Australian Shepherds - The Right Dog for You?....by Rosamond of RJM Creations

This is the best article I have ever read on Australian Shepherds, my dogs of choice and the last 4 of my rescues. I have asked permission to reprint this article because of the great information:

Photo courtesy of www.dogbreedinfo.com

Is an Australian Shepherd the Right Dog for You? By Liz Palika Copyright 2000. Not to be reproduced without permission from the author.

Aussies are my breed of choice; I've had them for over twenty years now. However, I am the first to admit Australian Shepherds are NOT the right breed for everyone. In fact, when I talk (or email) to people about Aussies I try to talk more people out of buying an Aussie than I try to convince to get one. Why? Well, let's look at the breed.

First of all, Aussies have a very strong drive to work. As all around, versatile ranch dogs, they need to do something. Aussies were not designed or bred to be pets and as pets, with no job to do, they get into trouble. An Aussie with no sheep to herd, ducks to drive or cattle to round up will herd the kids instead. All Aussies need a job to do; maybe three or four jobs! He needs to bring in the morning newspaper, keep the kids out of the street, learn his obedience and agility training, and do therapy dog work. If you can't provide your Aussie with a sense of purpose, don't get an Aussie!

All dogs bred to work and control stock, Aussies can have a very high opinion of themselves and many have a more dominant, somewhat pushy personality. This trait, when combined with the breed's natural intelligence, makes it easy for Aussies to try to assume leadership of the family pack; a recipe for disaster. The owner of an Aussie must be assertive enough to make sure this doesn't happen. If you have a very soft personality, hate being assertive, are very soft spoken and want a dog who will naturally give in to you without any stress, then don't get an Aussie.

All Aussies need training. Not only does obedience training give your Aussie something to do and think about, it also teaches him self-control. Training also teaches him to accept discipline from you and that you are in charge. If you will not take the time to train your dog - not just for a five to six week class but for several years as he grows from puppyhood through adolescence and into adulthood - then do not get an Aussie.

What kind of training technique should you use? Well, the all-positive training techniques are very popular right now but aren't always the best for Aussies. Although all positive training (using no corrections) is wonderful in concept; many Aussies will take advantage of this type of training. In their world, a dog that gives no corrections is considered weak and at the bottom of the pack. The leader must be able to stand up for himself and give needed corrections. Since you must be your Aussie's leader, you must be able to give fair but firm, humane, and ethical yet effective corrections when needed.

As working herding dogs, Aussies need exercise. A walk is not exercise. A good, vigorous game of Frisbee is exercise, as is a run along side the bicycle. Aussies need exercise every single day without fail. A dog with too much energy and no outlet for it will get into trouble. If you are an active person who likes to walk, hike, jog and do other outdoor activities, then an Aussie might be great for you. If you're a couch potato, don't get an Aussie.

Aussies need to be with their people. An Aussie is not a backyard dog. Aussies want to be with you as much as possible and would prefer to crawl under your skin! If you don't want a real companion dog, don't get an Aussie. If you want a dog who will stay in the backyard all (or most) of the time, don't get an Aussie.

Aussies need socialization. As protective herding dogs who can be (and should be) reserved with strangers, Aussies need a lot of socialization during puppyhood. If you are very busy and can't take the time to get your puppy to different places and to meet different people while he's a puppy, then do not get an Aussie. An Aussie who isn't properly socialized can easily develop behavior problems, including fearfulness towards strangers, fear-biting, overly aggressive behavior and a host of other problems.

Personally, I enjoy the challenges of raising an Aussie. I like taking my puppy places. I enjoy dog training and love to keep their minds challenged and stimulated. In fact, right now Riker is learning his A, B and C's. He can recognize and touch the appropriate block when I tell him, "Riker, touch A" or B or C. He loves this game, too, because he's thinking and learning. Since I also have a dominant personality, I don't have to worry too much about my Aussies pushing me too far although they all try during adolescence. I don't even mind the fact that I have to vacuum the house daily because Aussies shed - and shed a lot! I like the breed's appearance, intelligence, wonderful personality and tremendous sense of fun.

