Penny, the dog, is loved by everyone, particularly her owner Piroshka Friedrich.
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Ms Friedrich got Penny as a 11-week-old puppy in mid-2020 to keep her company, and she said she had been the best addition to her household.
Although only young when she got her, Penny was a re-homed dog.
Ms Friedrich got her from an elderly woman who Penny was a bit too energetic for.
Ms Friedrich said Penny’s previous owner wanted her to go to someone who would spoil her and love her, and Penny seems to have found that exact sort of home with her new owner.
Ms Friedrich had been looking for a new dog at the time and found Penny on a Facebook page for people who wanted to re-home animals.
“I wanted a dog for company,” she said.
“I put up a message asking for a puppy or a young dog.
“The prices people were asking for (non re-homed) puppies at the time was beyond my reach.”
Ms Friedrich wanted a dog because her daughter had just become engaged and would soon be married and she knew she was going to be living on her own after that.
“I always had dogs in my life. And cats too,” Ms Friedrich said.
“I love all sorts of animals. They’re great company.”
When she moved to Wunghnu 18 years ago, Ms Friedrich had chooks, a goat, cows and ducks.
But for now, living in Shepparton, she is happy with just a dog.
“I think now I’m just happy with Penny,” she said.
Turning two this month, Penny is all that Ms Friedrich had hoped for in a furry companion.
“She’s a happy dog,” she said.
“She’s a lap dog.
“She follows me everywhere.
“She plays all the time.”
Penny’s favourite toys squeak.
While she plays with the soft toys with the squeaker inside for a little while, it is the actual squeakers themselves that really get Penny’s attention, according to Ms Friedrich.
“Her toys don’t last long,” Ms Friedrich said.
“She’ll kill it (the soft toy) as soon as she can.
“But the squeaker – she’ll play with them for days on end.”
Cleaning up recently, Ms Friedrich found three of Penny’s squeakers under the couch.
As a general rule, Ms Friedrich thinks Penny is great.
When asked if Penny had any bad habits, she said the only bad thing about the pooch was her hair loss.
“It’s crazy,” she said.
There was also that one time that Penny chewed Ms Friedrich’s daughter’s bridesmaid’s shoes.
“My daughter did not speak to her for three days,” she said.
With a bit of training, Penny is pretty well behaved.
“I trained her with treats.
“When I call she will come back.
“She always wants to please you.
“She is a great dog.”
Ms Friedrich has a lot of love for Penny.
“I love her. She’s like a two-year-old toddler to me,” she said.
“She keeps me on my toes.”
And it is not only Ms Friedrich who loves Penny.
“She seems to be loved by everyone,” Ms Friedrich said.
Senior Journalist