The Capitals defenseman details his bond with his dog, Bruce.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Shortly after arriving in Washington, Jakob Chychrun was on the hunt for a dog, wanting to give his wife, Olivia, some company and piece of mind when he was away on road trips with the Washington Capitals.
Chychrun always wanted a Cane Corso, known as a big, intimidating dog breed. What he got, though, was what he proudly calls a "Velcro dog."
"He's such a goof... he's just everywhere we go," Chychrun laughed. "He's just like, attached to our hip and always following us around."
Finding Bruce was a challenge, though. Cane Corsos aren't easy to find, and Chychrun searched high and low, ultimately reaching out to a dog trainer he'd followed for some time on Instagram, to find a trusted breeder.
There were only two in the country, and the only one with a ready litter was all the way in California. Bruce, a Formentino Cane Corso, was waiting.
Immediately, the Chychruns' mind was made up: by any means possible, they'd bring Bruce home, and ultimately, had him flown to D.C.
"My in-laws were in town at the time, and we didn't tell them why or where we were going. We got to the airport, and they were like, 'What the heck's going on?'" Chychrun laughed. "We pull up, and the lady delivered him to us... he was 10 pounds, he was so small. Nice little surprise for the in-laws."
Bruce is now 115 pounds, and for Chychrun, raising a dog has been a fundamental part of his life over the last year and change.
The 27-year-old defenseman's done some training with Bruce, who has also taken on a protective role around the house, especially when Chychrun is traveling and Olivia and Bruce are home alone.
"He's different when I'm away on the road... (Olivia) will be watching the game in our living room, and he'll be in the hallway where he can keep an eye on her and the front door," Chychrun said. "Then when I'm home, he's just like on his back being a goof and sleeping and calm."
As Bruce continues to grow, he's still working on making friends, as he comes off as a bit intimidating for his breed. He's gotten along with Brandon Duhaime and Charlie Lindgren's dogs, but ultimately, his best friends are his owners.
At the same time, they both continue to learn from each other.
"He brings us a lot of joy," Chychrun said. "He likes to be with us at all times... you could annoy the heck out of him. You could pinch his skin, play with him, play with his jowls and he just doesn't care. He loves, he just melts."