Presents for Lifelong Friends

You know the friends I'm talking about... the ones that you've known almost their entire lives, the ones who never say a single bad word about you, the ones who are loyal and true and are always happy to see you when you arrive, the ones who are always there and almost instinctively know when you need some companionship... the ones with the sloppy kisses and wet noses and tails that wag every time you walk in the door - even if you just left 5 minutes ago. Yes, I'm talking about our four-legged canine friends - our pet dogs.

We have two demon dogs... errrr, I mean wonderful sweet companion pets... named Trooper and Sadie. Trooper is a pedigreed Tibetan terrier, while Sadie was rescued as a papered "mutt" - meaning I adopted her and received some piles of newspapers to help with the housebreaking issues. Al bought Trooper to keep him sane while he was going through a nasty divorce back in 2001. I adopted Sadie because my then 15 year old daughter wanted a pet dog - and having just lost my late husband to Hodgkin's disease a few months earlier, I thought a pet dog might be a good companion for me too. Sadie and Trooper are almost the same age (within months), the same color (they're both black although Sadie has white paws and underside), and about as different personality-wise as two dogs can be. Trooper is mischievous and pretends to be the alpha dog. Sadie is a bit more laid back bit of a loner, although when she wants attention, she is great at finding her way under your hand for some ear-scratching. She is actually the alpha dog, although for the most part she lets Trooper think he is.

They are our 24/7 alarm system, our loyalest of friends, and short of having to bark at every dust bunny that flies through the air, a joyful spot in our everyday life... so today, I'm honoring these life long friends by looking at some of the great doggy products that are available on Etsy.

Right now, our pooches have matching collars, but I think the next ones we buy will be different and reflect their personalities a little bit more. Aimeeplus3 is somewhat new to Etsy and is also a fellow hitchhiker on the Handmade Highway and she has some great pet products! I found this Handmade Dog Collar - Small- Pink Flowers at Aimeeplus3 that I think would add a little pizazz to Sadie's basic black dress code with its bright pink and white stripes and flowers. What do you think?



For Troop, I think this Arrr Matey Collar from WoodinYou fits his mischievous personality. It's fun and funky and the bright red would probably look gorgeous against his thick black wavy hair. (Yes, his breed technically has hair, not fur! Sadie does as well!)





We like to give our dogs healthy organic treats (especially since Trooper tends to have a sensitive digestive system) and we tend to be very picky about what we take a chance with. Since both of our dogs love fresh apples, I think these Certified Organic Apple Chips from 2pugs sound like they'd be perfect treats for any occasion where your dog deserves a little something different than the normal pet store treats!




I'll be featuring more pet goodies in the near future on my blog shopping spree, so if there's a special pet you'd like to find a treat for, just let me know!

Happy Friday - Hope your weekend gets off to a great start!