Easter Bunny Invasion

It's not too early to be selecting a fine Easter Bunny for your dog this year. We have some bunnies and ducklings that are sure to please.

All these bunnies have the sweetest faces, soft plush, squeakers, and lots of Easter charm.

This cutie is the softest thing - designed to be a cuddly toy
for puppies and a best buddy for larger dogs.

I love those flowers on the bottoms of its feet. 

Amazingly soft, and round in the tummy, with a comforting plush that would be so loved by a puppy.

It has the look of a sweet baby itself, kind of soft and sleepy.

Next we have a group of three related rabbits - 

pink

white

and brown

Each is holding a soft carrot, which gives your dog lots of handy pickup points for

fetching this little buddy and carrying it around.

Here are the "Happy Hoppers,"

 sweet and colorful, with soft, thick

plush and such sweet expressions.

But what about that yellow guy there with the orange beak?

He has kind of a "Who are you looking at?" bit of attitude, don't you think?

This is not only a fun, floppy yellow duckie toy,

but has a sound chip that makes a great bird call chirping noise
when the duckie is shaken.

But that's  not all, as they say on television,

its wings make a crinkly sound when the duck is handled, 

which gives this guy extra dog appeal.

We have some ducky tank tops 

and lovely little collars as well.

There'll be Easter designer collars this week, and of course,

more toys.

Be sure to consider one of our customers' favorites as you

assemble your dog's Easter basket this year -

our fun fortune balls.

These are super high bouncers, sturdy and hollow, and each has

a different doggy fortune written on it.

We select the color and fortune, so no telling what your dog will draw.

As fun as fortune cookies, only they'll be around to

fetch for many a day.

 Be sure you check our store this week, as we'll be listing
beautiful new designer Easter collars, not to mention the 

beginning of our huge spring and summer inventory.

Three Teacups Full of Fun

Poodles are among the most upbeat, amusing, and merry little dogs in the world. The Germans have a word that translates to literally "Poodle Happy"  meaning giddy and joyful. They are the dog world's natural anti-depressants, and remind us to celebrate the joy of life every day.

Here are some of the cutest and the smallest poodles we've seen in a long time.

Meet our new customers Ginger, Shadow, and Feather-

This little sweetheart named Ginger loves to run in the woods, snow, and mud. She weighs just a bit over three pounds and loves to chase deer (when she can get away with it).

Here is her little brother, Shadow, weighing in at three pounds soaking wet.

He so reminds me of my toy poodle, Arlo, when he was a puppy. Shadow will probably stay in the under four pound weight class forever. He has a talent for dancing, and does that famous circus poodle walk on his hind legs. Alert, adorable, and always ready to get in the middle of whatever activity is on today.

This adorable young lady is Feather. Doesn't she looks just like a little Disney princess prototype? Love that pretty hair and ribbons. The great thing for Feather is that her mom is her hairdresser!

When you have little dogs that need regular clipping and trimming it's a big payoff to learn to groom them at home. Not only can you save big money, but your dog would prefer a family groomer than some stranger in a big place filled with lots of commotion and big dogs. (Check out our grooming aprons, Easter bunny dog drying towels with snuggly hoods, and other items in the store!)

These lucky Teacup Poodles have a mom who has spent lots of time working with students, and Shadow's alert expression says that his is just waiting to learn what Mom is going to teach him today.



Three Teacups -  I wonder if that equals the caffeine in two cups of coffee?  This trio of dogs bring a lively cheerfulness and ready-to-go attitude to every day with their loving mom.

Dog Perfume

Today it was gorgeous here in the Pacific Northwest. We took the dogs out to the country for a run at our favorite spot on a meandering river. I wish I'd taken a few pictures of the sky - it was too blue to be true, the kind of color that amateur painters like to use, but it never looks real. Arlo and the granddog like to run, while Hannah does a brisk walk, stopping occasionally to catch a new scent.

What I didn't notice until it was too late was her rolling her shoulders on a particular spot on the road. Which, on closer inspection, was a flat, felty-looking patch that clearly had been an animal once long ago. She was obviously delighted with the scent.