If you are reading this web site because you're researching breeds, or are thinking about getting an Aussie, please think carefully about this awesome breed before you buy one. Aussie rescue programs are overloaded right now with dogs bought by people who didn't know enough about the breed. They fell in love with the dog's appearance, or intelligence, or another trait without seeing the whole picture. Then, once they had the dog, they realized that perhaps (for whatever reason) Aussies weren't the right dog for them.

To prevent that heartache, please think carefully about the realities of Aussie ownership before you bring home an Australian Shepherd.

----Submitted for reprint with permission by Rosamond of RJM Creations on ArtFire where you will find many wonderful handmade products showing Rosamond’s love of sewing and a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to check out her studio and contact her with any questions. Rosamond is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild which is celebrating National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month by raising funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group which you can read about HERE or click on the box below.

How do you choose what type of dog that is best for you?

How do you choose what type of dog is best for you? Or put differently, what kind of dog are you and your family the best fit for?

It's not all about looks, but of course, we all have our preferences for what type of dog is cute. I know, I know, not everyone prefers the big giant fluffy Newfoundland dogs like I do lol. I would suggest starting with a list of what type of dog you prefer.

1. What size dog? Perhaps you just LOVE Great Danes but you live in a tiny apartment... hm.... but start with what you like best for your list, then compromise from there if need be.

2. What breed? Perhaps what type of breed doesn't matter to you, but if it does, this needs to be on your list too. Oh, and please, please research the breed thoroughly if you aren't very familiar with it already. An example that comes to mind is my favorite breed the Newfoundland Dog. As puppies they look like cute, fluffy little bear cubs. Oh yes, they are adorable!! However, soon these little bundles of fluff grow up to be big, very big, and strength to match or surpass their size.

They need exercise, obedience training and sometimes people can't handle their 150 pound newf. Then that dog could very well get placed in rescue or shelter and lose their family. Think before buying! I happen to love newfies, they are awesome, but they are not for everyone. I see the cute puppies and know that they will one day grow up to be huge dogs, and that's okay with me but I also had newfies before.

3. That does bring up point number 3 here. Do you have time to exercise a dog? All dogs need exercise. On our walks I see dogs that appear to mostly just be in their backyard for exercise. That is not acceptable. Dogs like that often end up barking obsessively at everything and anything. It really isn't their fault either. They are bored beyond belief so they pick up bad habits.

4. Money? Dogs need veterinary exams, vaccinations and routine care. Sometimes you have to take your dog to the vet for more than routine visits too. Dogs cost to upkeep and over here in the U.S. pet insurance sure doesn't seem to be a widespread thing like in Europe. Here you pay upfront even if you do have insurance usually, then they pay you back if your claim is accepted. In Europe, it works the same as medical usually does here for humans. You pay a co-pay then it goes through the insurance company.

5. Now, if you have your list together... and by all means this isn't an inclusive list, you should have a good idea of what type of dog might be good for you. With your list together, look up rescue groups for whatever breed you are interested. You can also go to your nearest shelter and see what types of dogs they have.

6. The most important thing I did leave for the last list point here. It is if you (and your family too) are a good fit for the dog, not just is the dog a good fit for you. Perhaps you came looking for a small dog, but that senior labrador retriever is a perfect match anyways? Choosing a dog that is good for you can be simple and can be difficult, but if you find the dog that is your match, oh so rewarding.

Gunilla Wachtel - Kanweienea Kreations Artfire studio
Gunilla is an artist who sells fine art prints and originals of orcas, horses, dogs and more through Artfire and other sites.

