It isn't every day that we get to celebrate Dogs being Mans best friend - we're an all women business so there's lots of Doggesses! So Father's Day has given us a great excuse to celebrate some of the fabulous Dudes out there and ask them to talk to us about their relationships with their Best Friends.
We're talking to men across the globe about what having a dog means to their lives. Let's meet Eugene and Kau, in Brussels, Belgium who are owned by their beloved Lhasa Apso - Bandit...
Kau, Eugene and Bandit...it's a hard life together in Brussels, Belgium
Bea: Tell us about Bandit - when and how did you all get together?
Eugene: We got bandit the beginning of April. We wanted to get a dog for such a long time and finally, COVID and the lockdown gave us the time to devote to raising a new puppy. Kaupo was searching for a long time online when finally he found Bandit, who was a two and a half-month-old Lhasa Apso. We were so happy when we finally got him.
Bea: What’s your favourite personality trait of Bandit?
Eugene: He’s really an intelligent, sweet and loving pup. He’s super easy going, gets along with everyone, and every other dog. He’s a great listener and rarely barks unless he really wants your attention. He’s super social and fears nothing. We call him Bandit to give him a little edge because he’s just the opposite, super sweet, lovable and cuddly. The colouring of the fur around his face is sort of a little mask too. He loves to give us lots of kisses. And he often lays on his back with his furry paws raised so we can rub his tummy. He loves that.
Bea: The phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” is considered a timeless bond - what does it mean to you and Kau?
Eugene: Unconditional love. He has grown together with us. He wags his tail and his little bottom back and forth in this particular way whenever he sees us. He knows we’re his Daddies, and no one else. He’s super special to us. And we know we’re super special to him.
Bea: What special activity do you like to do or place you like to go with Bandit (in or out of lockdown)?
Eugene: Always the park, every day. He loves to play with his best buddy Oscar (a cocker spaniel) who one of our best friends got around the same time. Lhasa's require lots of grooming. He likes getting brushed, his baths. And we have to blow dry him. Bandit is shorter-haired, so it’s really not so much to handle. I have allergies, so Bandit is a good breed for us because he doesn’t shed much. Regular bathing, brushing and blow-drying keeps his coat in good condition and tangle-free. He bounces around afterwards. He loves the attention.
Bea: As a DogDad, what do you love most about having Bandit in your lives?
Eugene: He completes our family. And really brings so much joy. We can’t imagine being without him now. He seems to really pick up on our traits. We really find it remarkable. He’s had no formal training and yet is so easy going, no fuss, he loves people and is well behaved. He’s got a lot of friends, human and canine, he's an all-around lovable pup. I guess we would say that he’s our son!
Dan and Ruby, nature and animal lovers through and through...in Middlesbrough, Cleveland
Next we talk to Dan from Middlesbrough about one of his dogs Ruby and their journey together so far...
Bea: Dan I know you and Ellie not only have your lovely son Austin at home, you also have Talulah, the jack russel, Frank the pug and Loki the tabbycat, but tell us specifically about Ruby - when and how did you all get together?
Dan: Ruby is originally from Istanbul, Turkey, we have no history of her original owners, she was left tied up on the side of a motorway until she was rescued. My wife and I first saw Ruby on Facebook asking for a new forever home and we agreed to give her a home that she desperately deserved. Months later, she arrived in the UK and she has been a part of the family ever since.
Bea: What’s your favourite personality trait of Ruby's?
Dan: Ruby is an extremely loyal and loving dog, all she wants to do is please everyone she meets. She has a silly personality at times, which never fails to put a smile on my face, she makes a Chewbacca noise and she wriggles on her back, whilst covering her face with her front paws, that's her way of saying "hey human, come over here and play with me and whilst you're at it, rub my tummy!" 😂
Bea: The phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” is considered a timeless bond - what does it mean to you?
Dan: When it comes to Ruby, she is everyone's best friend! But she will always come back to her dad. The bond we have is unconditional, no matter what day I've had, she will always be there wanting to be by my side, she is priceless!
Bea: What special activity do you like to do or place you like to go with Ruby (in or out of lockdown)?
Dan: I love to take Ruby to the beach, she loves the sea and she loves to run and front flip on the sand. I also love to break the rules and let her snuggle up on the sofa with me for a snooze!
Bea: As a DogDad, what do you love most about having Ruby in your lives?
Dan: What I love about Ruby is she arrived when we probably needed her more than she needed us. My wife and I were going through IVF and we didn't know if we would ever become parents and Ruby was that joy and distraction. Thankfully she has a little human brother now and she is perfect with him! The family will be forever grateful to the good-hearted people who saved Ruby and blessed us with such a great dog!
Ivo, Ramsey and their pup Stella in Boston, USA
Always thrilled to give a shout out to our Transatlantic dog lovers, Ivo and Ramsey are talking to us from Boston about their fur baby Stella....
Bea: Tell us about Stella - when and how did you get together?
