Two Peas in a Pod: Ways Penny and I Are Exactly Alike

Hi, I’m Savanna! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my spunky Chihuahua mix, Penny.

We’ve probably all heard of those human and dog look-alike contests, where other people and judges vote on which dog looks the most like their owners. I wouldn’t enter one of those contests with Penny, because honestly she and I don’t look anything like each other.

But after owning Penny for a few years now, I think there are some ways that Penny acts like me. I don’t know if my personality has rubbed off on her or if she’s just doing her own little thing and it’s coincidental that it’s similar to some of the things I do. We humans do like to try to humanize our pets after all. But it’s still fun to pretend that I have a best little dog buddy who likes the same things I do even if her motives are a little different than mine.

Here are some ways my dog and I are exactly alike in the things we do, but also the reality of the situation.

We Both Love the Beach

Penny and I both love going to the beach. We love getting out and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, relaxing on the soft sand, and having a little snack or drink. But neither of us really likes the ocean all that much.

But we don’t like the ocean. I love getting about ankle-deep in the ocean to look for shells that have washed up and taking pretty pictures of it. But I don’t like getting out in the ocean if the waves are rough or if I can’t see the bottom and what I’m stepping on. I love a nice, calm beach day with smooth waves and clear water, which rarely happens.

But Penny doesn’t like getting in the ocean because she doesn’t like water, and she’s not the best swimmer. I can’t really blame her there. The ocean can be quite intimidating for a small dog.

We’re Both Anxious

One reason Penny and I get along so well is because we’re both anxious creatures. Of course, I get anxious about rational human things, and sometimes things that are totally irrational if I’m being honest.

But Chihuahuas are just considered an anxious breed in general, so I think it’s just part of Penny’s temperament that she’s a little anxious. Also, I’d be a little anxious too if I was a small dog in a big house where even two of the kitties are bigger than me. Plus, dogs can pick up on our emotions, so me being anxious probably makes Penny even more anxious.

The good thing about both of us being anxious is that we can help soothe each other and offer emotional support.

We Both Love Going Places

Sometimes I like to just sit at home and not do anything. But I can get bored easily because I’m not a big TV watcher, and unless the book is really good, I can only read for so long before I need to take a break.

So, I like to get out of the house as much as possible, going for walks, going shopping, etc. Penny loves to go places too. She doesn’t care if we’re going to take her for a walk at the park or if we’re going to the vet. As soon as we tell her she’s coming with us, she jumps up in the car and is ready to go.

While I like going places because it keeps me from getting bored, I think Penny just likes spending as much time with us as possible.

We’re Both Introverted

Penny and I are both introverted when it comes to other members of our species. We both prefer only interacting with members of our household and close family. I don’t like to be around other people and large crowds make me nervous, so I’d rather just hang out with my family.

Penny doesn’t like to be around other dogs, even dogs that are the same size as her. She’ll give other dogs a little butt sniff in greeting, which I’d guess is like the human equivalent of smiling and waving at someone, but then she just goes about her way. There are only a select few family dogs that she’ll play with, but she mostly likes to interact with people she knows and cats.

I know sometimes we give off the vibe that we’re snobs, but really we’re just introverted.

We Both Love Nap Time

When I was little, I never understood why my parents took so many naps. Now that I'm an adult, I totally get it! Sometimes I just feel tired after a long day and have to lay down and rest for about an hour.

Penny plays for a little while in the morning, then naps all day while I work, which is good since I work from home and she’s not distracting me. Then she’ll wake up in the afternoon and play some more.

But what’s funny is that if I go lay down for a nap in the afternoon, it doesn’t matter what Penny’s doing. She will stop, get up on the bed with me, and take another nap. After we wake up an hour later, she’s up until bedtime. She’s very adamant about bedtime too. Once 10:30 hits, she’s urging us to go lay down and go to sleep.

We Both Like Gardening

Gardening is one of my favorite things to do. I love plants and flowers, and I love growing things because of all the bees and butterflies flowers bring. I’ll go outside multiple times a day to see if I have any new flowers blooming or see if there are any new pollinators on any of my plants.

Penny loves “gardening” in the sense that she likes walking through the flower beds sniffing flowers or tracking a chipmunk or neighborhood cat that has been walking through my flower beds. Sometimes she’ll help me dig if she sees me planting something new, but she never digs anything up or tries to munch on any of my plants.

Two Peas in a Pod

I could probably sit here all day and think of more ways that Penny and I are alike. But even though we like to do a lot of the same things and our personalities are similar, sometimes our motives for why we do the things we do are totally different. As much as I like to humanize Penny, she has her dog instincts and I have my human instincts. I’m just glad I have a little dog best friend that loves to spend time with me no matter what I’m doing.