My Pet Story--In Memory of Thomas...........by-----BJ

In Memory of THOMAS:
1992 - 4/11/2009

This is probably the hardest pet story for me to tell, because it’s about my best friend “Thomas-Tommy” who passed over in April of 2009.
Since the 2nd. Anniversary of his passing was April 11th., I felt it was time and that I owed it to him, before I could tell any stories of the three critters I have now.
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I had managed to get this great job as asst. manager of a high end gift shop at our mall in 1991. I love collectibles, figurines, artist dolls, Bradford exchange items & other unique statues & gifts that this shop offered. I was in gift heaven.
I had just moved to the town that I live in because of this job and I loved being in the mall. During lunch breaks or after work, I often shopped the other stores. I was ready for a kitten/cat and I checked the pet store that was there, at the time. This pet store was associated with a couple of vet offices in the area & sold cats that had been taken to the shelters or abandoned kittens, after medical checks, spay or neutering.
I walked in, only to be greeted by a sweet affectionate black 9 month old female cat, who had just been spayed. I fell in love with her & that was it. I had to give her a few days for recovery before I could take her home and I called her “Kiki”. She was just a wonderful loving cat and I never regretted the day I chose her.
When I took Kiki home, I told them that I was looking for a male kitten/cat with long silvery grey fur, because I had a couple of them before. One week later, I received a call in my store that they had gotten one in that was 14 weeks old and I went immediately to see him, when I got a break.
When I walked into the pet store, they told me that the kitten was in the back, getting a beauty treatment. I walked back & saw this gorgeous grey kitten in a cage with his fur blowing as if in the wind. He had just had a bath & they were gently drying him on the low speed of a hair dryer that was hooked up outside his cage, in front of him. It was so cute. Naturally I took him and made arrangements to pick him up & take him home after work.

I was elated, because here I was, in a new apartment, with a new job I loved, and two great cats, which were part of a few of my favorite breed types. How fortunate I felt.

Well, Kiki ended up being just the perfect cat and she took to Tommy ( which was named after the cat in Tom & Jerry). She was more mellow and Thomas was a rascal.
His nose was into everything and he wanted to watch everything that was going on.
So, I ended up putting Tommy on my shoulder to watch while I was cooking or doing dishes etc. because he was snoopy & loved heights. He loved that I carried him around the house like that constantly. He had to be up on the bathroom sink, if I was getting ready to go to work or anywhere else. He especially loved the smell of “clean” things & wanted to be held and cuddle around my neck after every shower.

I let them go out on my patio balcony, which was 1 & ½ stories up. There was another floor above us. We lived with the front of our apartment next to a glassed in hallway, so there was, sort of, a center, doorway, roof peak, to one side of our patio, at the entrance.
Thomas scared the heck out of me at first when he learned to jump from the patio to that pointed roof and then jumped from there to the roof, which was flat and it was crazy of him to do it. He brought home 2 or 3 birds one year and we had a bit of a battle with me trying to get the (still alive) birds from his mouth to let them go & fly away. I think he thought I didn't appreciate his efforts.
One evening, just after dark, he came in with a dark figure of a bird ( I thought) and it got free from him in our kitchen, after I chased him in there with it hanging from his mouth. Very quickly, I realized that it wasn’t a bird, but a black bat & panic set in with me screeching of course and I was trying to figure out what to do, to capture this bat & get it out of my house. I was petrified. YEEK!!
Eventually I caught the bat & trapped him between the side of my broom and in the dust pan. I flew to the patio door & threw it up in the air to fly away, with Tommy right there beside me, all of the while, not understanding why I didn’t appreciate his great gift.
Over the period of five years, Tommy made friends with the neighbors & their cats by going to the roof & getting down on their patios. Everyone loved Thomas.
Another favorite time for us, is when I would rock Tommy & Kiki in my rocker like babies. Kiki was merely OK with it once in a while, but Thomas “Loved it” and would cuddle & fall to sleep often. He was my sweet baby boy then. I rocked him for years and sometimes danced with him on my shoulder around the room. He loved that too. My daughter said she had never seen a cat so spoiled, because she'll never forget me cleaning his fuzzy little long haired butt, one time, when he had a messy accident. No wonder he thought I was his mother, she said. LOL!

