclimated for.”
Getting to live with Mission III means that much of his training starts at home.
“I play loud music at home, I occasionally drop loud things at random and we hold treat parties, so he can get used to the big booms,” Boland said. “I want him to get it in his head that good things come from fireworks.”
Mission III’s biggest event was his first football home game in September where he ran across the end zone with his big brother Mission II. The fireworks and numerous pets from fans were all experiences Mission III had been trained for.
NIU’s former live mascot, Mission II, was originally just as big a role model to Mission III as Boland, but he’s seen less appearances since retiring from the spotlight due to his allergies.
“In a perfect world, I would have wanted the dogs to stay together for at least a year, so Mission II could have helped Mission III’s growth,” Boland said. “But because of Mission II’s health, his (Mission III) first year has been spent gaining life experience. It’s not till he’s 1 to 2 years old that I’ll start drilling commands into him.”
Even while the pup gets used to being center spotlight, he’s been more vocal on his social media lately.
His over 25,000 followers on Instagram have watched him explore STEM Fest, try string cheese and explore the campus on #MissionMondays.
“Mission goes up to people, and if I say ‘let’s go to work,’ he knows it’s time to kick into gear while any other time he gets to be a dog and just relax,” Boland said.
Even at just a year old, Mission III’s expected to be the largest husky Boland’s ever trained at NIU, and she expects him to keep growing.
“His dad was a larger Siberian who weighed 55 to 65 pounds, so when he’s 10 months old we’re expecting him to weigh 65 pounds,” Boland said. “But inside that big body is a baby.”
Despite the large coat and eager attitude, Boland said Mission III is still getting out of his puppy stage.
“Their breed becomes mentally mature at 2 years old,” Boland said. “So he’s going to go back and forth between doing really well and getting confused, especially when he’s gonna be mobbed by people every day which is pretty overwhelming for a puppy.”
Until then, she’s been extremely happy with how much the entire college has supported its newest puppy and hopes they can still be patient.
“He’s so empathetic, but he’s still a big baby so I’m just thankful how everyone’s been so kind and understanding,” Boland said.
Mission III will be all over NIU during NIU’s 116th Homecoming Celebration Oct. 8 to Oct. 15 and students can still expect to see him for his regular Mission Monday campus walks.
