Kristin Juszczyk’s fashion design career has really take off lately. It began with the game-day outfits she made to wear while cheering on her husband, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Since then, we’ve seen her one-of-a-kind NFL-themed puffer coats and vests worn by Simone Biles, Brittany Mahomes, and Taylor Swift, to name a few.
Yet, two members of the Juszczyk family will not be stepping out in custom 49ers gear anytime soon: Kristin and Kyle’s two pups, Mozzarella and Pierogi.
“It’s honestly so true—they hate when I put clothes on them. For Halloween, we always like to dress them up as something silly, and their faces just completely melt, and they freeze, and they get so mad. So I would just feel so bad making something for them and making them wear it. They’re like, ‘Mom, we have enough hair. We don’t need an extra layer,’’’ Kristin tells Country Living.
One look at Mozzarella’s and Pierogi’s fluffy white coats, and we can’t say they’re wrong. Both pups are Vanderbilt Samoyeds, a friendly, intelligent, and active breed of dogs who look a bit like lovable polar bears (they did, after all, descend from working dogs in the Siberian Arctic) and who make ideal family dogs too.
Though being models for Kristin’s handiwork is a no-go, the two dogs happily took on a more suitable collab with their humans: the Purina for the Win campaign, which allowed them to show off a series of tricks in an Instagram Reel. Through August 31, dogs and dog owners can follow their lead to enter for a chance to win prizes, including Walmart gift cards, free Purina Treats Beggin' and Busy Bones to reward pups for their hard work, and, for one winner, a grand prize of $10,000.
“There’s nothing we love more than just being outside and bonding with our pups. So it’s great to be able to encourage other people to do the same,” Kristin says about the campaign. Here’s what else Country Living learned when we sat down with her to chat about her and Kyle’s sweet pups.
Tell us more about Mozzarella and Pierogi.
“Mozzarella is the oldest, and she’s a Sour Patch Kid. She has moments where she is so obsessed with her sister, and then she has moments where she misses being an only child. You never know what personality you’re gonna get, but she’s very smart. And then Pierogi is just so happy to be there. She’s obsessed with her sister and will do anything to be close to Mozzi. Sometimes Mozzi accepts her love. At other times, she just wants her alone time.”
Overall, Pierogi has been good for her older sibling, though: “Having two of them, it’s just made Mozzarella so much more active and so happy, and it’s nice for her to always have her best bud around.”
Aside from the aforementioned dog Halloween costumes, we’ve also seen them on Instagram enjoying a fan and even hopping in the freezer. What are your dogs’ top ways to stay cool?
“They actually love going in the pool. They don’t like to swim, necessarily, but whenever they’re playing I see the look in their eyes when they’re hot. They just go right in the pool and lay down on the stairs and just soak for, like, a half hour. It’s like they’re in a cold bath, and they love it. That’s their number one way, but they try to avoid the sun at all costs and like to play in the shaded area. They honestly do a really good job about it.”
On occasion, the pups get some snow days too: “We have a log cabin in New York we try to take them to right when football season ends. There’s always snow, and it’s just so cute to see their faces light up, and they are rolling in it and sleeping in it. We keep saying that we’re gonna build them an igloo.”
Do they have any favorite tricks?
“They love doing all their tricks. I love when they howl. We always say, ‘Talk,’ and they give us a great howl. It’s so funny. We also like to put the treats on their paws, and we say, ‘Look at me,’ and they just look at it, give us eye contact, and then take the treats when we say, ‘Okay.’ They’re really sweet and very smart. So it’s really fun to be able to showcase that.”
Changing gears to fashion, what’s your favorite project that you've designed for a celebrity?
“The most current project that I’ve done is always my favorite because it feels the most present, and I put my heart and soul into it. But it’s also like picking a favorite child—it’s impossible to do, you know. I love every single one of them. I put so much time and energy into each piece that I make. Simone Biles was one of the first to wear one of my pieces, so that is one of my favorites, and it was just always so cool to be able to design for her. I hope I can make her something new now because her husband’s on a new team this year, so we have to give her some Chicago Bears merchandise.”
Anything exciting in the works—new lines or partnerships—for your designs?
“We’re trying to do everything we can to be able to get something out for the fans. We just ask for everyone to be patient with us, because you only get one time to launch something, and I just want to make sure it’s of incredible quality and what everyone deserves.”
But, as always, you can keep you eyes peeled on Kristin’s game-day attire to see her latest: “The (NFL) season’s coming up, and I’m going to have new designs for every game, along with some surprises from other people wearing some really cool designs as well. So it’s really just for everyone to stay tuned and see what this football season brings.”
Terri Robertson is the Senior Editor, Digital, at Country Living, where she shares her lifelong love of homes, gardens, down-home cooking, and antiques.
