‘Spoiled’ Dog Who Loves Swimming With Owner in Pool Wins Pet of the Week

This week we’ve seen an elderly cat reunited with the family who were forced to give him to a shelter years ago, and the heartwarming moment a dog took her first steps after a “terrible accident.”

Pets are great companions, and with 66 percent of U.S. households owning a pet of some kind, we love hearing about our readers’ animals.

If you think your pet should be in next week’s Newsweek Pet of the Week, follow the instructions at the end of this story to find out how to get involved.

Winner

This week’s Pet of the Week is Mousse, a chocolate Doodle who lives in Pennsylvania with owner Melanie Totenbier.

“When people meet him, they say he’s like a gentleman in a dog suit,” Totenbier told Newsweek. “We take him everywhere with us, and wherever we go he’ll go and greet everybody.”

When she first met Mousse, it was love at first sight. Totenbier agreed to meet the breeder with the tiny puppy and the rest is history.

“She put this little ball of fluff down on the ground, I took one look at him and said here’s your money,” recalled Totenbier.

With buckets of personality, Mousse loves people almost as much as he loves his favorite unusual treat—yogurt.

“He loves, loves, loves yogurt,” said Totenbier. “He goes to the refrigerator and puts his foot on the door until you open it.”

As well as a dairy-based treat, Mousse is a big fan of the family swimming pool.

“He’ll jump in the pool, take a lap around to cool off and jump back out,” laughed Totenbier. “He loves to swim.”

In a video shared earlier this summer, Mousse was captured in the pool with his owner being floated around as the text overlay jokes about how “spoiled” the fluffy canine is.

“He’s just an incredible dog,” his owner said. “He thinks he’s human.”

Finalists

Our first finalist this week is mixed-breed dog Josey.

“She was adopted from our local animal shelter,” owner Cindy Brosig told Newsweek. “She works at a therapy dog alongside her human that owns and operatives a private animal-assisted nursing practice.”

In an adorable picture shared with Newsweek, Josey was captured with sand on her nose—something that isn’t uncommon according to Brosig.

“There isn’t a day she doesn’t come into the house with dirt on her nose,” she laughed.

Next up this week is Ducky and Mazie, a pair of miniature dachshunds who live with their owners Peggy and Billy Brown.

At a huge 25 pounds, 1-year-old Ducky is on the large side for a miniature dachshund, who usually weigh in at around 8 to 11 pounds.

“The vet says he is physically fit. No fat. Straight up muscle,” Brown told Newsweek.

While Mazie, only five months old, weighed around 7.5 pounds at her last check-up.

While the two have different parents, they are the best of friends and often play together.

“They have the best time together. They both love to chase each other and be chased,” said their owner. “They love to wrestle, but Ducky is always careful not to hurt Mazie. We never thought I could love a pet as much as we do them. They truly are our babies!”

Last but not least this week is a super sweet dog in name and nature. Reese Peanut Butter Cup lives with owner Renee Ellis in California.

Adopted from a humane society at around 11 months old, despite being born as a stray, Peanut now lives a life of luxury with her family.

“Her favorite thing is the chase large bubbles,” Ellis told Newsweek. “She’s obsessed.”

“She is sweet, intelligent and loves all people and children,” she added. “Other dogs too!”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.