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Teddy was obedient until the scraps started hitting the floor.

Even the most well-trained, well-intentioned golden retriever is going to try and snag a dropped piece of ham.

While troops and families likely came to the USO Warrior and Family Center on Fort Belvoir, Va., last Friday for the free lunch (courtesy of the USO of Metropolitan Washington), Teddy turned into the main attraction. The golden retriever is an ambassador for Hero Dogs, Inc., a Maryland-based nonprofit that trains and provides service dogs to wounded, ill and injured troops free of charge.

Teddy may not live with a service member – he has allergies, according to his trainer – but he had no problem sidling up to dozens of troops who streamed through the center’s dining room and sports lounge, craning his neck toward those who wanted to pet him or performing a trick on request.

–Photos by Eric Brandner, USO Director of Story Development