As you’d expect, San Francisco 49ers star Kyle Juszczyk is a very competitive person. He says his wife, Kristin, matches that competitive edge no matter if it’s ping pong, pickleball, or a simple board game at home.
But the competition in their household involves their two dogs now, Mozzarella and Pierogi, as they’ve partnered with Purina Treats to launch the Purina for the Win challenges — a series of games where dogs and their owners can bond in ways they may not in their daily lives.
“Quite simply, the Purina for the Win challenges that we’re launching here is an opportunity to go outside, go bond and play and go compete with your dogs,” Juszczyk told Fox Business Digital.
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“From now until Aug. 31, you can go to Walmart exclusively, get the gold packages of the Busy Bone and Beggin’ treats, and participate in all these different Purina for the Win Challenges. We’ve got a number of really fun ones to get you out there and playing with your pets. There’s some great cash prices involved with it, too.”
As Juszczyk mentions, dog owners will have the opportunity to win a $10,000 grand prize, as well as other weekly prizes, through the Purina for the Win Sweepstakes. And it’s as simple as owners sharing their dogs’ skills on social media and inviting others to do the same.
Juszczyk admitted he wasn’t a “dog guy” growing up, as his family had a cat they loved very much. However, when he and his wife met, dogs were always something she brought up.
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“We had talked about wanting to get a dog, and I was kinda on the fence,” Juszczyk explained. “Then, she showed me these pictures of these Samoyeds — these big, white, fluffy dogs. I didn’t even know these things existed, so I was like, ‘Yes, let’s get one of these.’”
Mozzarella was the first Samoyed who entered the Juszczyk family, and the name stems from Kristin’s Sicilian culture.
“Boy or girl before we got her, it was always going to be Mozzarella,” he said.
Then, when their second dog entered the picture, Kyle thought it was only right for Pierogi to be the name, an ode to his Polish heritage and favorite food.
From there, the Juszczyk’s have always tried to remain active with their dogs, which is why they partnered with Purina in the first place.
“I think it’s so important. I hate to see dogs that are just cooped up all day and don’t get the opportunity to go outside and play, sniff and explore,” he said. “So, we try to do as much as we can with our dogs that we’re allowed to. If we can take our dog to a resort that we’re staying at, we’re going to try to do that. They travel with us. They’ve flown. They’ve done long road trips with us. We love taking them to the beach. We love taking them to the forest. I love experiencing things together with them.”
As many dog owners can relate, the Juszczyk’s are always welcomed with bright smiles and kisses from their pups no matter how their day went outside the house.
“There is nothing better than coming home to our happy dogs that cannot wait to see us,” he explained. “It’s a double-edged sword — it’s so hard to leave them because we travel so much. We’re so busy, especially in the offseason. We’re all over the place. It’s really hard to leave our dogs, but then it’s so great to come home to them. They bring an energy to the house. There’s love in the house when they’re there.”
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