People often ask Jackie Hawkins about the sweet dog who greets everyone at The Fitness Studio. The answer is Brody, who has been her best friend for nearly 10 years.
Brody's story began when Hawkins was living in Tampa, Florida. She came across a Craigslist post from someone who said he planned to dump a litter of puppies if no one took them, and she went.
When she arrived, the man had a box full of black puppies that all looked like little German Shepherds. Before she could look at them, one tiny puppy came running out of the man's car, jumped into her arms and started licking her face. "At that moment, he chose me," Hawkins says, "and I knew he was coming home with me."
Not a Paisley
She first named him Paisley, after the country singer Brad Paisley. Her husband, Troy, was not convinced. He looked at the energetic puppy and said, "He's not a Paisley... he's a Brody." Looking back, Hawkins says, he was right.
Curious about his background, she later had a DNA test done. Brody is a mix of Staffordshire Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Chow Chow and Labrador Retriever. "Somehow, all those breeds came together to create the sweetest dog you could ever meet," she says.
The mascot
Brody goes almost everywhere with Hawkins, so it was natural that he became the official mascot of The Fitness Studio in Piper Glen. He greets clients each day and accepts every belly rub and ear scratch that comes his way. Some members bring their children by just to see him. If you have visited the studio, chances are Brody welcomed you before you checked in.
Off the clock, Brody is happiest wherever Hawkins is. "He's my shadow and follows me from room to room," she says. At bedtime he sleeps on top of a pile of pillows or stretched out in bed, convinced he is a tiny lap dog. He is especially attached to Troy, who often ends up with a 70-pound "lap dog" sprawled across him.
Pup cups and a cat named Hunter
Brody's favorite treat is a Starbucks pup cup, which works out well because Starbucks is next door to the studio. He also likes carrots and rawhides, but pup cups are his number one.
He has two rescue siblings at home. Juno, a pit bull-pointer mix, joined the family about a year ago. Hunter, a tabby cat, has been with them almost 10 years; Brody and Hunter grew up together and are the best of friends. "Watching a dog and cat share such a close bond never gets old," Hawkins says.
Everyone who knows Brody says the same thing: he does not have a mean bone in his body. He loves people, adores children and makes everyone feel welcome.
"Brody may have started life as one puppy in a box," Hawkins says, "but today he's so much more than my dog. He's family, he's the heart of our studio, and he's brought joy to countless people in our fitness community."
This story appears in the August 2026 issue of Stroll Quail Hollow.