Then, the following summer, my youngest daughter, who lived with me at the time, said she stopped by the pet store & I HAD to look at this new kitten that they just got in. She said she fell in love & knew that I would too, if I saw him. At first I was saying no & we didn’t need another cat etc., but she convinced me, because they had let her bring him with her to show me at work. Oh great! I saw “Max” for the first time. Max was a darling little long fur tuxedo kitten and she was right, I fell in love instantly & took him home. Kiki was Ok with him, but he was a feisty kitten & went after Thomas constantly to play. They ended up becoming good buddies & brothers. All of us lived a charmed life for 5 years, then I decided to move. We moved to the top part of a pretty 2 story house, near downtown & the kittles had more room & a big sun porch to play on.
However, that only lasted a year, because in that year I became totally disabled & had to give up my job. There were several adjustments we had to make & one of them was losing part of our happy family. Where I was moving to, didn’t allow pets. I was sick & frantic & it was too late to change anything. Eventually, I tried to find them good homes, but I only found someone to take Tommy. Poor Kiki & Max ended up in a shelter. It was so hard to take, and after a week, the lady that took Tommy called me up & said she couldn’t keep him, so I went to get him. In one way, I was so glad and in another, I didn’t know what to do then. But, I found out I could keep Tommy by getting a letter from my doctor recommending animal companionship. I did just that, because I had been so depressed over losing them & was determined to keep Tommy somehow. It was an omen to me that we were meant to stay together. Thomas and I were ready to spend the rest of our lives together. He was approximately 6 years old then.

He was always so healthy and active. We got extremely close and learned each other’s habit and developed our own language between us. He knew what I was saying and I knew what he was saying. He had certain meows that meant different things and he learned what I wanted when I said certain things, like “Lets go to bed or Let’s go outside” etc. We learned to carry on our own personal conversations about almost anything. Some cats are highly intelligent.
He became my best friend & confidant. We would go for walks together, because I never let him outside without me. He met & was kind to other cats and became friends with a couple in the neighborhood. He had such a gentle, kind & loving spirit. Everyone knew & loved him here too. I sometimes called him Boo or Bubba.
Thomas went through his share of dealing with cats & kittens, who taunted him over the years, that spent time with us. He let kittens play & jump on him & bite his butt & all of the things kittens do, but he had amazing patience & tolerance.

Over the next 10 years we were content with each other and I had never left him alone for any period of time, until My dad got very ill 3 & ½ years ago. My parents lived in another state, so I ended up having to leave Tommy for a couple of weeks. The first time ever apart for more than a night.
I got a neighbor girl who just loved him to look after him while I was gone. In less than 2 months, I made 3 trips to my parents & on the last one, Dad passed away. I was deeply distraught and I missed & worried about Thomas too. After Dad was buried and I went home, Thomas was so excited to see me, he had missed me so much. The first time I came back after the first 2 week stay, he ran around like a crazy kitten for 2 or 3 days, he was so happy. He made things a little easier for me, but he knew I was terribly sad. He only had a lot of patience & love to offer me.

Almost two years after that, Tommy got ill for the first time in his life and although he was throwing up from time to time, I didn’t take it seriously for a couple of months. I know now, that I should have been more concerned. He was drinking tons of water and cried out when he went to the bathroom. I made an appt. then to get him to the vet, though I had this dread inside that it was coming to an end. He was 17 years old in April of 2009 and the vet built him up with IV’s & meds, but said it may just hold him a little longer. It was only for a few weeks.
About 5 or 6 weeks later, he started to have bloody urine and I rushed him to the vet again one morning. I had taken a lot of pictures of him the day before & night before he passed on. I had a feeling that it would be my last night with Thomas & I stayed up all night petting him & talking to him. He always slept right by me on the other side of my pillows and I rubbed his wonderful soft fur & told him how much I loved him, over & over. He just looked at me with those eyes filled with love, as he tried to rest. When I got him to the vet that day, he confirmed my worst fears and told me that it was time to let Tommy go, because he was dieing. It broke my heart, but I did it for Tommy, to end his suffering and stood there with him, holdimg his paw and talking to him softly as I watched that special light fade from his loving green eyes. I came home and broke down and couldn’t stop bawling for 2 weeks. I FELT LIKE SOMEONE HAD SLUGGED ME IN THE GUT. I lost my best friend and companion of 17 years and didn’t know how I’d be able to go on. Losing Dad and Thomas was losing the 2 strongest & constant males in my life. I could hardly bare it. I'm sure a lot of you know that feeling, unfortunately.
I put Tommy’s dishes & quilt away that day, because I couldn't take seeing them right there in front of me.
My wonderful daughter, Renee, had him cremated for me & I got him back in a nice cedar box two weeks later. I had put it in a cabinet out of sight for a while. It took me months before I could look in the box and I put his toy mouse in there with him & there it stays, NOW in the curio cabinet. It took a year for me to recover some & another year before I could talk about him for this story.
So this is for you, my sweet and precious boy, whom I still love dearly and will always miss.
I’m only half now, of who I was with you here. There’ll never be another like you, My Dearest & Best Friend.

