Here at Hiro + Wolf, we celebrate mans best friend every day of the year! But being an all-female business, we don't often get to celebrate dudes and their dogs. This Father's Day we're chatting to our good friend Ross to find out what having a pooch means to him...
Tell us about your dogs - how and when did you all get together?
It took 5 years for my partner to convince me that we should get one dog…and within the next 4 years, we added another 2!
Loki, Panko & Motley are all saved from a charity in China called Slaughterhouse Survivors, and we worked with a UK charity called Underdog International to re-home them in the UK.
When we first found Loki on the Underdog website, we fell in love instantly. She was the perfect size, looked so sweet and her temperament was described as calm, playful and low energy. We only then realised she was in China... but the conditions these dogs are saved from were heart breaking and so we decided to go ahead, despite the distance - and we were already in love with her!
Two years later, in Oct 2021, when we got our 2nd, Panko, we thought there was a small chance there might be a Chinese dog language or some form of shared experience so we adopted from the same charity and region. We wanted them to be best pals and seriously that is what happened! Although Panko was a bit nervous when we got her, she soon warmed up to Loki’s patient attempts for playtime.
Two years after that, in Sep 2023 Motley arrived on the scene. She was a bit younger than the others when she arrived so came with a bit of crazy puppy energy but she soon settled in with the pace of the pack under the guiding paws of her older siblings.
Loki is now 5.5, Panko 5 and Motley the youngster at 1.5years keeps them both on their toes. Together they are @themischiefmutts on IG if you want to follow their adventures.
What’s your favourite personality trait of your dogs?
Loki is so sociable and clever.. always wanting to say hello to all the dog owners… but watch out because she knows where the treats are kept!
Panko is so loving, always wanting to cuddle up and get maximum attention. The perfect addition as Loki was never that cuddly and would move away if she got too much attention! 😂
Motley loves to play and never fails to fetch and retrieve a toy.
People often use the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” what does this mean to you?
I can definitely understand why humans and dogs are known to have such a close bond… besides the fact that they use me on a daily basis to feed them, take them for walkies, let them out in the garden, or play with them… they show me such love and loyalty by rushing to the door when I get home, sitting next to me or on me when we’re chilling at home, and generally following me around the house… they genuinely seem to want to do whatever I’m doing… and definitely always want to eat what I’m eating! 😅
They never fail to cheer me up if ever I’m having a bad day…just being around them helps to lift the mood.
What activity / place do you enjoy most with your dogs?
We used to love exploring new parks and green spaces, particularly woods which were a favourite of Loki who used to love racing and weaving through the trees…. I can neither confirm nor deny if she was chasing squirrels. 🤥😉
But now, our favourite place is definitely the beach. The pups love it so much, and if you’re ever on Walpole Bay beach you will likely see them chasing, bundling and playing together with massive grins on their faces.
As a dog dad, what do you love most about having dogs in your life?
I love the cuddles!
Also getting out for long walks, and experiencing nature has been such a huge benefit of having dogs. The dog community is very sociable and I love talking to other people either about our dogs, daily musings, or how much we love Margate! ❤️
Your favourite local dog friendly spots?
Omg there are so many in Margate - It’s so great to have an abundance of dog friendly spots.
- Dukes garden is great for the pups, as it’s fully enclosed and they have the dog treats ready!
- Ramsey’s icecream parlour has tasty little frozen yoghurt dog bones
- Colina’s at the Old Fort Hotel, as the food is so good and it initially seems like a place that wouldn’t allow dogs…but they love dogs!
- All the coffee shops, Forts, Cliffs, The Good Egg as the pups get plenty of attention there from staff and customers.
What’s your favourite Hiro + Wolf print / product and why?
We recently got the pups kitted out with the Inca prints and I have to say the royal blue colour is my favourite, because it looks so so good on Panko!
They each have their signature colour - Loki is orange, Motley is Pink and Panko was Forest green… but after seeing the royal blue Inca on Panko we knew instantly we had it all wrong and she was born to wear that blue!
A big thank you to Ross for taking the time to speak with us today! Don't forget you can follow Loki, Motley and Panko on Instagram @themischiefmutts