Truffles bares 5 secrets about Jon & Patti Herrera

We’ve seen their gorgeous wedding photos and videos. She is the sweet-faced, gorgeous host of Etcetera, endorser of ForMe clothing and cupcake queen with her growing brand Sweet Patti Cakes. He is behind numerous trendy street style retail concepts, working on developing a music festival and one of the driving forces of the local nightlife scene. Patti Grandidge-Herrera and Jon Herrera are the epitome of the young, hip couple that manages to have their cake (cupcake for that matter) and eat it, too! They’re living proof that being married does not have to be boring.

As a young girl, Patti had one childhood pet, a Golden Retriever named Coco who lived to be 14 years old. Jon has also always grown up with dogs so it’s no wonder that when they finally settled together they chose to have one furry child of their own.

“On Instagram, we always tag each other in adorable puppy photos and send each other puppy videos through e-mail. It was about time we get our own!” shares Patti.

“We had been talking about getting a dog for a good six months. Jon wanted to get one before we got married, but I wanted to wait until after the wedding. My focus was on the planning and preparations; I didn’t want any distractions from that, our new place and work was already a distraction. After the wedding, we started to look for puppies but I didn’t want to rush it until we found ‘the one.’ I spotted Truffles because she looked like a brown bundle of joy, I didn’t realize she was a Shih Tzu because of her mahogany color. She just looked liked the dogs Jon and I would tag each other in — brown, fluffy and precious. After playing with her, Jon and I went for lunch and all of a sudden I said, ‘I want to go back and get that brown pup, I can’t stop thinking about her.’

“We took her home without having any ideas for names although in the car we did throw a few ideas out there. I told a close friend we got a dog and she helped me think of some names and we ended up picking her first suggestion, Truffles!”

Truffles

Name, breed, age: Truffles, Shih Tzu, six months old

Describe yourself in three words?

Hyper, sweet, playful

Describe your relationship with your humans? What do you guys like to do together? How do you spend time with each other?

I love my mommy and daddy! They are obsessed with me and spoil me with love. Whenever they come home, I’m the first person to greet them and they always stop to play with me before they do anything else; I think it’s because they missed me while they were out.

At home, we play a lot of catch with my small ball toys. We also run around a lot, I chase Mom and Dad when they dash into different rooms. I don’t know why, but they think it’s funny when I zip around the house. Sometimes we just relax and have family time watching TV. Or, we have what my parents call “family lovings” — they basically just smother me with belly rubs, cuddles and kisses. Right now, Mom and Dad are going to puppy training school with me on the weekends. They have taken me out a few times, but I need to learn how to walk on my leash properly before it can be a regular activity. Sometimes Dad just ends up carrying me, which I like!

Name one time you got into major trouble and how you got out of it.

When I was a few months old, I peed on Mom and Dad’s bed. I wasn’t fully potty trained like I am now, so I didn’t know the bed was off limits. My parents made sure I knew it was a big “no-no” to make wee wee on the bed. Thank goodness my cuteness saved me because after an hour or so, they were back to playing with me.

What’s a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me is mostly just eating, playing and sleeping. In between my meals, I play with my toys. My mom’s mom gave me many toys to play with, so each day I choose a different favorite one to play with the most; the other toys need a break. Sometimes I get teething treats to chew on, and that keeps me busy because it takes some time for me to finish them. When Mom and Dad are working from home, I like to hang out with them; I usually just lounge around waiting for them to take a break and play with me. It’s the best when the aircon is on because I lay right under the cold air and it feels so cool and relaxing. Since I’m still a puppy, I get tired easily and take many naps during the day. When people come over it’s fun because I get to make new friends. Sometimes Mom and Dad take me out too, mostly on the weekends. They took me to the market but it was too overwhelming for me. Now that I’m older, I want to go again.

What are your fave hobbies?

I like to race around the house a couple times a day, this is when my parents call me “Thunder Truffes.” Sometimes Mom and Dad take videos of it and post it on the thing on their phone called Instagram. I also enjoy playing catch and chewing on my toys. A dog’s life is so fun and my simple hobbies make me very happy.

Mommy and Daddy are so trendy! What do you think about this fad of doggie fashions and clothes? Would you ever wear shoesies? What’s one trend you would love to parade in and one you would never be caught dead in?

Mom and Dad bought me a pair of pink shoesies but they were too big and not very comfortable. I told them to get me a smaller size and I might consider wearing them on my outings. Halloween is coming up and I want to wear a costume, I hope Mom buys me something to dress up in. I can already see her taking so many pictures of me.

I don’t ever want to tie my hair or have clips or bows, I like my natural brown hair.

Tell me the truth. Have you ever eaten one of Mommy’s designer shoes?

Never! I think Mommy is very careful not to put her shoes on the floor when I’m around. The only thing I’ve chewed up of hers is a pair of house slippers and I felt bad when I saw her throw them away because she couldn’t wear them anymore. Dad is great though, he’s always leaving sneakers around for me to play with and he never seems to mind when he catches me with them. Dad’s sneakers are the size of me.

Your favorite food? And if you could have anything in the world even the “forbidden stuff” what would be your ultimate meal?

I love my treats! No matter how full I am, I always have room for treats. As soon as I see Mom and Dad go for the treat bag, or if I hear it before I see it, I go crazy and want my treats right away. Dad says I get it from my mom, since she likes sweets and desserts.

My ultimate meal would be a nice petite filet mignon, some cheesy mashed potatoes and vegetables. For dessert, I’d like mom’s cupcakes and scoops of all different ice cream flavors. I think I would really enjoy this. Can I ask my parents to feed me this on my birthday?

Describe your dream vacation and where it would be.

One time, Mom and Dad left me for too long when they went to the US. Next time, I think they should take me with them to Los Angeles. I would love to visit the beach in Malibu and stay at the guesthouse that Mom and Dad always talk about. I also want to try the yummy food there. I know it’s a long trip, but it would be so fun and Mom and Dad wouldn’t have to miss me since I’d be there with them.

I’d love to see my parents start a family and move into a nice, big house. More room for me to play inside and outside, yay!

Please share five secret things about your humans that only you would know!

1. Sometimes Mom and Dad refer to me as their “daughter,” it’s like they really think I am their human child. They even talk to me in a baby voice.

2. Mom told me that Dad used to go out a lot at night, but I don’t believe her because he barely ever leaves in the evening. Sometimes, he’s home from work before Mom.

3. Dad likes to give me Mom’s peanut butter when she’s not around.

4. Mom FaceTimes with her friends in the States a lot, and she always makes me say “Arf!” to them.

5. Mommy and Daddy ask me if I want to have a human baby sister or baby brother.