'André The Little Giant': Pup Competing For Prize Wins Hearts

CALVERTON, NY — He may be small but he's made a mighty mark in the life of his owner.

Little André is a rescue dog adopted by Alyssa Tuthill of Calverton; he's currently in the running for the 2021 Bethpage Best of Long Island competition in the "Talented Animal" category.

Tuthill adopted André in 2015. "I quickly realized that this wasn't your typical little dog: We ran 10K's two to three times per week; we do pet fashion modeling; we do agility, and we do trick training, as well as fitness and conditioning exercises, to keep him in tip top shape for the pet talent industry and also for injury prevention," she said.

They share plenty of play time, with spirited games of tug of war and fetch André's "absolute favorites," she said. "All this big stuff from a dog that's not even 10 lbs.!"

He even has his own Instagram page, "The Almighty Andre: A handsome little man livin' life to the fullest."

After she adopted him, Tuthill said she realized that he was super high energy and she needed to find ways to help him burn it off.

"So, for the first time in something like 20 years, I laced up a pair of running sneakers and he and I went out the door. At the time he was maybe seven-ish lbs., so I thought, 'I'll just start with a mile.' Well, I was practically dying and the dog's looking at me like, 'I'm just getting warmed up!' So quickly we progressed to a 5k, 3.1miles, and then went on to 10Ks, or 6.2 miles. We even did a fundraiser 5K event where we came in first in 'our' age group."

After that, André moved on to agility training, for more mental stimulation, as well as the physical challenge, Tuthill said.

"Randomly in the summer of 2018, I saw an advertisement for a Barking Beauty Pageant, which was a fundraiser competition for the RSVP, Inc. animal shelter and rescue in Eastport. I thought, 'Well, that's a unusual way to raise money for a shelter. I'll join. It sounds fun.' Little did I know what was to ensue. But the result was, André and I were now irreversibly part of this entire other world, pet fashion."

The feisty little pup soon had a full schedule, with fitness and conditioning exercises, agility training, pet fashion modeling, and the pet talent industry.

For the past few months, André has been practicing trick training and other commands so he can get his paws firmly ensconced in the industry.

Some of her favorites of histricks, Tuthill said, involve his "beg" and his "sit pretty," both because they're flat out adorable.

"But I love his ferocious tug-of-war — I'm telling you, this dog is all in, all 9 lbs. — in a game of tug-of-war, and I know fetch is his favorite. He could play it until the cows come home. But I think I love the conditioning the most because I know I'm helping to keep him healthy physically and challenge him mentally."

Tuthill credits her vet at the Eastport Animal Hospital for keeping her dog healthy, too.

Beyond his star quality, Tuthill said she and André share a bond that's hard to describe in words.

"I had never had a little dog, so this was a complete change in my life," she said. "And then to find out I had to put more time and energy into him to meet his mental and physical needs than any other 'full-sized' dog — or as I referred to them in the 'pre-André era', a 'real' dog — I had had previously, just blew my mind. How this little guy just shattered perceptions, and continues to do so when we're out and about, is just amazing. Not only the size thing, but also that he's a shelter dog! Nothing fancy, no exact birth date, no particular breed, just a scruffy-looking little guy with the most endearing face."

Tuthill wants people to know how special small dogs can be. "Little dogs are still dogs, and can do practically everything a big dog can do. And they have the added benefit of being 'take-along' size. Shelter dogs are just as good as any other dog, when given the chance. I don't think he realizes the weight that he carries, which is a good thing," she said. "I just want him to have his best life possible and hopefully we can leave this place a little better than we found it; we try to do as much fundraising as we can."

It took her awhile, Tuthill said, to name her dog. "I finally settled on André, after Andre the Giant; I felt that André's personality was that big, even though he was not. Hence we call him "André the Little Giant.'"

To vote for in the 2021 Bethpage Best of Long Island competition in the most "Talented Animal" category, click here. Voting is now open and runs through December 15.