The Washington Nationals will introduce Natty, an 8-week-old Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever mix, as the club's official team dog May 15 when Washington hosts the Baltimore Orioles. The debut is part of an ongoing partnership between the Nationals, Eukanuba and Canine Companions, a national nonprofit service dog organization.
Natty was born March 5, 2026, in Northern California near Lake Tahoe and is one of six littermates being raised for service work. His name was chosen through an online fan vote in March. After completing medical evaluations at Canine Companions headquarters in Santa Rosa, California, Natty traveled to Washington, D.C., on May 4, where he met volunteer puppy raisers Jackie and Laura for the first time. The trio now resides in Virginia.
Over the next 18 months, Natty will learn basic obedience, socialization skills and receive proper nutrition as he prepares for professional service dog training with Canine Companions instructors. He will appear at multiple Nationals games and community events throughout the season and can be followed on social media at @NatsPup on X and @NatsPup on Instagram.
Eukanuba has served as the exclusive dog food partner of Canine Companions for more than 35 years. Natty will be fed Eukanuba throughout each stage of his development and training.
Upon completing his time with puppy raisers, Natty will enter professional training with the goal of placement as a service dog for a person with a disability. Canine Companions provides service dogs at no cost to children, adults and veterans with disabilities, and facility dogs to individuals in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Founded in 1975, the organization has placed more than 8,600 trained dogs and is marking its 50th anniversary this year.
