At Furmey, we are all about having a walk together. Introducing Furmey tales, tales shared by our dearest Furmey Friends.
This week, we welcome the always gracious Sukka the Iggy and her model mom, Henna. At just 9 months old, this little creature has not only won over our hearts at the Furmey HQ but people worldwide. She is witty, sassy, and a bit of a diva who loves kisses. We were lucky enough to meet Sukka and her mom at a small coffee spot in Paris.
Q: We know you of course, but for our readers, we were so kind to gather some information.
Lets travel to Paris, where our Furmey Friend Sukka resides...
Age: 8,5 months
Gender: female
Breed: Italian Greyhound
Origin: France
Guilty pleasure: Mum’s socks
If id be human I would be...
Profession: Comedian
Celeb: Brigitte Bardot, because she’s also from Paris and pretty like me
For candy, I go to: Whatever Mum is having.
Life mantra: There’s no place like my bed.
Q: And not to forget, her mom..
The mom: Henna
Age: 33
Profession: Model
In the company of Sukka since: 6 months
Now let's dive into our conversation...
Q: First of all, how are you? How is it going with the both of you?
A: We are very well thank you! Springtime in Paris is the most beautiful!
Q: To start, we would like to ask some questions such as when you decided you wanted a fur baby?
A: I always had a dog since I was a child. After I moved out from my parents and started to travel I couldn’t commit to having my own dog. I’ve been modeling full-time internationally for 11 years now and finally, I’m more settled in one country. I always knew that I will have a dog and now the timing seemed right.
Q: Is Sukka your first fur baby? And how did the process of finding Sukka go? How and why did you choose this breed?
A: Sukka is my third dog. I used to have only Golden Retrievers so Sukka is my first Italian Greyhound. I chose this breed because I’m living in a city now and a small dog is just more practical in the apartment. Also, this breed doesn’t shed much and luckily Sukka doesn’t bark either. I did a lot of research before getting her and it was not so easy to find one since this breed is not very common in France. I was very lucky to find a responsible breeder who helped me with everything and together we decided that Sukka was the right fit for me. Which she definitely was!
Q: Any advice you wish to share with people who are looking for their furry friend?
A: It is very important to research the breed. What are their characters and not only focus on how they look. It is a big commitment to own a dog so make sure that you have time for them. It is also very important to talk with different breeders. Are they breeding healthy dogs and in what kind of conditions. It’s highly recommended that you visit them before making the decision.
Q: Any specific advice for the puppy phase?
A: The puppy phase can be tough so make sure you have enough time in your calendar. The first month especially can be quite exhausting. You have to watch them 24/7 until they learn the basics. It’s also important to ”puppy proof” your home. Like that you keep the puppy safe and make sure nothing valuable gets destroyed.
Q: By the way, tell us a little about her name it sounds so cool. And Was it instantly Sukka or did you consider any other names and what does it mean?
A: In France dogs' names has different letter every year. Last year (2021) was the letter ”S” so we had to think about the name's starting with ”S”. Her official name is Sublime but we wanted something easier. The first option was Suki but that was quite common so it became Sukka. I’m from Finland and in Finnish it means ”Sock” so it was quite funny.
Q: How would you explain Sukka her personality in three words?
A: Funny, loving, playful.
Q: We can’t stop watching Sukka’s feed, especially her videos. How did you decide on her ‘voice’ and personality online, she seems so fun and sassy!
A: Thank you so much. Her Instagram fame happened quite unexpectedly. I just started posting videos when I found a sound that related to the thing she does or could sound like her. It is so easy to make a video of her because everything she does is funny somehow. She is very expressive! I’m having so much fun editing her videos and almost every day I receive messages about how they make people happy. I think she was born to make people happy.
Q: They say a dog looks like its parent; tell us your shared assets!
A: That’s so true! I think with Sukka we have long skinny legs in common.
Q: That's so true, you are a working model in Paris, how do you combine work with having a fur baby?
A: Luckily in modeling, we have a lot of free time too. I don’t work every day and on the days I work Sukka is staying with my boyfriend at home. When she was very little I had a dog sitter with her at home sometimes too. I have slowly trained her to stay alone but I don’t like to leave her longer than three hours at a time. This breed especially doesn’t do well alone.
Q: We see, so what would a day-to-day look like for you?
