Luli
From Dogipedia, the free dog encyclopedia
| Full name | Luli Kristoffersen Hami Butters Shushak Shushkin Seki Shunaskan Skarsen Shoons Kit Kitkat Luna Lunabeth Lulit Tuna Tunafish Picnic Bebeck Bassinet Little-One Tiny-One Lulokoo Lulita Lulita-Chicitita Kitan Kitana-Sama Sek-Sek Bonita Beverly Chickpea Chopchick Baguette Seksan Nina Easybizi Mercado Cuchina Cuchinate Shushkita |
|---|---|
| Breed | Mixed Breed (Embark DNA tested) |
| Born | ~November 1, 2011 (estimated) |
| Weight | 18 kg (39.7 lb) |
| Adopted | October 2016 Gan Meir, Tel Aviv |
| Owner | Sabrina (Mom) |
| Step-dad | Shai (since July 2022) |
| Sister | Itta (born September 2025) |
| 21.7% | Labrador Retriever |
|---|---|
| 16.5% | Golden Retriever |
| 16.4% | Chinese Shar-Pei |
| 11.9% | German Shepherd Dog |
| 8.9% | Maremma Sheepdog |
| 7.8% | Samoyed |
| 7.4% | Keeshond |
| 9.4% | Supermutt 🪩 |
| 1st | 59 Gordon St., Tel Aviv |
|---|---|
| 2nd | 39 Shalom Aleichem St., Tel Aviv |
| Current | HaPardes St., Tel Aviv (since 2024) |
| Condition | Addison's disease |
|---|---|
| Medication | Florinef (daily) |
| Good girl? | The best (confirmed) |
|---|
Overview
Luli is a female dog believed to have been born around the year 2012, though her exact date of birth is unknown. Her estimated birthday is November 1, 2011. What is known about her past is that her previous owner passed away. She was found to be good with children, though she does not get along particularly well with other dogs.
Before being adopted by Sabrina, Luli had puppies in her previous life. Not much is known about them beyond this fact.
Adoption
Luli was adopted by Sabrina when Luli was approximately 5 years old. The adoption took place at a mass adoption day held at Gan Meir park in Tel Aviv, in October 2016 — after Sabrina had coffee with Uncle Sam.[1]
Personality & temperament
Luli is a very calm, sensitive, gentle, and quiet dog. She is deeply emotional and seems to understand everything happening around her. She does not particularly enjoy playing with other dogs, but when she does play, it is exclusively with Poodles.
Luli is a somewhat melancholic dog — she does not have a lot of natural joy or excitement in her day-to-day life. She is rarely in the mood to play, though on those rare occasions, she particularly loves playing hide and seek: when asked "Where's mom?" ("Eifo ima?"), Luli will eagerly run off to search for Sabrina.
It is extremely rare for Luli to gallop, but there are a few documented instances of this majestic event occurring.
Luli does not like to be left alone at home. When left alone, she occasionally performs small symbolic acts of damage as a form of protest — and she is also known to climb onto couches. Because of this, the family follows a process known as "Luliproofing" before leaving the house — which involves removing or securing anything that Luli could potentially damage or that could pose a danger to her, as well as lifting the couch cushions or propping the couch up to prevent her from getting on it.
Luli does not enjoy walking in the rain. On rainy days, she prefers short and efficient walks — get out, do what needs to be done, and get back inside as quickly as possible.
Luli possesses a remarkable ability to shrink and contort herself to fit into surprisingly small spaces, such as tiny dog beds far below her actual size.
She also has the extraordinary talent of turning any object into a pillow. Luli will rest her head on virtually anything — shoes, remote controls, books, arms, legs — instantly transforming it into a perfectly comfortable cushion.
Luli has a well-documented and deep-rooted hatred of veterinarians. Any visit to the vet is met with maximum resistance and dramatic protest.
Luli does not tolerate closed doors. If a door is closed on her, she will immediately start sniffing at the bottom of the door and sometimes knock on it — she always wants to be with her family and cannot stand being separated from them, even by a single door.
When step-dad Shai approaches Luli with the leash while she is lying on her bed, she sometimes bares her teeth in protest — though this does not happen every time. However, when mom Sabrina comes to her with the leash, Luli remains completely calm and cooperative. This selective response is one of the clearest demonstrations of Luli's distinct preferences between family members.
Residences
Luli lived with her mom Sabrina at 59 Gordon Street in Tel Aviv for several years. They later moved together to 39 Shalom Aleichem Street in Tel Aviv. In 2024, they moved to HaPardes Street in Tel Aviv, where they currently reside.
Adventures
New York City (2022)
In 2022, Luli visited New York City and spent time in Central Park. During the trip, she met the extended Kestenbaum family and even rode a ferry together with Sadie.
First snow (2026)
In 2026, at approximately 14 years old, Luli saw snow for the very first time in her life.
Family
Sabrina — Mom
Sabrina is Luli's mom and the love of her life. She adopted Luli in October 2016 and the two have been inseparable ever since. There is no one in the world Luli loves more than her mom.
Shai — Step-dad (July 2022)
In July 2022, a new person named Shai joined the small family of Sabrina and Luli. Luli has not fully accepted him to this day. She respects him, but there is nothing and no one she loves like her mom. Shai holds the official title of step-dad.
The Wedding
Luli was the guest of honor at the wedding of mom Sabrina and step-dad Shai. Despite the festive occasion, Luli did not seem particularly thrilled about the union.
