The poised gentleman in the photo with his paws crossed is Apollo.
The four-year-old boy is a Miniature Bernedoodle who lives with the Sanchez family in Miami Lakes: Aubrey, her husband Javier and their children, Noah, 14, and Ella, 9.
Apollo’s breed is a cross between a miniature Poodle and Bernese Mountain dog.
“They are so good and loyal,” Aubrey Sanchez said of Bernedoodles.
Her kids tease her that Apollo -- named by her son after the Greek god -- is the most spoiled of them all.
“He is super obedient and was very easy to train,” she said. “That is the Poodle smarts. We get lots of compliments about him.”
Apollo is a homebody.
“He does not want to be alone and follows us everywhere,” she said. “He is docile and chill.”
A quirky characteristic of their pet is that he is a reluctant walker.
He prefers keeping watch on the house while perched on a chair. From there he can see through a window whatever is happening outside.
Another of his favorite things to do is going on car rides.
“He’s happy that he’s not being left behind,” Sanchez said.
And while Apollo loves kids and will play with his family, he has his own game.
“Instead of fetch, he plays keep away,” Sanchez said.