Want to talk about your pet subject?*If you would like to feature (with your pet) in a forthcoming edition of this regular column, please contact Colleen Morgan at Colleen@MoodieDavittReport.com |
The Moodie Davitt Report is delighted to bring you the latest edition in our Pet-sonality Profile column, in association with Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
In this regular fun feature, we discover more about travel retail pet-sonalities, their back stories, traits and habits, as well as offering some insights into their owners. Each pet-sonality will also be painted digitally by pets and equine artist Sami Moodie.
In this edition, we meet The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla and her well-dressed, fashion-following ‘pupfluencer’ Coco.
Name + nickname: Coco, aka Coconutter, Croqueta, Gordi, Coquis, Chiqui.
Breed: Coco is a Poochon, a Toy Poodle and Bichon Frisé cross, but we did a DNA test recently and discovered she is also 3% Whippet.
How old is Coco? She just turned two.
How did you meet? By complete chance! In 2020 I was spending Christmas at my sister’s home in Northamptonshire. An acquaintance had made an appointment to see some puppies and she gave us the details.
We went there, and next thing I remember is driving to Pets at Home to buy all the essentials.
I had thought about getting a dog but it was still only a vague idea. Coco is the first dog in the family so it’s been a rather steep learning curve, especially during lockdown. That said, it’s very rewarding and now we can’t imagine our lives without her.
Love at first sight? Totally. Coco was the smallest of the litter and the only puppy that hadn’t generated any interest. She came to greet me wagging her tail and I immediately knew she was going to come home with me.
Quirky habits? Coco is trilingual. She understands (or choses to ignore) commands in three languages – English, Spanish and Italian – which we speak at home.
Coco is not an early riser; she can often stay in bed until 1pm. She needs her beauty sleep and can get a bit angry if we disturb her. At around 9:30pm every evening Coco jumps on the sofa and asks for her evening grooming routine to start. That includes tooth brushing (mostly eating the tooth paste) and paw hydration (mostly eating the paw balm).
She also has her spot on the sofa and is quite attached to it. So, when we have visitors and they sit on her spot she stares at them until they move. She also loves public transport; as long as she gets the window seat.
Coco can be very demanding.
Funniest and/or nicest moment? There are so many! When Coco wants cuddles, she taps you with her paw, and that happens very often. She wasn’t a particularly affectionate puppy but has become very soppy as a young adult.
She loves walking but she has also learned to stop at bus stops when she is tired as a sign (or an order) to jump on a bus.
Favourite trick? And treat? Coco is not really into tricks; her recall could also improve but if you want her to come to you quickly you just need to shout the word ‘Cheese’ and she will be with you in a second. And the smellier the cheese the better as far as Coco is concerned.
She is also quite partial to roasted chicken. The real thing of course, not anything packaged from the supermarket. Coco is a bit of a chicken connoisseur.
Social media account? Misscoco_in_london. She has a lot more followers than I do.
If Coco could talk what would her first words be? Stop taking photos of me and please feed me more cheese.
Favourite airport/airline? We haven’t taken her on a plane just yet; it is not that easy when living in the UK. But at Christmas we made a road trip to Spain so she could meet her Spanish relatives.
We were a bit apprehensive about the channel crossing but it all went very smoothly. Getting the paperwork ready was probably the hardest element, plus our travel dates coincided with the UK rail strike so there were a few tricky moments. However, Coco loved the ride, and the attention she got wherever we stopped.
She also managed to get her Spanish pet passport and obviously loved the place and meeting the family as there was no language barrier.
Anything else we should know? Coco’s wardrobe is the envy of the West London pet community. We have won a few prizes for her costumes and make sure she is ready for every event and special date: Christmas, Halloween, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day.
When I was growing up there weren’t many opportunities to dress up so I think I am getting my revenge via Coco [Ed. Coco recently completed her first photoshoot].
She is also very active with different dog groups. We regularly attend the Doodles of London meets in Hyde Park and we helped with the upcoming Dog Christmas Market organised by Maltipoos and Cavapoos of London. Honestly, we had no idea there was such a vibrant small dog scene in London.
*Click here for our introductory story on the Duty Free Unleashed partnership with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The independent vodka brand from Austin, Texas has had a close connection with the welfare of dogs since its founding by Bert ‘Tito’ Beveridge in 1997.
The company has always been committed to rescuing and protecting the animals that have come into the lives of its people, and has even created a programme, Vodka for Dog People, to help that come to life.
Note: Through this new column, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and The Moodie Davitt Report are partnering to promote the work of brokenbiscuits.org, a disabled animal charity. As the world’s first disabled animal centre, its work includes:
- Providing equipment to families
- Offering homes to paraplegic, deaf, blind and disabled animals
- An education programme of visiting schools and universities
- Working alongside rescue centre, rehabbers and veterinary professionals
- Caring for stray and surrendered disabled animals
To support the work of Broken Biscuits, you can donate via this link or find out more via the youtube channel.
Previously on Pet-sonality Profile
Meet Duke and Lindsay Hitzeroth
Meet Barry Geoghegan, Milly and Jess
Meet Julio Cesar Magaña Ortiz and Hope
Meet Pauline Prescott’s Daisy and Digger
Meet Jeff Bond and his four-legged friends
Meet Bronwyn Clementson and Harvey
