DANNY CHRISTENSEN AND MILO

If the saying “dogs are a man’s best friend” is true,  then consider a great pyrenees named Milo to be Danny Christensen’s best friend.

Christensen joined the Dallas Jackals after playing parts of two seasons with the Utah Warriors.

The Salt Lake City native stood out on the pitch ever since high school. He was named High School National Championship MVP as a senior at Olympus High School in 2008. He graduated and went to Fiji on a mission in 2009. The scrum-half returned to the Beehive State, attending University of Utah, in 2011 where he captained the school’s rugby team for the following two years while earning his Bachelors in Business Administration. It was during this time when Christensen adopted Milo as a puppy.

“I was looking up different dog breeds one day and I Google searched great pyrenees and every single picture were this miniature polar bear on its hind legs with its paws up on its owner’s shoulders with the owner standing,” Christensen said with a smile.

“I’ve always had a fascination with big animals. Wrestling with bears or something like that.”

Milo is also brave. He will protect any member of the Christensen pack, even fellow canines.

“My parents had a rescue who was afraid of thunder and lightning so when Milo was a puppy – my parents’ dog was five or six years old – Milo would bark at the thunder and lightning to protect my parents’ dog,” – Christensen recalled.

“He’s a sweetheart, super nice with my nieces and nephews. Just a big ol’ teddy bear.”

There will be a handful of dog groups in attendance for Bark at the Park this Saturday. Among them, Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue will be in attendance at Choctaw Stadium. Christensen spoke with them, sharing affinity for the great pyrenees breed.

The breed can be a handful in some respects, but repay any difficulties with love.

“Grooming is huge,. You can’t shave them. It kills their coat if you shave them but they do require regular grooming because their fur dreads easily,” Christensen said.

“Great Pyrenees use their bark as intimidation if they hear something in order to protect whatever  they’re protecting… instinctually that’s what they’re bred to do.”

Every time Christensen walks through his front door Milo is ready to greet him with jumps and licks. It’s a bond that the scrum-half cherishes and enjoys.

“It’s something I love just coming home from practice and having this guy jump off my bed and run up to the door to see how I’m doing.”

Bring YOUR dog to Choctaw this Saturday!