SEE TOMMY'S PAGE AT
http://www.catster.com/cats/214398
This story was submitted by BJ of EXPRESSIONS on Artfire
BJ is a member of our Crafting for Animals Guild and Columnist for or Blog.

Our Pet Stories..................................by BJ

NAKOMIS I currently have a 10 year old dog named Nakomis. She is a German Shepherd dog and was one of three pups born that blistery winter day. Nakomis's mother birthed the pups under the trailer and wouldn't allow anyone near her pups, so when Nakomis was given to me at a young 4 weeks old, she hadn't had much, if any, human interaction. Her thick, black fur was puffed up around her making her look like a little bear cub. Her ears stood straight up, but the tips leaned forward, and when our eyes met for the first time I fell in love. I named her Nakomis because in the Algonquian language (one type of Native American language,) Nakomis means "moon" and "grandmother." Nakomis is a black German Shepherd with brown sprinkles here and there, but she also has a big white circle on her chest that looks like a moon. When I first brought Nakomis home I already had a male dog who was 1/2 Dalmation and 1/2 Pit Bull, but he is another story of his own that I will share another time. After Nakomis befriended Bandit they became inseparable, but she was still leery of humans. I really had to work with her to get her to trust me. She would find the smallest places to hide, so I made her a den of her own that she could hide in and be left alone. I decided that it was best to not try to force her to like me right away, so I would coax her out of her den, but never reached in to take her out so that she had a private place when she was feeling scared. Soon she learned to trust me and would follow me everywhere I went. To this day she feels it is her job to protect me and will always lay between me and the door; she is my gatekeeper. When she turned about six months old she started to become fiercely protective of me and I grew scared that she might bite someone, so I began doing a lot of reading on how to get her socialized, and learned that I had to take charge and be the Alpha so that she didn't question whether it was her job or not. It took a lot of work to socialize her, but she did learn to trust me and also learned that I was alpha. After I gained her trust and put us both in our places, she calmed down and today you wouldn't know all that I went through in socializing Nakomis. Today I have several nicknames for her, she's always been my baby girl, but I also call her Komi and KoKo, and she always knows when I am referring to or talking to her. When people see how she interacts with me, they know without doubt that I am hers just as she is mine. She always greets me as if I had been gone forever, she follows me around wherever I go, and it seems she understands the human language too well for a dog. Oh, and did I mention that she talks? She communicates very well and I'm never left to wonder what she needs because she tells me by making noises that are between a howl and a growl. When she says yes she talks, but when she means no she won't say anything. She is a thick dog and always has been, but don't call her "fat" because she doesn't like that word at all and will tell you so. Nakomis is my loving companion, one of my best friends, and one of the best dogs in the world! Nakomis is my loving companion, one of my best friends, and one of the best dogs in the world! This story was submitted to us by our CFA member and columnist, TS of TSBeading on Artfire and Etsy. Tsilos Schoener is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a direct descendant of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin. Her late mother, who was Menominee, taught her to bead more than 20 years ago. The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks TS, for the great story about Nakomis. _________________________________________________________________ DOGS MAY HAVE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES: (HAS YOURS?)......by BJ Dogs may have something akin to mystical and spiritual experiences, some scientists believe. It’s just that they probably don’t interpret them as humans do, according to Kevin Nelson, a neurology professor at the University of Kentucky, and author of The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain. Research has found that spiritual experiences may sometimes originate in the limbic system of the human brain in areas similar to those of certain non-human animals, including our pooches, according to an article in The Dog Daily. Some scientists think that because of this, dogs may have moments that humans could interpret as being spiritual, even mystical moments of “oneness.” Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, says non-human animals probably can have spiritual experiences, which he defines as “experiences that are nonmaterial, intangible, introspective and comparable to what humans have,” reports the article. The article brings up another idea that many dog owners may already suspect: “It is possible that certain sensations are even more pronounced in dogs, given their heightened sensitivity to sounds, smells and more.” (Think about the utter bliss you have seen on your pup’s face for such simple acts as rolling in the grass.) Jean Houston, co-director of the Foundation for Mind Research, says that dogs and other animals “are closer to nature and thus seem to be on a continuum with the natural flow of things.” She believes “they serve as wonderful (spiritual) guides because of their simplicity and the naturalness of their being.” BJ is a CFA member and has the studio EXPRESSIONS on Artfire.

