Dog mom and Corgi fan, Aryn Kraus had wanted a Corgi ever since grade school. (Cowboy Bebop, anyone?) So, Aryn saved up her money, finished school, and began doing her research.
“Corgis are hard to find,” says Aryn. “We found a little place out in Cobbleskill and went to pick him up. I remember it like it was yesterday. He was like this little, fluffy hamster; his ears weren’t even up yet. He was well worth the wait!”
| What’s in a Name?
Aryn and her husband Ryan are huge Bills fans, (Go, Buffalo!) so naturally, their new puppy needed a name to match.
“I got to pick out the dog, so my husband got to pick out the name. He named him Kiko after Kiko Alonzo, a Buffalo linebacker at the time.” The name instantly took. “The breeder said, ‘Oh, a linebacker…yes, that is going to work for him. It’s perfect.’ Kiko has that Napoleon, little-dog-thinks-he’s-a-big-dog syndrome. I have had other dogs, but these Corgis are so funny with their huge personalities!”
| Puppy Antics
Even as a puppy, Kiko’s fun-loving personality began shining through. “My husband and I had a friend over, and Kiko stole our friend’s shoe! So, he has this giant shoe in his mouth, and we are chasing him all around the house. Finally, he couldn’t quite squeeze between our couch and the wall, so he ran head-first into that space. 'He’s a riot,' we thought. We are on to you, Kiko! We see what you’re about!”
| Good morning, Kiko!
Now, seven years later, grownup Kiko has his morning routine, and it’s clear he’s a mama’s boy!
“Every morning, Kiko jumps from his bed onto our bed. Then, he only wakes up my husband. He will smother him with his floof and make little noises so that Ryan will take him out and feed him. Immediately afterward, Kiko comes back up our stairs and cuddles with me. We never taught him this. It’s just something he decided on his own!”
| (Posh) Dog Days
Although he loves his fenced in yard and a game of tug, Aryn says Kiko spends his days lounging, and if we’re honest, who wouldn’t?
“He is always lounging on his back with his paws up! He loves staring out the window, too. I blame our UPS drivers for always leaving him a treat. They are big Kiko fans!”
To Kiko, bath time is serious business not to be taken lightly, but afterwards…“He is excited to get in the tub. As soon as he gets in, he gets this very serious, stern look about him, but the moment he gets out of the tub, he is off doing zoomies around the house. He loves running and rolling around, getting dried off, and he loves the hairdryer even more!”
Of course, such busy days require lots of good rest. “Around 9 or 10 o’clock, Kiko will stand at the bottom of our stairs as if to say, Mom! Dad! Can we go up? It’s bedtime! Then, he will go up the stairs one stair at a time, as if he has just had the hardest day ever. Sometimes, if he has been playing, he will even want to be carried up the stairs! Then, he will curl up in his little bed, and within minutes, we will hear him snoring. It is so dramatic!”
| Stepping Out
As Kiko’s social media presence has grown, he has started to be recognized when he goes out around the Buffalo area. People “person” Kiko is loving every minute of it!
“Kiko loves going out, and anytime he sees a person, he will lay on the ground mid-walk until someone comes up and pets him. He is a blast to take anywhere!”
And everywhere they go, people love him! “We usually hear happy screams from people walking and even people passing by in their cars. Since we have built up his Instagram, people call him out by name: ‘it’s Kiko!’ Our friends think it’s wild! People will approach us when we go out to eat, and our friends just shake their heads. They can’t believe people know our dog!”
Aryn still can’t quite believe it herself. “I still remember the first time I heard someone say, ‘Oh my God, it’s Kiko!’ It just got bigger and bigger. I never thought in a million years our dog would be a celebrity, but I am happy to share him. Kiko has a lot of love and fluff to give!”
Not only does Kiko have looks and popularity, but he’s all heart, too. This loving, fluffy Corgi is also a volunteer, inspired by a fellow local Instagram canine, Carlo the Pibble (@carlo_the_pibble).
“We follow Carlo, and he is a local therapy dog. I thought, How fun would that be! Kiko has so much love to give. I started researching classes and the certification requirements. We had done behavior classes with Kiko when he was a puppy, and he is so well-behaved.”
Now, Kiko is a certified therapy dog. He works with the SPCA Paws for Love program, and often volunteers at the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport, among other places and events. Aryn couldn’t be more proud.
“It has been so awesome to see Kiko loved by all these people. He enjoys it, as well, and we get to meet so many different types of people. Kiko has so much love to give, and he is so gentle. Kiko is the best!”
| Local Dog Loving Spots
Kiko Loves Buffalo! Aryn, Ryan and Kiko have found many fun, dog-friendly places throughout the area.
• Breweries, Distilleries & Outdoor Patios
- Hartmans Distilling Co., Buffalo
- Barkology, Buffalo
- Resurgence Brewery, Buffalo
- Thin Man Brewery, Buffalo
- 42 North Brewing Company, East Aurora
- Fatty Beer Co., Buffalo
- Rusty Nickel Brewing Co., West Seneca
- Hamburg Brewing Co., Hamburg
• Dog Parks
- Knox Farm State Park, East Aurora
- Ellicott Island Bark Park, Buffalo
- Como Lake Dog Park, Lancaster
- The Barkyard, Buffalo
- Lewiston Dog Park, Lewiston
- The Paw Park, East Amherst
• Dog-Friendly Places
- Niagara Falls
- Public Expresso + Coffee, Buffalo
- Sahlen Field (only on “Dog Days”), Buffalo
- Sunflowers of Sanborn, Sanborn
- 2 Scoops Ice Cream, Hamburg
- 189 Burger, East Aurora
| Follow Kiko
“I happily take Kiko’s pictures and run his Instagram account: @kikothecorgi. It’s Kiko’s world, and we’re all just living in it!” Kiko’s menu favorites? “Anything pumpkin, and ice cream is a very close second!”
