We’ve called the Hill Section home since 2000, but let’s be honest—our Shiba Inu, Mochi McNamara, is the one who really runs the neighborhood. At 14 years old, Mochi’s still turning heads with his dashing good looks, confident prance, and suspiciously judgmental side-eye. And he loves it. (The attention, not the other dogs.)

Mochi joined our family back in January of 2009 after we wore our mom down with a relentless campaign for a dog. She finally caved—but only if we got a Shiba Inu. She grew up with them and felt it was time to pass the torch (or the leash). We couldn’t argue. Shibas are known for being proud, fiercely loyal, a little quirky... basically everything we love about Mochi.

We named him after mochi, the soft Japanese rice cake, because his fur color reminded us of the kind we dip in soy sauce and sugar every New Year’s Day. (Yes, it’s a thing—and it’s delicious.) Since we brought him home just days after the holiday, the name stuck. And let’s be real—he looks exactly like a perfectly toasted mochi ball.

Mochi is a people pup through and through. He’s never been big on mingling with other dogs—especially the overly confident male ones. But humans? He’s obsessed. He can hear our cars pulling into the driveway from a mile away and starts doing his signature excited bark-prance routine immediately. (He inherited the prance from his show-dog father. The attitude? 100% his own.)

He also has some... unique features. When the light hits just right, his shadow makes him look like Batman. And his tightly curled Shiba tail? It's basically its own personality. Add a few salmon or steak treats, and you've got one very happy Mochi.

Some of our best memories are of him greeting us after school, tail wagging like crazy, or joining us for family trips to Palm Springs. He doesn't exactly love car rides, but once he’s in the desert, he’s living his best spa dog life.

His favorite local outings include shopping for books with our mom at Pages (he prefers the treat section), and sampling the pup tasters at Kreation. We’re pretty sure he’s low-key excited about Erewhon opening nearby—because if anyone deserves organic dog jerky and a $12 water bowl, it’s Mochi.

His inner circle includes my siblings Leyton and Lindy, plus our uncles when they visit. Mochi prefers humans with snacks and good stories. If he could choose one dream day? It would 100% include pulling us toward the icicles on the greenbelt so he can frolic through them like a snow fox on a mission.

He may be older now, but he’s still the boss. Loyal, dramatic, picky, and proud—Mochi’s basically a furry little emperor, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.