My First Personal Pet Story.........by BJ

JOSHUA SHANE: 1979

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Dedicated to Joshua Shane: Wherever you are, our sweet boy!

For my wonderful daughter, Renee. Josh became her wolf, because they had a very special bond. She will always love & miss him. She has supported endangered wolves most of her life. Joshua was very special to her.
Renee grew up to be an animal lover & advocate. Besides their pets, she & her husband have rescued other animals & did what they thought best for them.
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This story is about my first experience with a pet of my own, as an adult. As a child, I had a couple of pets but, for some reason, they didn't stay long. My Dad liked dogs, but my Mom didn't care about having pets, especially in the house, so any type that my dad got, was an outdoor pet.

As I grew older & my children were 9,11 & 13, we made a decision to go to the humane society & at least look at the animals. I had no expectations & told them not to. As I was looking at the dogs in their cages, my eyes caught this beautiful big husky looking grey, white & tan dog with big yellow eyes. He looked menacing, but turned out to have a sweet pleasant attitude. His looks could intimidate you, but his personality was anything but.

He was so friendly & loving and if we weren't careful, he might have knocked us over, trying to lick us.
Although we may have been a little nervous about him, That was it. I fell in love & wanted to take him home with us. We called him Joshua Shane.

None of us had any idea what a wonderfully sweet animal he was. He devoted himself to us & just seemed excited every day to be with us. He was protective if he thought one of us threatened, like play wrestling, but his growl was worse than anything else.

I don't know how anyone lost track of this awesome wolf dog. No one had tried to claim him either. They told us he was "supposed" to be a hybrid cross between a husky like dog & a timber wolf. He had all of the features & markings of a true wolf, even the yellow eyes. He was beautiful.

My oldest daughter, Renee & Josh had a very special bond & they ended up being best buds, so he was deemed her pet eventually.
Whenever we left him alone for any amount of time though, we found out he was not happy about it. He ate the corner of a chair, shoes & knocked over the Christmas tree, which was in front of the big window & kept him from watching and waiting for us to come back.He never did anything like that, until we left him alone.
We loved him so much we laughed instead of getting angry.

One day, a couple of policemen were in our neighborhood for something & they stopped by to look at & comment on Josh who was outside with the kids, because he loved to watch them play. The police thought he was beautiful, but a little intimidating by his looks & asked about his personality. I told them that all they had to worry about was him licking them to death. (And he tried to).

I don't know anything about Josh's past, as he was approximately 1 & 1/2 when we got him. He moved with us on several acres in the Michigan. I got him a female malamute puppy for a playmate & partner. Her name was Brandy Shalamar. They had several of our cats to play with too & Josh was always very gentle with them.

Josh always stayed around the house & never wandered by himself, but Brandy, as pups sometimes do, led him off to visit elsewhere. Often we put adds in the paper for them & sometimes our neighbors even put adds in the paper for lost & found. We collected them from a couple of areas that were almost a mile our house. All of our neighbors got to know them after that. LOL! But they were animal lovers too.

A couple of years later, we decided to stop renting out our house in the city & move back in it. We had a high fence around the yard, but it was nothing like what they were use to in the country. Josh & Brandy had a litter of puppies before we left & we easily sold all of them for a small profit. We were more worried about who took them, so we didn't want to just give them away to anyone.
Brandy hated the city & she turned jealous over Josh & mean to other dogs, including her pups. We decided to sell her, because she was terribly unhappy there & needed more land to run. We also felt the same about Josh, but he also needed more room with someone to devote himself to, because he had so much love to give.

