Pupper West Side: Jofi Has Ties to Freud But a More ‘Snuggly’ Technique

By A. Campbell

Hello! My name is Jofi (pronounced yo-fee) and I’m a six-year-old poodle mix adopted from Stray from the Heart. Based on my super fluffy coat, sometimes people have petted me and wondered aloud if the “mix” part of me is llama or sheep.

You might be wondering how I acquired my unique name and I can tell you that it has historical ties to the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Freud and his wife, Martha, were dog lovers and Freud owned two Chows, one of which was named Jofi. Jofi was always by Freud’s side, even in his sessions with clients, and Jofi was so intelligent that Freud claimed he never had to consult a watch to check that an hour had passed and it was time for session to conclude. Instead, Jofi would inevitably yawn, stand up, and walk over to the door at the end of each session, wordlessly signaling “time’s up!”

I am certainly a people-loving dog, so I see some similarities between myself and Jofi Freud, but knowing me, I’d probably encourage patients to stay and scratch my head. My days are bookended with morning and nighttime snuggles with my parents. In between, I like to take long walks in Riverside Park, graze on my food, and place toys in front of my parents when they’re both (rudely) attempting to focus on work.

In the evenings, I’ll support Mom by serving as sous chef, quality control liaison, and cleanup crew in the kitchen. I’ll keep a keen eye on her cooking progress and if I see a morsel fall from the counter, I’ll instantly “clean up” up the mess. *Smacking sound* One of my favorite treats is yogurt and my ear is especially attuned to the distinct sound of a yogurt container being opened. My Mom is originally from Bulgaria – a country well-known for it’s yogurt which visitors can find incorporated into almost every meal – and when she discovered that I was also crazy for it, she knew we were meant to be together.

My grandparents live on Long Island, so we’ll head “out East” for a break from the city now and then. I love running along the beach and splashing around in the surf. When I’m in the neighborhood, my favorite place to spend time is Riverside Park. The weather in New York City has been all over the map recently – that’s Spring, I suppose – but I’m looking forward to spending more warm weather days at Ellington in the Park watching sunsets, sipping cocktails, and gazing out on river views.

Read all of our Pupper West Side interviews here!

If you think your pup deserves a shot at neighborhood fame, we encourage you to reach out to Audrey at pupperwestsideuws@gmail.com to be considered for a future profile on West Side Rag and follow your fellow Pupper West Sider’s adventures on Instagram at @pupper_west_side_uws

If 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.

Correction: We originally named Freud’s wife Anna. Anna was his daughter. Martha was his wife. Thanks to our commenters for this correction.