Puppy Love

Yesterday I visited a friend's house, and she had a very special surprise! A new puppy for Christmas! Holly, which was the puppy's name, was a West Highland Terrier. Seems familiar from the Cesar dog food advertisements. Remember the cute fluffy dog with seemingly immaculate soft fur? As puppies they are teeny tiny balls of cuddly soft cuteness, but these docile breeds grow up to  14-16 inches in height, and from what I have read, they live 12-16 years.

West Highland Terriers, or Westies, as they are more popularly known, originated from Scotland. The name "Scottie", and "Westie" can confuse you into thinking they are two different breeds, but the names are all for the same dog. Right? Wrong. Just remember that the dog with a mustache is a Scotland Terrier. The dog with a beard under his chin is a West Highland Terrier. Also, the two differ  in the length of their snouts--West Highland Terriers have shorter muzzles, while Scotland Terriers have very long noses.                        

So cute....so fluffy.........Who doesn't want one?


Even the cutest puppy still needs for his puppy pads to be cleaned, his bed to be washed, and his fur to be cuddled. Before you rush off and buy your pup before you finish reading this post, you need to know about them. So come on and please please don't stop reading this, because we have just started.

Consideration #1: The Amount Of Care. When they get older and they can actually run outside, Westies are frisky breeds and should only be for people who have enough time to let them outside to play fetch often. They are active dogs that love to run and play, which is surprising since they have really short legs! Westies also are very courageous dogs that will do anything, even if it means death, to protect you and your home--another surprising fact since a lot of small dogs get easily frightened.

Consideration #2: Other Pets. Westies are known as "rat dogs" because they were used for hunting rats underground when they were first introduced to the U.S.  Therefore, any small rodents could get stressed around a dog like that, and to make matters worse, he could possibly be killed. Just because there isn't any rats in your home doesn't mean nobody will get "hurt". Animals get jealous about the attention others recieve. You may notice your cat is more in hiding than usual when you first bring your pup home. Other dogs aren't as jealous, but they probably will do something considered naughty to get extra attention, and they probably don't know that "going" on the floor and chewing the puppy's toys will cause the wrong kind of attention! Avoiding this is easy. Spend one-on-one time alone with your jealous pet often, and it surely will wear off.





To learn more about Westies, go to www.wikipedia.com/west highland terriers. Thanks!

A Critter Christmas

Peanut and Daisy are so excited for tomorrow because they surely want to know what will inhabit their stockings! Of course, although we do exchange gifts on Christmas morning, I want you to keep in mind that we are really celebrating Jesus's birth which is much more important than gifts!
 

Here are some pictures:

Peanut's stocking. I found this adorable thing at a farmers market. Someone hand-knitted it themselves!

Daisy's stocking I decorated on her first Christmas--3 years ago!

Who could this tiny present be for?

My adorable calendar picture for this month!

Isn't this house perfect for a little hamster?

So cute!

Our beautiful tree......

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Christmas isn't about presents and gifts, but it is nice to give someone something.Here are a few gift ideas for friends who have animals.

1. Treats. Unless your friend's pet is diabetic, you can make up a little gift bag that has treats in it. If you don't want it to be a surprise for the owner, ask her what his favorite treats are. At pet stores they have special Christmas-themed treat packages, such as a candy-cane-shaped rawhide chew I saw once.
2. Toys.  One of my animal-loving friends has a dog and a cat, and she bought little personalized stockings in them that come with toys and treats in them already. The ones she had had a little clear place to put a picture of the pet. You could get that, or just get some rope toys. Even if you get the same as what they already have, they probably won't mind. The original toy will get old over time, and the owner can simply replace it with yours.
3. Coupons. Try collecting pet coupons and put them in an envelope. By that, I don't mean toys and treats kind of coupons(although those would be fine too) but I mean the other kind. For example, there are doggy spas and camps all over. There are some coupons that make them less expensive and offer a better package.
4. Pet care. Even experienced pet owners need a break from their pet-chores from time to time. Or maybe they are going on a trip and they need a kennel for their pets. A great gift is to take care of your friends pets for the day(or more). Since it's a gift, don't even charge them. Just do it for free and save your friend's wallet.

Although all these gifts are great ideas, the best gift of all is to spend time with your friend and your own pets. It's up to you to be the best friend possible to your human friend, and your animal friend too! Merry Christmas!(Well, not yet, but it's coming up fast)