TS: Were you planning to adopt a dog around this time, or did this whole process come up after the NHL put the season on pause?
MD: To be honest, I think it has come up every year for me for the last three years. We wanted a dog really bad, but always knowing that maybe I didn't have the time to train it as well as I wanted to and give it the time that it needed. Especially, if it was a puppy. So, I just didn't think it was fair, but I have been looking at Coco's Heart since we did the calendar shoot at the start of the year. I spent like two hours with all of the dogs. I've been checking their site all year and just happened to stumble across Winona.
TS:What breed is Winona?
MD:She's a pretty big mix. She, I think, she's like a shepherd mix with a lot. She's like Huskie or Border Collie, I'm not sure, there's a couple of guesses we have. I don't know, she's cute as ever though.
TS:Were you looking for a specific-sized dog?
MD:I wanted not a huge, I'd love a huge dog, but I do live in an apartment so I wanted kind of medium-sized. I don't know how big Winona will be, she is the runt of her litter. She's pretty petite right now, but she's got some real big paws and long legs, so I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a little bigger.
TS:Did you name her Winona, or was she named that before you got her?
MD:It was actually her name already. She was five months when I got her. But it's gone from Winona to just Nona.
TS: Have you been feeding her exclusively dog food? Has she been eating whatever you have?
MD:She's getting real food from us, like a little bit of meat or vegetables, or some fruit, but we try to be good with her. Make sure she has the right habits so she's not begging at the dinner table or when she sees food, that she is not going crazy. She gets her fair share of food that she actually likes, this liver, like this beef liver treat that she gets. She goes nuts for that, so it's a good one to have on walks to get her dialed becuase she's a very curious puppy right now.
TS:What is your favorite memory so far during your short time together?
MD:I think just in general, I'm back in Calgary, it's been snowing lots here. We've had a lot of snow and she loves it. I don't know what she is going to do when she doesn't have it. I hope she loves the water just as much. The two of them don't go hand-in-hand, but right now any snow bank or anything, she's jumping right in. She does the cute little, pouncing, prancing thing when she's in the snow that's pretty adorable.
TS: Did you grow up with any pets?
MD: I didn't grow up with any dogs, but when I went to junior at 16, my parents had to replace me with a dog. And she's been our family dog, Jasmine, she's very cute and she's glued to my mom's hip.
TS: If you could describe Winona in one word, what would it be?
MD:She might be my shadow. Shadow. I think it's good and bad. We're trying to create a little more separation during this time because we spend every second together. She's been better, but she definitely knows who her dad is. She doesn't really leave my side too often.