Itta — Little sister (2025)
On September 10, 2025, shortly after Luli's surgery, a baby named Itta joined the family.
Health
Addison's disease
Luli was diagnosed with Addison's disease and takes a daily pill called Florinef to manage her condition.
First dog bite incident — August 25, 2023
On August 25, 2023, during a routine walk with her mom, Luli was bitten in the pelvic area and lower back by an unleashed dog. The owner fled the scene. After visiting the vet, they were told it was nothing serious.
Luli suffered throughout the night, and on August 26, after a second vet visit, she underwent emergency surgery — requiring stitches, a drain, and extensive medication. She recovered after a difficult healing process.
Second dog bite incident — November 16, 2023
On November 16, 2023, Luli was bitten again by the same dog. At the time, mom Sabrina was on her way from New York to Israel, and step-dad Shai was on reserve military duty — he could only reach her the following day. Luli spent the night at the animal hospital with the dog sitters who watched over her.
Luli recovered beautifully from both surgeries.
Tumor removal — January 22, 2025
On January 22, 2025, Luli underwent a planned surgery to remove a tumor from the area of her hind leg that had been bothering her. The surgery was successful and Luli recovered well — wearing shirts instead of the traditional cone of shame.
Click to reveal
Cancer diagnosis & treatment
On September 9, 2025, Luli collapsed and it was discovered that her spleen had ruptured and that she had cancer. She underwent 4 chemotherapy treatments over the course of approximately two months. Today, Luli is coping well with the disease and living a happy, joyful life.
Cute parts of Luli
A visual guide to Luli's most adorable features:
The Ear Encyclopedia 👂
Luli's ears are among her most expressive features. Like a finely tuned satellite dish, they shift and rotate to reflect her exact emotional state at any given moment. Below is a comprehensive field guide to every known ear configuration.
Food & dining
Luli is a passionate food enthusiast with very specific tastes.
Loves to eat
| Food | Notes |
|---|---|
| Chopped liver | From the delicatessen — an absolute favorite |
| Itta's steak | Yes, the baby's steak. Luli claims it. |
| Bamba | The Israeli peanut puff snack |
| Peanut butter | Will do anything for a spoonful |
| Schnitzel | Crispy, golden, perfect |
| Pizza | A true pizza lover |
| Shabbat challah | A Friday night tradition — Luli loves it |
Loves to eat (non-food items)
| Item | Edible? |
|---|---|
| Dirt / soil | ❌ No |
| Paper | ❌ No |
| Tissues | ❌ No |
| Paper | ❌ No |
Does NOT like
- Pastrami — refuses it
- Prosciutto — also a hard no
Favorite things
- Strong wind — Luli absolutely loves it
- A bed in every room — She insists on having a bed wherever she happens to be
- Malls & indoor spaces — Loves spending time in shopping malls and enclosed areas
- Offices — Luli loves going to the office with mom or step-dad. She is a very well-behaved office dog
- The sea — Also a big fan of the beach
Service dog
Luli is a certified psychiatric service dog, having graduated with highest honors (summa cum laude) from a large class of dogs. She completed the Intensive Psychiatric Service Dog Training program at ServiceDog Training School International (SDTSI), under the guidance of tutor Vincent Fairworth, head trainer Zell Yanyan, and SDTSI director Ricky Juan. Her handler is Sabrina Kestenbaum.
The training included a minimum of 120 hours of specific obedience and tasks training, as well as successful completion of a public access test. Certificate No. 4092276155, issued May 2, 2022.
Tasks Luli has been trained to perform:
- Public Access Manners
- Deep Pressure Therapy for Calming Effect
- Tactile Stimulation to Disrupt the Overload
- Crowd Control, Panic Prevention in Public
- Other Kinds of Assistance in Crisis
Tricks & skills
Luli has mastered a unique set of tricks and abilities:
| Trick | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Find the food | (both hands presented) | Luli can identify which hand holds food and gives a paw to the correct hand every time. |
| Kiss | "Nooch" | Luli touches your face with her nose on command — a gentle, precise kiss. |
| Who is it? | "Mi ze?" / "Who is it?" | Luli recognizes this phrase and understands that someone is arriving. Instantly goes on alert. |
| Bed relocation | (self-initiated) | Luli uses her mouth to grab and drag her bed to a better location whenever she's not satisfied with the current placement. |
| Sit | "Sit" | Luli will sit — but only when she feels like it. Compliance is mood-dependent. |
Barks 📢
A curated collection of Luli's cutest barks and vocalizations:
Known bugs 🐛
Like any complex system, Luli ships with a few known bugs that remain unresolved:
| ID | Bug | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| #001 | Water bowl refill trigger: When her water bowl is refilled, Luli is compelled to immediately go drink, regardless of thirst level. | Low | Won't fix |
| #002 | Staircase deadlock: Luli gets stuck on stairs and refuses to descend until all family members have gone down first. Complete group synchronization required. | Medium | Won't fix |
| #003 | Walk abort condition: Luli will not go on long walks if any family members remain at home. All humans must be accounted for before walk mode activates. | Medium | Won't fix |
| #004 | Mid-air catch failure: Luli is completely unable to catch anything thrown in her direction — food included. Items bounce off her face or land on the floor while she stares in confusion. The catch() method appears to be unimplemented. | Low | Won't fix |