Name: Coconut Huffington Wall, but you can call me Coconut.

Age: 8 months old

Breed: Shiba Inu

Profile/history: My parents always wanted a dog, but they were worried that their careers would make it difficult to raise one. When the pandemic hit and they began working from home, it seemed like the perfect moment to dedicate themselves to raising a pup properly.

Daily routine: I wake up around 7am each morning and when I’m groggy, I’m also at my most vulnerable. Mom knows that I’ll be open to snuggling and cuddling in bed for a while, until I’m fully awake and ready to start my day. I’ll jump out of bed, look out the window and provide a weather report. Then it’s a bit of breakfast followed by the “poop loop” – a walk around the block where I can conduct my morning business. Afterward we’ll come home and play treasure hunt. That’s a game where Mom wraps treats up in lots of different dishcloths, ties them in knots, and hides them all around the house. My job is to find the treasures, unwrap them, and feast on treats. Nom, nom, nom! After the game, I’m simply exhausted with a belly full of treats and it’s time for a nap. Later we’ll play with a ball or rope toy and follow that with another walk. Some days, my good friend Tony from Lucky Dog walkers will stop by to take me for a long walk around town. We might amble past one of my favorite dog park hangouts and see some of my neighborhood buddies. There’s Gracie and Drake, Lexi, Zuma, Joji and Toby (the second most handsome Shiba Inu in the neighborhood, according to yours truly) and of course, all the Coopers!

Loves: Anne. I just love Anne. She’s an angel. She’s my Mom’s friend and she was the first person to ever give me a belly scratch. Hi, Anne!!! Come over again soon! I also enjoy leaving the city for hikes around the Delaware Water Gap with my parents and paddling around in a canoe.

Does not love: Showers. You may not know this, but Shiba Inus not only look like foxes, they can also scream like them. Even before my parents turn on the faucet, I’ll start shrieking and screaming. EEEEEEeeeeeekkkkk!!

Favorite store/business on the UWS: I’m doing my best to continue using my dollars to support the community and all of the lovely eateries and local establishments that have been kind to me and my family. Freds is very dog-friendly and they give out milk bones; Cafe Luxembourg is delish; if my parents are picking up food from Thai 72  I can almost always count on getting an extra side of plain chicken and some bone broth to freeze and have later as a cold treat; and Bond Vet has shown us truly exceptional service. (Even if they did cut my nails against my express wishes. Hmmph.)

Favorite treat: Chicken!

Favorite park spot: I adore the dog parks at W. 66th and W. 72nd in Riverside Park, as well as anywhere on the lower loop on Central Park. Guess what? People drop food there. Of-ten. Once, I dove into an enormous pile of leaves and resurfaced with a full donut.

What are your favorite holiday traditions? It’s not Christmas without a viewing of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker”. Even though I can’t put on my best suit and bowtie to see it at Lincoln Center this year, I’m still looking forward to watching and supporting by buying a ticket and watching it streaming from the New York City Ballet. Tchaikovsky’s music is so beautiful and stirring! La, la, la, laaaa! My plan is to gather up a bunch of treats before I watch it and then pretend I’m living in the Land of Sweets and that Mom is the Sugar Plum Fairy.

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.