Meet Haggis, a six-year-old Labradoodle, 90-pound gentle giant, professional couch occupier, ice-cream enthusiast, and beloved member of the Fosdahl family.

Haggis came into Annalisa and Matt’s lives in August 2020, when they adopted him in Oregon. The couple had wanted a dog for years, but while living in California, their landlord repeatedly denied their requests. When the pandemic began, Annalisa found herself home alone during the day while Matt continued going to work, and they decided it was finally time to find a home where they could welcome a dog into their family.

After searching far and wide, they found Haggis. He was the last pup left—and they knew immediately that he was the one.

“He has been the biggest blessing in our life,” Annalisa says. “Aside from our human children, but he is the first born in our eyes.”

Haggis’s unusual name dates back to a trip to Scotland in 2018. While enjoying haggis, the Scottish delicacy, Annalisa and Matt joked about what a terrible name it was—and how perfectly it would suit a big, scruffy dog someday.

When they met their future pup, there was no question. “As soon as we saw Haggis, we just knew we had to give him that name!”

At home, Haggis has claimed the best seat in the house: the corner of the couch with the chaise. It happens to be the prime spot for looking out the window, and everyone knows it is Haggis’s spot. When he isn't lounging on the couch, he can usually be found on the bed, where he somehow manages to take up the entire thing and has absolutely no intention of moving for anyone.

His favorite local destinations are just as important. Every year, Haggis celebrates his birthday at Brooklyn Farmacy, and nothing gets him moving faster than the words “ice cream.” He also loves Valentino Pier, where the family tries to take him swimming in the Hudson during the summer.

In fact, “ice cream” and “swimming” may be the only two words capable of transforming Haggis from the world's slowest walker into a dog with somewhere very important to be.

For all 90 pounds of him, Haggis is remarkably unhurried. Annalisa once timed him walking from Henry Street to Court Street, and it took him nearly seven minutes. But his leisurely pace is only one of Haggis's many quirks.

When the household is in complete chaos - whether the kids are crying, everyone is rushing around, or the family is trying desperately to get out the door, Haggis has a peculiar response: he runs to his water bowl and starts drinking. And he doesn't just drink; he drinks with impressive determination.

The family has to intervene before he makes himself sick, leading to the somewhat comical scene of everyone trying to manage the household chaos while simultaneously calling out, “Haggis, stop!”

Despite his enormous size, Haggis is also a world-class scaredy-cat. Falling leaves? Terrifying. Hardwood floors? Absolutely not. Haggis refuses to walk on bare hardwood, so the family has filled their apartment with rug runners to create safe pathways for him. If there isn't a rug where he needs to go, he will simply sit down and cry until someone solves the problem.

For the Fosdahl family, Haggis is much more than a beloved dog. He was there before the children, and Annalisa says he is actually part of the reason their family became a family. “He is literally the best thing that we have ever brought into our lives,” she says. “He is the sweetest, gentle giant of a dog and has a million quirks that make us love him even more.”

Haggis loves to cuddle and thrives on attention. He also seems to know when someone is having a difficult day. When his people are struggling, he will quietly come sit beside them and offer the comfort only a devoted dog can provide.

“He is such a joy to come home to every day,” Annalisa says. “He is truly the best dog and we are so grateful that he is a part of our family.”

That devotion goes both ways. Haggis was such an important part of the family that he even became the inspiration for the nursery theme when Quinn, now 1½, and Remi, now just two months old, came along.

Today, the Fosdahl family is Annalisa, Matt, Quinn, Remi—and, of course, Haggis, the firstborn in their eyes.

So, if you spot this fluffy, 90-pound celebrity around the neighborhood, don't be shy. Say hello. Haggis loves meeting people, getting pets, and receiving plenty of ear scritches.

Just don't mention hardwood floors.

And definitely don't forget the ice cream.