Few fur families are as picturesque as Tory Burch and her two golden-hued miniature poodles, especially when spotted frolicking across the pristinely manicured lawn of her sprawling Hamptons pile.
Burch welcomed Chicken to the family in 2019: The pup was initially intended as a gift for her mother as a later-in-life companion, reminiscent of a standard poodle Reva Burch had previously owned. However, Chicken, a tough-love kind of gal, became a part of the Burch-Roussel brood. Next came Slim, Burch’s second canine charge, who has, over the past six years, proved to be Chicken’s endearing if slightly bumbling counterpart—like the little Velcro brother any eldest dog sister wishes she always had.
At first glance, Chicken and Slim seem like a likely match, though the duo came together under harrowing circumstances. On one evening when Chicken was still a skittish youngling, Burch experienced the most gut-wrenching happening of any New York City dog owner: A car swerved toward them, Chicken escaped her leash—and was gone. “She had dodged into the park and we couldn’t find her,” Burch recalls. “My kids put flyers everywhere, and so we kept having sightings, and people then pretending they had her. I saw the best and worst of humanity in that.” Three days, one reel of CCTV footage, a viral call for help on Instagram, and one 4 a.m. exchange later, Chicken was returned safely. “Slim was her security, her little brother, because she needed a friend,” says Burch. “He was sort of her therapy dog.”
Now they’re just two pooches in a pod with a professional comp card to match. You might recognize them as goofy yet well-groomed mascots from any number of Tory Burch campaigns over the years. “When they were puppies, they were just so cute that it was hard not to [include them],” says Burch. “We started to put them in some of our T Monogram totes. And when they would come to the office, they were sort of perfect because they actually liked it—almost as if they were posing a bit.” The duo also makes periodic appearances on the brand’s social media channels, like in one AI-generated dog-filled floating hot-air balloon “Happy Birthday” post to Burch on TikTok. “I wish I could take credit for that—that was my very creative team who did that,” she says, laughing.
Below, Burch answers the Dogue questionnaire.
What are your dogs’ best qualities?
Because [Chicken] was lost in New York City, she’s definitely a survivor. She’s impish and fun, but always a bit of a gamble. But once she gives her love, it’s a very gratifying thing for people. And Slim, he has such a funny face. When we got him as a puppy, he was a fat little guy with inset eyes that made him look perpetually nervous. He’s definitely anxious and loyal.
Who would voice your dogs in a movie?
Zoe Saldaña and Rodney Dangerfield.
Describe the voice you use to talk to your dogs.
Oh, my God, I would never do that to myself. But I can tell you that my husband, Pierre-Yves, acts like Chicken is the little girl he never had. And when we talk to Slim, we have to be very careful, because he’s scared of his own shadow, so everyone has to be careful to not raise their voice.
What are your dogs’ weirdest nicknames, and how did you come up with them?
Chicken is a funny nickname on its own, so she’s just Chicken. And Slim, he was a fat, uncoordinated puppy, so we called him Slim because he was so chubby.
Where is one place you wish you could take your dogs?
I’m laughing, because I was thinking outside. I’m definitely an outside person, and these guys are more indoor dogs.
Where is the strangest place you’ve taken your dogs?
Well, I mean to that point, I’ve been trying to take them paddleboarding, so that’s a work in progress. I put them on the back of the board—we’re working on it.
If you could tell your dogs one thing, what would it be?
I would tell them that I dream about them too.
What is the most human thing your dogs do?
They’re on a tight schedule. They’re in bed every night by 9 p.m., and they wake up at 8 a.m. I don’t know how we trained them to do that, but that’s their routine.
What is the most dog thing your dogs do?
Well, I don’t think they have any shame, so they beg for love and attention right after they do something really bad.
What are your dogs’ full names?
Chicken and Slim. We’re a one-name show.
Astrological signs?
Chicken is a Sagittarius and Slim is a Scorpio.
Favorite toys?
They can’t go to bed without their Lamb Chop—they both have one.
Favorite meal?
Chicken eats fresh chicken and rice, and she’s also a bit of a chocolate girl—which is clearly a no. We’ve had to hide chocolate from her in a very serious way. She can sniff it out anywhere. Slim is fish and fresh vegetables.
Worst habit?
Chicken likes to nip people on their way out, and Slim pretends he’s a scary Doberman pinscher until he sees a dog, and then he runs for the hills.
Strangest habit?
Chicken likes to hide from everyone, so we literally can’t find her, um, in the house. And Slim has this habit of walking against walls at all times. (I think it has something to do with his inset eyes. He definitely is uncoordinated.)