Name: Rosie

Age: 4 and a half years old

Breed: I’m a “Newdle” – a Newfoundland and Standard Poodle mix.

Profile/history: My Mom was completing her doctorate at the University of Maryland and as she was going into her dissertation year, she knew she’d be spending lots of time at home alone. My parents got me and Mom says that I was her sanity check and rambunctious distraction every time she needed a break from writing all those pages. Sometimes I’d make some edits or suggestions, but mostly I was there for moral support. Writing a dissertation – while very impressive – can also be a difficult time for someone’s mental health, so I was happy to be there for Mom, encouraging her to get outside, take breaks, and enjoy life.

Daily routine: I’ll wake up around 8 a.m. and we’ll head to Central Park for off-leash hours near my friends. I say “near” because I’m more into playing next to other dogs, rather than actually playing with them. But I love to meet new people! My favorite activity is bringing my ball over to a stranger and then asking them to throw it for me. After lots of playing in the vicinity of other puppers and playing fetch with their owners, it’s time for breakfast. I’ll snooze while my parents work from home and then my internal alarm sounds in the late afternoon, which is when I begin my crusade for dinner. We’ll take another nice walk in the evenings and then I’ll end the day with a final burst of energy in the form of playing tug-o-war with a rope toy or getting Mom to chase me around the apartment. There’s nothing quite like the gentle sounds of a 75 pound dog zooming and ker-plonking around a 750 square foot apartment, eh? My evenings end with a dental chew and bed.

Loves: SWIMMING! At this point, I may have jumped into every body of water around Central Park. Once when my parents were out of town, they received a frantic call from my dog sitter saying, “She’s swimming in the duck pond in Central Park with the ducks and the boats. How do I get her out?!?”

Does not love: Getting my nails trimmed. I also have a very hot and cold relationship with my cat sibling, Pippin.

Favorite store/business on the UWS: The Amsterdam Wine Shop.

Favorite treat: Hot dogs and soft serve ice cream! They’re not just for summertime, folks. I love stopping by the Mr. Softee truck parked on the border of Central Park. I’ve even received a few free cones.

Favorite park spot: Romping around the sloping field on the north side of Le Pain Quotidien in Central Park.

What are you looking forward to for the upcoming holiday season? I know lots of things will be different this year due to the pandemic, but I absolutely adore the winter holidays in New York. The lights, the snow, the window displays! One of my favorite activities is to take an evening stroll down Fifth Avenue with my parents and enjoy the beautiful holiday scenes at each store. I can’t wait to see what’s in store this year. We’ll be there with (jingle) bells on, masked up and socially-distanced, of course!

Read all our Pupper West Side interviews here!

If West Side Rag readers are interested in becoming pet owners, we encourage you to consider adopting or volunteering to be a foster parent with one of the many shelters and nonprofits based in and around New York City. These include but aren’t limited to: Muddy Paws Rescue; Animal Lighthouse Rescue; Animal Care Centers of NYC; NYC ASPCA; Humane Society of New York; Bideawee; Social Tees; Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue and Animal Haven.