Anne Jacob never set out to raise a local dog celebrity. She was looking for her first fur baby — a cute dog she would be excited to wake up to and see every day. She took her time to find him, scouring the Internet for more than a year before settling on the Goldendoodle breed and locating a reputable local and licensed breeder.

“It was very important for me to find a local breeder so I could tour the facility, meet the owners in person, and know my puppy wouldn’t be shipped from somewhere else,” says Anne. “It takes more time, but the experience is worth it. Developing a relationship with the breeder meant meeting my future dog’s mom and dad, picking an American Goldendoodle known for its darker coat, and then setting up playdates when a new litter finally arrived.”

Playdates for future pet owners can be important, whether they are a rescue or pedigreed. In this case, Anne had narrowed her choice to two puppies based on photos and breeder notes. During the playdate, the choice became easy. One of the puppies didn’t want anything to do with Anne during the visit. The other immediately melted into her arms and made eye contact with Anne’s mom, who had come along for the ride. Mozart had found his new home. 

“He was very playful and very smart,” Anne said. “It didn’t take him any time to climb out of his playpen and run around.”

Initially, it was his playfulness that prompted Anne to enroll him in daycare and dog training after the first year, prompted in part by a dog-friendly environment at Amazon/Zappos. The trainer, located only a few minutes away from her offices, would work with Mozart during the day. After work, Anne would spend 30 minutes with the trainer, learning whatever Mozart had been taught.

“I never planned for Mozart to learn much more than leash training and, maybe, how to fetch tennis balls when I played tennis,” says Anne. “But when the trainer noticed how sensitive Mozart was to my migraines and how often he helped put other dogs at ease, she suggested training as a service dog and therapy dog.”

Mozart took to the training at Smarty Paws, and eventually earned certification as an AKC Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog certification through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. It was then that Mozart began traveling with Anne to work conferences all over the country, entering and winning costume contests, and volunteering as a therapy dog at places like hospices, UNLV during exams, and FBI training camps. 

“It was very organic, mainly about my relationship with Mozart and wanting to do things with him,” says Anne. “As we had these adventures together, people would gravitate to Mozart or suggest other activities we could participate in together, which was fine with me because he almost acts like a buffer between me and too much social engagement.”

Of course, not all of the experiences were pleasant. After some of the pressures many service dog owners face in stores and restaurants from those who don’t understand their importance or the law, she decided to retire him. 

“There are certain standards and behaviors that service dogs are expected to adhere to that can be stressful to the animal,” said Anne. “This is especially true for dogs that are also therapy dogs because they’re given mixed messages. On the one hand, they are supposed to be attuned to their owner and provide certain services, but then feel compelled to put others at ease with their affectionate nature. He’s much happier now, just being a photogenic therapy dog.”

Among his many adventures, Mozart has posed for numerous calendars and magazine covers, ran in highly visible marathons, and became the face of a gourmet dog chef catering business, Mozart’s Fabulous Treat Street. Mozart is so exceptional at posing, in fact, Anne almost wishes she had enrolled him in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program earlier instead of service dog training. 

“Our newest activities together are K9 Nose Work and Barn Hunt competitions,” says Anne. “Barn Hunt is based on the traditional roles of many breeds in ridding barns and farms of vermin. Mozart has always been an exceptional sniffer, so this is great sport for him to put his nose first and find any rats hidden in the barn courses!” 

It was at Barn Hunt that Anne truly connected with Mozart, learning how her enthusiasm for the sport lent to his success. As long as she remains engaged and excited as opposed to feeling stressed out by the competition, Mozart will follow her lead. And the more they spend time like this together, the stronger their bond becomes. 

“It’s so essential to introduce your pets to new activities, tricks, and training a little bit at a time. It requires a lot of patience, sometimes breaking simple tasks into even simpler tasks,” said Anne. “This might mean wearing a bandana for a few minutes at home long before putting them in shoes or a costume or teaching them to put their nose on an item long before asking them to fetch it. But the most important thing to remember is that these adventures and experiences shouldn’t be about what you want them to do as much as what you both want to do and enjoy together.”

It’s a great lesson learned from one of the most recognizable doodles in Las Vegas. To see more of Mozart, visit his Instagram page, Mozivegas, or TikTok page, Mozivegas. He’s an All About Spot favorite!