Ivo: Stella chose us! On our way back from vacation in Provincetown, we stopped at an adoption event held by Last Hope K9. We looked at all the dogs and then went to Stella. The moment we got down on her level she curled up on Ramsey’s lap. Then she came over to me and put her face on my chest. That was essentially it. We knew we were hers and she needed to come home with us.
By the following weekend, she was getting used to living in the city of Boston. Stella is a rescue. We know very little about her life before we adopted her. All we know is that she was in Arkansas, that she had one litter of puppies and that her name prior to us taking her on was Gemstone (God forbid). We’ve had her for almost 2 years and she was between 2-3 years old when we got her. She may be almost 5 but she still acts very much like a puppy.
Bea: What’s your favourite personality trait of Stella?
Ivo: We love how goofy she is. She loves her belly rubbed and will flip over on to her back for just about anyone. She is as loyal as dogs get and once you are in her inner circle, you are as good as gold as far as Stella is concerned.
Bea: The phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” is considered a timeless bond - what does it mean to you and Ramsey?
Ivo: For us, Stella is our first pet as a couple. She is more than just a dog to us. She is our family. If it were up to us, she would be with us all the time.
Bea: What special activity do you like to do or place you like to go with Stella (in or out of lockdown)?
Ivo: For Stella its all about the food. Even when we take her on walks she is always looking for her next meal. She loves a trip to Starbucks for a puppuccino and on her daily walks around the neighbourhood, she is always looking for her favourite neighbour Barb, who is always ready with a pocket full of treats. She loves car rides, walks by the Charles River and weekly Fridays at doggie daycare (which we refer to as boarding school). This also includes a half-day of spa treatments which Stella LOVES!
Bea: As a DogDad, what do you love most about having Stella in your life?
Ivo: She is definitely a calming presence in our life. Even on the most stressful of days, she makes it all better when she greats you at the door with her uncontrollable doggie dance/butt wiggle. As speak she is snoring like a buzz saw. It's been a very busy, glamorous weekend for Stella.
Andres and his dog Jesse in Camberwell, London
Bea: Tell us about Jesse - when and how did you get together?
Andres: It was about two and a half years ago that we started thinking about adopting a dog from The Mayhew and my wife Laura was telling me about these puppies that needed homes. I wasn’t sure as I’d had Igor (my previous dog in Bogota) for about fifteen years so wasn’t sure if I was ready for another dog. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to go and fall in love with a rescue pup. Then Laura told me we had an appointment at the Mayhew. Neither of us realised that this might be the beginning of the process. We had expressed an interest in a puppy called Bounty who was a saluki-whippet cross from a litter of six puppies. But when we got there he had already been adopted. Then we met a puppy called Skittles and she went straight to Laura so then Laura knew that this was the one, Skittles was very calm and sweet. Then we had our home visit and shortly after that we were told we could come and pick up Skittles. As Laura and I are big Breaking Bad fans we decided to call Skittles 'Jesse' after Jesse Pinkman - so that was the start of our lives together.
Bea: What’s your favourite personality trait of Jesse?
Andres: Despite being part Saluki which is a breed know to be aloof and independent, Jesse is actually really affectionate, especially with me - she’s often licking and hugging me which makes me feel loved and special. I mean I like to think sh’s hugging me but she’s probably just being a dominant female!
Bea: The phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” is considered a timeless bond - what does it mean to you?
Andres: I think Jesse is more than a friend really - she’s part of our family. I do think that the bond that I have with Jesse (and that I had with Igor) is incredibly special and difficult to put into words really. It’s a very special relationship.
Bea: What special activity do you like to do or place you like to go with Jesse (in or out of lockdown)?
Andres: I love doing the trick with the blanket on the door, where I disappear before dropping the blanket - I love the fact that even though Jesse has seen me do it so many times - each time I do it she still looks amazed! She really has that “What just happened - where is he?” look! I love just playing with her - when I run up our stairs as fast as I can she always chases me and I love that sound of her paws running fast after me. When we go to Dulwich Park, which is one of our favourite parks to go to, I also love watching her play fetch and seeing how she uses her front paws to entertain herself with the ball. She loves the green space and bushes and places for her to explore, the squirrels, the other dogs and she plays so much and gets loads of stimulation.
Bea: As a DogDad, what do you love most about having Jesse in your life?
Andres: I love having Jesse in my life, just thinking about how many friends we’ve made from getting to know people on walks with her. People always get chatting together because of the dogs and we’ve made lots of really great local friends. She’s also a very relaxing influence on us. I love watching her watch TV when there are dogs on the screen is really funny but also seeing how she’s growing, how she expresses herself is beautiful to see and really rewarding. It’s also been lovely to see how different dogs have such different needs - either as a breed but also because of their personalities. Igor who was my first dog and he taught me a lot and I thought Jesse would be an extension of that but Jesse has different needs. Learning about different dogs needs and their personalities is also really interesting to me.