The other day at the dog park, someone asked me Elsa’s name. When I answered she said, “Oh, like the lion.” and it was wonderful that someone knew.
Is your dog named after anyone?
she really is.
Remember when you were this tiny?
or how about this tiny?
I loved you so much, before we even belonged to eachother.
Thank you for being born.
*photos by Elsa’s breeder http://princesscavaliers.com/about.htm
and Pharaoh Hound is in!
I was scared to look for one because of my obsession with the second dog’s size but this decision really does come down to temperament and sadly the Toller isn’t for us. However, we are thrilled to reconsider the Pharaoh Hound!
Happy Holidays, friends!
*Update: Toller is back in and Brittany is out! It was so silly of me to rule out Tollers when they are the breed I just keep going back to. Also I’ve been in contact with multiple breeders and they assure me that the breed adapts to its situation and a companion/show Toller would be a great addition to my family while the high-drive, ego-centric Tollers I keep hearing about are generally raised to be that way by hunters. Brittanies are a lovely breed but honestly, they don’t make the hair on the back of my neck stand up the way NSDTRs and Pharaoh Hounds do.
*Update: You guys, don’t even listen to me ever. This is such a hard decision, nothing is ruled out yet!
As some of you may know, I’ve recently begun researching a second dog to add to our pack. I think Elsa would benefit from having a little brother or sister-she really loves other dogs when the interaction is one on one- and well, we’ve got big hearts for dogs in my family. Thing is, getting a second dog is a gillion times harder than getting the first. I can’t just get my next dream dog (which is an Australian Shepherd, by the way) I have to get a breed that will fit in with what Elsa, me, and my boyfriend have already got going. That is, a dog that will match Elsa’s stamina, playfulness and gentle nature while also being medium sized. No terriers, no ankle biters, nothing yappy or domineering, nothing lazy or too serious. Basically I need a Golden Retriever without the 70 lb frame behind it. While we’re a pretty active bunch, I think an Aussie is a little too high energy for us (le sigh) and on the opposite end of the spectrum, I think anything brachycephalic would struggle to keep up on a hike (though I love me some Frenchies). Another Cavalier would be an obvious choice but despite this post, John does not think they are “manly” enough (headsmack). So right now we’re between a Brittany and a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, but I’d love to hear what any of you suggest.
Elsa and I hit up the dog park this morning and per usual, she spent about ten minutes playing with the other dogs and the next hour and half provoking me to play fetch with her. Elsa and I…we’re very close. She follows me into the bathroom and sits patiently by the tub while I shower. She sleeps, not at the foot of the bed, but nestled into the curve of my neck or on top of my head. When I come home from work I’m simply not allowed to greet anyone else until she is done rubbing her face all over mine. Though I encourage her to tangle with the others at the park, she just isn’t a dog’s dog. She’s my dog.
I know everyone has a different relationship with their dog though. My mom for instance, is left with the family YorkiePoo since all of her children have moved out, and the two of them are like hilarious roommates. Pookie wants mostly to be left alone, while my Mom is convinced the dog is conspiring to drive her out of her mind. But when it comes down to it, they consider eachother decent company, and if one of them was gone, the other would surely miss her.
Then there are poor relationships. My former boss has a Rottweiler that she refers to as “an outdoor dog,” meaning the poor thing spends the majority of her day in the backyard by herself, probably bored and lonesome. Having worked under this woman for as long as I did, and her being the kind of person who eschews all things girly, I don’t believe she enjoys her dog and probably only got this one so she could tell people she owns a Rottweiler.
So what’s your story? I’d love to hear what your dog is to you.
Elsa and I have been absolutely loving this springlike weather, playing a near painful amount of fetch, taking extra long walks and visiting the dog park. Last Spring Elsa was just a dream and in the Summer she was too much of a little peanut to venture very far from the house- so this is really the first time where she and I can bask in the beautiful outdoors together. However, when temperatures reached an unseasonably, record breaking high this morning, we saw a lot of this:
PANTING
Which question begs the answer, WHAT THE FRICK AM I GOING TO DO ALL SUMMER LONG WITH A SHAGGY BLACK DOG?
When I imagine, in my mind’s little eye, myself walking a dog down the street, it’s almost always with something sleek and sporty like a Pharaoh Hound or Weimaraner. Never did I imagine such a genteel, delicate looking pup like Elsa at my side. I’ve mentioned that I’m not particularly drawn to small dogs- being myself an avid hiker, biker, and camper, their little legs and lap-loving personalities just don’t suit me. I got a Cavalier because I had heard that they are the closest in personality to a large dog breed that you can get in a little dog-being, at heart, spaniels and therefore natural sportsman…and boy did she surpass my expectations.
For all that luxurious hair and the darling baby face, she is still an athlete!
The girl lives for fetch. I wish anything made me as happy as fetch makes her. After we play outside for hours, we come inside and I have to keep throwing a toy for her from one end of the couch to the next, from the top of the bed to the bottom, from the kitchen to the dining room.
My little family of three recently relocated to Central Jersey and until we find an apartment of our own, we are staying with my Mother in Law. While living with in-laws is difficult enough, my real concerns lie in leaving Elsa with her during the day, while I’m at work. For starters I don’t feel confident in her ability to take care of animals, based on the treatment of their late Labrador and the fact that the “stray” cat she cares for is the most morbidly obese feline tottering around the neighborhood. Also though, I fear (and this is so embarrassing that I’m cringing even as I type) that with all the time they’ll be spending together, Elsa will begin to love my MIL more than me. Is that terribly childish? I mean, you would think that my position in her life would be solidified by now, but after all don’t rehomed dogs relearn their loyalties?
I know some of you have children and all of you have dogs, so have you ever felt the awful pang of jealousy? My comfort is in knowing this situation is only temporary.
We live in the mountains and are usually walloped by snow at this point in the season, but since we basically fled town during the Halloween storm, this was Elsa’s first encounter. And we had SO. MUCH. FUN.
Seriously, Elsa is such a cool dog. She has such personality- so curious, so funny, so full of adventure. The girl has never even seen snow and the second I opened the door this morning she zoomed around the yard like it was her long lost home. Here are my favorite shots of the day:
Also, outdoor shots are so much better than indoor. I think these are my favorite photos of Elsa so far. Hope you all are enjoying the weather as much as we are!
For a while now I’ve been looking for a warm winter coat for Elsa with a harness opening in back…it has proven incredibly difficult (seriously, don’t people walk their dogs with harnesses?). We finally found it at Teckelklub, a Canadian company that sells functional, no frill, reflective and 100% waterproof dog apparel. We bought the Highland for the added coverage of the chest area, but the Sierra also has a harness hole and they will add one to the Trench for just $5 extra- the latter two have more color options if that’s your thing. For $10 extra we got Elsa’s name embroidered on the back. Unfortunately, if, like Elsa, your dog uses an EZ-walk harness, the clasp is too far back for these coats but the Dog Whisperer step-in harness fits perfectly underneath.
Here she is:
As an added bonus, the staff at Teckelklub is incredibly friendly. I called to check on the status of my order and as soon as I said my name the guy replied, “Oh yes, I remember that order it was sent out a few days ago”. What’s more is that they called me a few days later to see if the coat arrived, which it had. We will definitely be ordering from this company in the future.
You can see here the extra velcro strap across her chest. And her adorable smushy face.
Also, do you think the universe is just telling me to move to Canada?
