Kirk Herbstreit has an unlikely partner in the broadcasting booth.
The ESPN commentator, 55, takes his golden retriever Peter into work each day, and the dog is also his travel companion. Peter has big paws to fill after the loss of Herbstreit’s beloved 10-year-old dog Ben, who spent years accompanying his owner on the road before dying from cancer.
Even with the high expectations, Peter is holding his own and has become an internet sensation, first going viral during the 2024 College Football Playoffs when a video of him curling up with Matthew McConaughey spread on TikTok.
During the Rose Bowl, a yearly matchup between the top teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, fans gave Peter the nickname “Director of Snuggles.”
Herbstreit has four golden retrievers at home, including Peter, and tells PEOPLE the secret to keeping his canines highly sociable and well-trained is a nutritious and balanced diet.
Purina
Kirk Herbstreit with his dogs
“A dog’s whole personality and overall health can be viewed based on their nutrition,” Herbstreit, who recently partnered with Purina ProPlan, tells PEOPLE. “I’ve never seen dogs more excited to eat, they’re dancing around and they just know it’s go time — it’s something I pay attention to.”
As part of the Purina ProPlan partnership, Herbstreit is hosting a YouTube series featuring notable athletes, including NFL star George Kittle and U.S. Women’s Soccer pros Rose Lavelle and Sophia Smith. Each episode shares an inside look at the strong bond between elite athletes and their loyal dogs.
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Herbstreit confides he didn’t always know what to look for when buying dog food and would unquestioningly trust brand names.
“I’ve been trained over time about the importance of the ingredients that go into these dog foods,” Herbstreit says.” With ProPlan, they use great ingredients, and have a lot of different options depending on the age your dog might be, or its activity level.”
Purina
Kirk Herbstreit with his golden retrievers
Now, for Herbstreit, feeding Peter and the rest of his golden retrievers is the easy part. The challenge is training all his canines.
The former Ohio State quarterback compares training his dogs to being in the huddle and leading his team up the field.
“It’s a great challenge trying to train young, enthusiastic golden retrievers because their instincts are to pounce and jump up,” Herbstreit says. “I’ve tried my best to teach my dogs to be respectful and calm — you have to talk to them pretty directly, like a quarterback in a huddle.”
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Herbstreit believes the key to managing Peter’s high energy is exercise — he wears him out by going on long runs or playing fetch a lot. He admits that his dogs have never gotten quite into playing football — noting that they prefer chasing tennis balls instead.
Read the original article on People