By the time we got home, it was clear that a bath was in order. Eau de critter was so strong, it was obvious that the girl needed a spa treatment. After lots of sudsing with a dog shampoo called Christmas Cookie  (my kind of scent), she did some serious sunbathing and warmed right up. This first scent of spring, with its bright sun and warmer temperatures has us all a little giddy. It's been such a long and dark winter, (like it is every year here, but after June we always forget), and when the sun is bright our dogs show they know how to enjoy it. Whether it's a romp in the country or a heavy-lidded basking session, sunshine makes a good day extra fine. We'll just avoid letting a certain long-bodied dog indulge in the Road Kill perfume next time.

Watch the Westminster Dog Show

When the Westminster Dog Show rolls around in February it's the one time I regret our decision to drop cable television service.

 Hooray! It's now possible to watch videos of the show from the Westminster Kennel Club website. So far, I've just watched the Affenpinscher judging (love those happy little guys). There is no commentary, just the actual crowd rustling sounds. It's almost like being there, only you get a chance to watch what you want to and don't miss a thing - it's all on video!

 I'll be there this year, enjoying all the wonderful dogs. A great time for anyone who enjoys dogs. Click on this link to go direct to the breed judging.

Family Dog

I recently had a pet-related discussion with two three-year-old twins. They introduced me to their cat, who very patiently put up with the underarm grab and lift by one of its proud owners. The other twin explained with a very serious tone, "(Cat's Name) is our family." I understand completely.

God bless those patient and purring cats and loyal and loving dogs who kept us company when we were small. In one favorite snapshot in our family photo album, I'm wearing a sun suit and bonnet, squinting at the sun. Not far from my white, high-top toddler shoes lies our family's black Labrador Retriever, Muggs, keeping me under her gentle, watchful eye. In the field trial circuit, where she was a winner, she was known as Lady Muggins. To me, she was family.

Our pets occupy such and important place in our lives. They aren't stand-ins for people, or society. With their own special gifts they are grace notes in our lives. As such, they have earned and  deserve their honored place in our homes and our lives as beloved members of our family.

Meet the Moose

Meet our handsome customer, Moose.

He looks great in his new sweater, the textured black and charcoal Chesterfield classic turtleneck.
You can see how this sweater fits comfortably, cut straight across the back.

Moose is a two-year old Jack Russell Terrier mix, the perfect small to medium size dog, with the face of a real sweetheart. His owner tells us that Moose doesn't like getting his picture taken, but he obediently went along with it for us just the same. (Unlike our dog Hannah, who often gets this hostile, "Who are you looking at?" expression when she sees anyone with a camera

Thank you, Moose, you wear this sweater with handsome dignity. Welcome to our family of customers!

Keeping Clam

Our dog Hannah loves to snuggle up and get cozy. Here she is with her buddy Arlo.

She would be even happier to have that blanket pulled up to her chin, and loves to be

 tucked in with a cover over her when she goes to sleep at night.

Arlo is that black blob on the left, actually a seven-pound Toy Poodle who just happens to be strangely unphotographable.

Why doesn't he show up for the camera like our sweet customer Miller and his friend,

or Onyx

or Angelo?

Anyway, Arlo's the guy on the left. 

 You'll have to take my word for it,  

that is a dog next to Hannah.

We don't sell the product that you'll see next, but I want to share it with you

in case you have a burrower like Hannah. She thinks it's the greatest!

This is called the Pet Cave, and it looks like an open clam.

Here she is, all snuggled in for the night. 

I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. Would she use it? Would it scare her?

After I set it up Hannah took one look and proceeded to tunnel right in to her Pet Cave.

Some nights you'll see just a foot sticking out, 

sometimes her nose is on the outside, sometimes her tail.

She's a happy camper in her clam bed.

Seattle's legendary Ivar Haglund popularized the phrase

Keep Clam! 

to invite everyone to his seafood restaurants

 and fish bars. Ivar's still serves the best fish and chips,

clams, and chowder in town! 

Hannah has her own version of keeping 

clam in her Pet Cave, and recommends this cozy bed 

for all your burrowing dogs who love to stay warm.

(Arlo sneaks in to nap in the clam bed when Hannah's not around.)

When she's clammed up, no sensible dog would consider approaching it.