Tofu, The Maltese Puppy
Tofu is a one-year-old Maltese boy. He's very playful, but a little shy at first, according to his mama Stephanie. Tofu's a Taurus and can be very stubborn at times (typical!). He's very food motivated and loves chicken so much that people aren’t allowed to say that word around him. “I swear he'd trade me for a piece of chicken,” Stephanie jokes. Read more about this adorable puppy in our exclusive interview!
Dog Whisperer: Where did you first meet your pup and bring him home from?
Stephanie: I’ve had Tofu since July 15, 2020. He is my quarantine baby. I first met Tofu at three weeks old. This was at the height of demand for dogs during the pandemic. I was on a waitlist for three months, and when I went to reserve a specific puppy, there were only two pups still available in the litter: the fattest pup and the smallest pup. Guess which one I choose? The fat one because he felt more durable and kept sticking his tongue out at me. 😛 I knew when I held him this was my baby… and he still sticks his tongue out at me every day.
“I knew when I held him this was my baby.”
DW: What are some special Maltese traits, and why did you choose this breed?
S: Maltese are very intelligent and Tofu can certainly be clever. He's gotten picky with his food even though he has only eaten fresh dog food his entire life. It's gotten to a point where he won't eat until he sees me mix in hot water and place a treat in the center of his meal. We are currently testing out different recipes, but will probably have to start a rotation so he doesn't get bored.
I used to dog sit my friend's Maltese and fell in love with Vanilla. Being incredibly lazy, I knew I could not handle a large, high energy dog, and what I really wanted was a needy lap dog. After looking into the breed, Maltese seemed like a great fit for my lifestyle and I'm so happy I made the right choice.
DW: What’s your relationship with Tofu like?
S: He's the love of my life and I'd kill for him. He loves me too, but I think he loves food more. We both have separation anxiety from each other, but it's okay because I work from home.
Related: Video on how to ease separation anxiety if you are returning to work post-COVID.
DW: What are Tofu’s favorite activities?
S: Tofu loves car rides and sniffing all the smells with the windows rolled down. He has a stroller so he pretty much goes everywhere with us. He loves to run zoomies in the dog park and play with the other dogs.
DW: What are Tofu’s favorite foods?
S: CHICKEN. Air fried chicken breast is his favorite. His whole body shakes when we even say the word chicken. He also loves prime rib, steak, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and peanut butter.
DW: Does Tofu have any best friends?
S: Tofu loves to play with his friends at the dog park — Hexie, Trixie, Winston and Coco to name a few. Tofu's best friend is his mom. ☺️
“Tofu’s best friend is his mom. ☺️”
DW: Do you have any funny stories about Tofu?
S: When Tofu was a puppy, up until seven months, he would wake up super early, climb onto my bed and slap me in the face with his paw to let me know he's awake and hungry. It's Tofu's house and I'm just living in it.
“When Tofu was a puppy, up until seven months, he would wake up super early, climb onto my bed and slap me in the face with his paw to let me know he’s awake and hungry. It’s Tofu’s house and I’m just living in it.”
