What New York Giants Star Cam Skattebo Learned From His Dogs

If you know the name Cam Skattebo, it’s probably because of his performance as a young, physical running back for the New York Giants, for whom he’s entering his second season. Or maybe his pro-wrestling cameos and viral Twitch streams. But he also wants you to know that, on top of all this, he’s a big-time dog person.

“First thing I do when I get into someone’s house,” he said, “if they have a dog, is I play with the dog for about five to ten minutes. You know, I lay on the floor, I make myself comfortable.”

And the dogs in Skattebo’s life have done more than help him have fun. Through immense change, as he’s gone from a regular kid to an NFL star in less than a decade, they’ve offered stability and taught him about what matters most in life.

Chewy taught him about friendship

The first dog in Cam Skattebo’s life was his childhood family dog, a Pekingese named Chewy.

“I was two or three when we got him,” he said, “and he was our dog until I was a sophomore or junior in high school.”

The relationship had a big impact on Skattebo. “I was probably the closest to him out of everybody in the family,” he said. “Having that dog throughout your childhood and through your teenage years, it’s a best friend that you don’t know you have.”

And Chewy wasn’t the last dog to see Skattebo through big changes.

Easy taught him to be a responsible adult

After transferring from Sacramento State to Arizona State, Skattebo adopted a dog who needed his own change of scenery.

“My mom’s friend had a 2-year-old Frenchie named Easy,” he remembered, “and I picked him up because he wasn’t getting along with the other dogs.” While Easy hadn’t been thrilled in his previous home, he immediately took to the collegiate lifestyle.

“He was my first personal dog,” Skattebo said, “my first dog that I had on my own, at my house with my friends. He was our little homie that ran around the house.”

It was fun to have a house mascot, but the experience was a lesson in responsibility as well.

“It teaches you stuff that you have to do as an adult, as a parent to the dog, that you don’t really think of as a kid. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to make sure that the dogs are taken care of as much as I’m taken care of.”

Duke taught him about loyalty and character

Skattebo met his girlfriend’s dog, Duke, when he was a freshman at Sacramento State. “I went over to hang out with some friends, and there he was, hanging out in the living room.” If you read the intro, you know that Skattebo had to get some quality time with Duke right away.

The greyhound/pit bull mix is now 11 years old, and Skattebo has known him for six of those. He was floored by how their bond stuck with Duke even when Skattebo was away for a while at Arizona State.

“I didn’t see him for about a year and a half. I come back,” he said, “and he’s the same dog. And that kind of shows you what dogs are all about. Loyalty, respect, commitment. So I just want to give him the world, let him live his life the best he can for the rest of it.”

Now that Skattebo and Duke are back together, their bond is stronger than ever. “He’s been ‘my’ dog, quote-unquote, for two years,” he said. “I think he’s fallen in love with me in the last two years over his mom.”

The love is mutual, as we could tell when Skattebo ran through some of his favorite things about Duke. “He’s super sleepy. Stinky breath. He’s like the most laid-back dog ever, but when you get him going, you get him going. He’ll have a good time for about 10 minutes and then he’ll go right back to sleep. Great dog.”

His dachshunds taught him to relax

Skattebo and his girlfriend now also have two dachshunds named Daizy and Cheech, and they’re key to preserving a sense of normalcy in Skattebo’s fast-paced life as an NFL running back.

“My dogs are the calmest dogs on the planet once I get past the five-minute greeting phase of the day,” Skattebo said. “I come home from practice every day, and the first five minutes, my two dachshunds and Duke both want to come up, give me kisses, say hello. Once I let them know, ‘Hey, I’m good,’ they relax on the couch and we de-stress. One will lay next to me, one will lay on my lap. The other might lay on the other side of the couch.”

“I’ve seen him go from sleeping 23 hours a day to only sleeping 19 or 20 hours a day.”

As Duke got older, Skattebo—a paid partner of The Farmer’s Dog, the Official Pet Food of the National Football League—became more concerned about what could help him stay in good health as long as possible. “He wasn’t eating the best dog food before,” Skattebo said. “And I was like, ‘what’s the best possible thing that can help him live longer?’ Food that’s not as processed, where his body can break it down easier and give him the nutrients he needs.”

After switching to The Farmer’s Dog, Skattebo has seen a difference in Duke. “I’ve seen him go from sleeping 23 hours a day to only sleeping 19 or 20 hours a day,” he said, a big difference for a sleepy old dog. 

“He’s playing more,” Skattebo said. This is good for him, too, since “I’m gonna be off the couch more playing with him, and it’s gonna help me be more energized.”

“I ride with that.”

“What I get out of dogs,” Skattebo said, “is I see how loyal they are to their owners and the other people they’re around. Even with the new dachshunds that I’ve picked up in the last year and a half, two years, they’re some of the most loyal dogs I’ve ever been around. And I’m super loyal as a human being, so I ride with that.” 

That means more than getting down on the floor and playing with a dog every time he enters a new house (though that part’s important, too). “I treat my dogs like I treat another human being,” he said. “Not many people in the world give back like dogs do.”