FriendshipCollar Reps: Mushu & Tracy
♡ Your bestie’s name, age and breed?
Mushu, 7-ish, Pug/Japanese Chin/Poodle and a bunch of other stuff!
♡ What is her favorite way to relax?
Mushu loves to sunbathe outside! 😎 I recently bought her an outdoor bed with a canopy so she can have a little bit of shade when it gets too hot. 🌴
♡ Does she have a favorite summer treat?
We love walking to our local Starbucks and get a puppaccino! The baristas all know Mushu and Shorty and know how much they love their whipped cream. 😋 Mushu and Shorty sit outside while I go in to place my order. They will sit nicely, staring through the window trying to keep an eye on me. As soon as they see me (or someone who looks like me) coming outside, their tails start wagging!
♡ What is the funniest thing she has ever done?
It’s not something she’s done, but I love being able to take photos of her. She’s very patient about letting me dress her up in funny costumes, hats, wigs, and sunglasses. 🤣 She will sit still giving me her signature scowl so I can take a great pic. Of course she gets rewarded with lots of treats!
♡ Are there activities your pups look forward to every summer?
We love going for hikes when the weather is nice. We usually go for about 3 miles and she takes a nice long nap when we get home.
♡ What do your pups think of the beach? ⛱️
In the summer, I try to take them to the beach in Santa Cruz. There is a dog beach where dogs can run around off leash. Mushu isn’t a water dog, so she stays away from the water. But she loves exploring the sand, scavenging for food. I took Shorty to the beach for the first time last year. She is a rescue dog from Korea, and I don’t think she’s ever seen a beach before. She wouldn’t stop barking at the waves. She even got too close to the water and was completely splashed by an incoming 🌊… I don’t think she enjoyed that very much!
♡ What are your top tips for being the best dog mom?
Set aside some quality time for your pup. Whether it’s a nice walk or hike, playing with toys, or just giving some nice belly rubs, spend some time completely focusing on your furry friend.
♡ What is it like having a dog as a best friend?
Mushu is my best friend and my baby. 😍 I feel like I know her the way a mom knows her child. I know what she wants or what she’s about to do when she just gives me a look. With Mushu, I have a friend to take on hikes and a reason to stay active outdoors.
♡ What does your BFF do that always makes you smile?
I love when she’s sleepy and she comes to cuddle with me. She’ll rest her head on me and it just melts my heart!
♡ How did you meet Mushu?
I had been looking to adopt a dog for a couple months, searching online through rescue sites and petfinder.com. Each weekend I’d have a list of pups that I wanted to meet and would drive to different adoption events in the area. Several times the dogs I wanted to meet weren’t at the event or were adopted before I got to meet them, which was very frustrating. But when I finally met Mushu at an event for DPS Rescue, I just knew she was the one. She was super friendly and curious about everything. She really didn’t need any time to adjust to her new surroundings. The first day I took her home, I brought her to my sister’s house to meet her German Shepherd. They had so much fun with little Mushu chasing the 80lb German Shepherd all over the yard and wrestling around!! She immediately made herself at home and now we are living happily ever after! 💙
♡ How do your dogs inspire you?
Mushu has inspired me to pursue a hobby in photography through her Instagram account (@smooshy_mooshy). I’ve also been inspired to volunteer as a foster (which resulted in my second dog, Shorty, as a foster failure) and a photographer for a local rescue. Because of her, I love to advocate for dog adoptions and rescuing pups out of shelters. She has changed my life completely!