A: Every morning we wake up before seven and first I take her quickly outside. She is already housebroken so she can hold through the night. Then she gets her breakfast while I’m having mine. We usually do a longer walk later in the day because Sukka wants to continue her sleep after her meal. She goes almost everywhere with us during the day. To coffee shops or if we have to do some shopping or run errands. We are very lucky in Paris that we can take her almost everywhere with us.
She is quite active during the day normally so she likes to sleep whenever we are at home. If it’s raining she will not go outside. On those days I have to make her some fun indoor activities. Like that she does less harm inside the apartment. She loves to eat my plants and carpet when she’s bored.
Q: Oh no! haha. So would you say your life changed a lot since you got Sukka?
A: No, I didn’t have to change my lifestyle that much. I always liked to get up early and go for a walk. Now my life just got better because I have her to keep me company while I’m doing the things I was already doing. Also, I have met so many new people through her which has been really fun! On weekends we go outside Paris with two other iggy friends to let them run free together. Sukka has only added good things to my life.
Q: That's so good to hear! truly a (wo)mans best friend! We met you in Paris, the city of love. What would be some nice places to go to that allow pets?
A: Paris is actually a very dog-friendly city. I never actually thought about it before. Here you can bring your dog to most of the restaurants. Only big supermarkets don’t allow dogs inside.
Our favorite coffee shop is called Dreamin Man. It’s run by a young Japanese guy. We go there every week and Sukka falls asleep there immediately because the atmosphere is just so calming. Their coffee is the best I ever found in Paris.
Q: Sounds great! we love a good cup of coffee at Furmey HQ. Also, what is Sukka her favorite place to go?
A: On weekends we go to the Parc de Sceaux. It’s a little bit outside of the city but it’s worth the travel because it’s so beautiful and calm. It’s a huge area and Sukka loves to run there with her dog friends.
Q: So, on a scale of 1-10 how dog-friendly is Paris and why?
A: Paris is 9! I have talked with people around the world and everyone is surprised that I can bring Sukka with me almost everywhere. The only thing I would change is that there should be more dog parks where they can run free.
Q: I guess we are falling in love with this city more and more! Back to Sukka, she is teeny-tiny, we were enlightened that you shared some Iggy facts with us as we love some Furmey Facts ourselves! Would you be so kind to share some of your Iggy wisdom here?
A: Sukka is my first iggy so I’m also still learning. The first thing that came to my mind is that they are very sensitive. It’s very important to feed them good quality food and make sure you keep their teeth healthy. I’m brushing Sukka’steeth every couple of days. They are also very prone to leg breaks. You have to make sure that you have soft carpets and low furniture if possible. Especially when they are puppies. They think that they can fly! The first thing I took for her is good pet insurance. It will be very costly if the accident happens.
The other thing that I had to get used to is that you have to dress them on cold days. They don’t have thick hair so they get cold easily. Thanks to you she got some really warm and cozy jumpers this winter.
Q: You are so welcome! Again, we love your Instagram and we are not the only ones. What is the most requested question that you would like to talk about here?
A: People ask a lot about potty training. Iggies are very challenging to potty train indeed! It took us also lots of patience and consistency. Now Sukka is almost nine months and I would say 90% clean. She has accidents if I’m not fast enough. She just doesn’t care to hold.
They are not impossible to house train if you just stay consistent but I think it is also very individual. I heard that some of them are never fully house trained so I guess it’s something you just have to be prepared for.
Q: That's great to know. On another note, would you be so kind to share a Funny story that Sukka ever got you into?
A: There are probably so many! One that came to my mind is that when since she was a puppy everyone in my area just loved her. She got so much attention from people on the streets and from the people who work in the shops. Now she still stops in front of every shop where she ever got cuddles. She sits in front of the shop until someone comes out to say hello to her. Our walks take so long sometimes.
Q: love it. What is the most fun thing having Sukka brought you? (Next to endless love and kisses obviously)
A: I think it’s the new friendships I have made through her. Iggy owners are quite obsessed with their babies so it’s been very easy to build a community.
Q: We feel this, we love our Furmey Friends! We love that Sukka enjoys her Furmey jumpers so much, she looks great in them! What is your favorite Furmey color?
A: I love all the colors but I think our favorite is the purple. Sukka looks good in every color because she’s black so I can dress her in anything though. My personal style is very simple so I also like her in black and white. Like that we match together.
Q: Thank you so much for your time Henna and Sukka!
A: Thank you so much! We love Furmey!
