Nov 24th, 2017, 12:50 PM

Companions of AUP: Melody & Trufa Sapiña

By Cristina Mendoza
Image Credit: Marijose Sapiña
Bilingual dogs for a bilingual family.

How did you meet Melody & Trufa?

"Melody was the last one of her litter at the vet and they were going to put her down. My dad was at work and my mom called him crying because she couldn't let them put the puppy down. My sister and I were at school when it happened so when we got home Melody was there as a surprise - best surprise ever! My family adopted Trufa when I was around 4 years old. A friend of our family had a dog that had the puppies and we decided to adopt her so she would keep our other yellow lab company." 

What does your relationship entail?

"I love cuddling with Melody. She's technically not allowed on the couch but when my mom isn't home we cuddle on the couch. Melody also loves to lay at my feet while I do homework. I take her for walks but she can be stubborn sometimes and decides the walks are over before I do. My relationship with Trufa also entails a lot of love and caresses. She only really cares about food, so she looks to me when I'm eating to feed her (especially old tortillas for some reason) even though she's diabetic. I let her have a cheat day once in a while after she's had her insulin. She has become such a part of our family, that my role is also to take care of her because she's quite old now, but she's aging with grace!" 

Image Credit: Marijose Sapiña

Do you believe the myth that you and your dog start to resemble each other after a period of time?

"Absolutely - with both of them! Melody is sassy just like me and super social, but on her terms. Trufa and I have both adopted a very grandma-like attitude towards life in which we just sleep all week end and chill. She still loves going for the occasional walk when it's not too cold, because if not her joints hurt. We basically love food and sleeping, so I'd say we resemble each other a lot. Also, Trufa and I aren't good receptors to arguments or screaming, so every time one of my family members is fighting or I'm fighting with my mom, she puts her ears back and just puts on this face of shame as if everything were her fault; it will honestly melt your heart. She goes up the stairs and hides in a corner and we have to coax her to come back down. She honestly ends up helping us resolve the conflict because we don't want her to be scared. We're both very friendly and loving and excited to meet people all the time too."



Image Credit: Marijose Sapiña

What is special about Melody & Trufa?

"Everything about both of them. Melody has such a beautiful face, unique personality, and kind soul. She's never bitten or scratched anyone and she's always happy to see people and make new friends - she's absolutely full of love! I think that the most special thing about Trufa is also her kind soul. She reacts incredibly well to music, especially when my sister is playing the guitar. She seems to really enjoy music and conversation as well, which I feel plays a huge part towards her old soul. So, I feel like truly what's special about her is her kindness and her patience and capacity to love and stand Melody, who's always playing around and sleeping next to or on top of her."