Finally we decided to let him go with a young man who seemed to have a great rapport with Josh. He said that Josh would have a great home & would travel all over with him. Josh seemed to like that idea, because when the guy opened up his truck door, Josh jumped in & sat right up like he belonged there. You could just tell that he would have a wonderful life. I knew that I would always miss this awesome animal, but I felt he had deserved a super life, he was so wonderful.
To this day, Joshua has been my daughter's all time favorite pet & she supports wolves in wildlife, as I do. It may not work for everyone, but it did for us.
Our loving time with Joshua was gift from 1978 to 1982.

This story was written & submitted by BJ of EXPRESSIONS and KRAFT KORNER on ARTFIRE
BJ loves quilting,crafting,making jewelry & her cats. She also donates to animal charities, including her local humane society, adopts her pets, helps rescue & care for abandoned & abused animals in her area & is a columnist for the bi-weekly column, "Our Personal Pet Stories".
As always we invite you to send us your pet or animal rescue story to share with the members & followers of Crafting for Animals.

Eddie……An American Gentleman and More!

	Meet Eddie, our cute as a bug in a rug, Boston Terrier. Was looking at online articles about Boston Terriers to determine whether Eddie is like all the others or is unique! Boston Terriers are described as The American Gentleman, affectionate, family friendly, and great with children. Eddie is all that and more, of course! These dogs have definite white markings and range in weight from 10 to 25 pounds, with the average being 25. Eddie tips the scales at a bit more than that!
Read an article in The Bark Magazine a few months ago, in which a dog expert stated that dogs really don’t like to be hugged. We all chuckled at that because one of Eddie’s favorite things to do is get on our laps, put his front legs on either side of our necks and get his face as close to ours as possible. Sure seems that he loves hugging us!
	Online information says that Boston Terriers are one family dogs. Eddie loves all of us…..Mom and Dad, the three kids, the three grandkids, and his best dog friend, Daisy. They have an evening ritual of playing together, seemingly trying to bite each other, and growling merrily away. They love being outside together, although Eddie likes warm days much better. On cold days, he doesn’t stay out long! Capturing this photo of both of them outside in the snow was a lucky moment. No doubt, Eddie would have headed right for the porch if asked!
Boston Terriers are smart, and once they learn something, they remember it. Eddie was easily trained to potty outside. He doesn’t take long to take care of business, however, when it is cold, snowy, or raining. His sleek, shiny, short hair doesn’t offer much protection from the cold or wet.
	When it is cold and snowy, Daisy, with her heavy, thick coat, loves lying on the front porch. Eddie is content to bask in the warmth of the sunshine coming through the storm door. Both dogs love exploring their territory, our two acres, and the neighboring 20 acres of woods and fields. Eddie is a hoot when he chases a soccer ball around the front yard, hitting it every which way! He also loves playing in the water from the hose, but hates going out in the rain! Can’t explain that one!
Don’t know about other Bostons, but Eddie loves sleeping close to his people, sometimes taking more than his share of the space! He likes to be covered up, is often the last one to get out of bed in the morning. Just likes that warm, cozy, covered up feeling, I guess! Like most dogs, his body heat is really warm. He is very accommodating if anyone wants to put their freezing, cold hands on his warm coat. That’s really family friendly!
	Eddie is a real food beggar. His diet is dry dog food, cooked chicken, and whatever might fall on the floor from his people’s plates! Here, I can just hear him thinking, “Where’s my hot chocolate?” No chocolate for Eddie, however. He is strictly a water guy! And, you should see him try to drink from the hose. Too funny for words!
Couldn’t find any mention of special or cute habits in the online articles I read. Having a “pacifier” is perhaps a unique characteristic that just belongs to Eddie. He must have something in his mouth when he hears someone coming and runs to the door. He finds a rawhide bone or rubber ring or other toy and goes outside to greet his family when they arrive home. He has to have something in his mouth when he takes his daytime snoozes. And he can’t possibly go to sleep at night without a “pacifier” of some sort. Eddie is a true American Gentleman, a loving, gentle family member, and an all around smart, lovable guy!

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Pam at bagsandmorebypam is an avid crocheter and dedicated animal loving crafter and monthly columnist for the Crafting for Animals Guild.