it's that time again...

I can't believe I'm already showing you guys this year's Christmas collars! Where has the time gone?


I've brought back a couple of styles from last Christmas, but I've added a few new ones as well. I've also placed a few plain tartan styles in the shop, and I'll be adding some other boy collars to the shop on Monday, so stay tuned!

You can find all the new Christmas collars here.

scoundrel

This dog is a mess. For an old, stray dog that had never set foot in a house before, he sure has come a long way in six months.

exciting times on dogwood street

Things have been kind of crazy in my house these past few days... First, I'll start out by telling you that three out of five dogs in my house are on medication for three different things: Henry - antibiotics for his lick granuloma, Penny - something to help with her wicked upset stomach she had late last week, and Oliver - all natural "stress pills" for his recent anxiety attacks. And of course each of these required a separate trip to the vet. Why can't they understand that it would be so much better for me (and my bank account) if they'd just coordinate the timing of their ailments?

Anyway, two nights ago, I was in Martha Stewart mode and had baked a bunch of fun Halloween cupcakes to take to the office and give to friends. I had placed several - seven to be exact - cupcakes on the table in the dining room in order to make more room in the kitchen. When I went to retrieve them about 15 minutes later, I discovered Henry polishing off the very last one. Of course, they were chocolate. Chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. So I immediately begin trying to chase him down. But he thinks he's in trouble so he immediately begins running from me. I manage to catch him, dump him in the tub and then pour a couple tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide down his throat. I won't go into detail, but I'll just say that I got my seven cupcakes back - wrappers still on - about 2 minutes later.

And then last night, around 11 pm, my entire crew cornered one of these in the backyard:

So there I am, in my pajamas, trying to convince a pack of dogs that the inside of my house is more interesting than the live possum sitting on my fence. Miraculously, I did manage to persuade all of them of that... except for Ollie. That dog just has too much terrier in him to let a varmint go willingly. So I had to go and physically drag him back in the house while praying that the possum didn't decide to jump on my head.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we've had our fill of excitement for a while. I can't take much more...

stud muffin

Oliver is looking sharp in his Pecan Pie Puppies bow tie collar! And those long, curly chocolate ears! He is such a dapper dandy...

A big thank you to his mom for sending in the photo!

daily chuck

Do you guys read the "Daily Chuck" over at Dooce? If you don't, get on it. You won't be sorry.

Photo courtesy of Dooce

hilary swank & home 4 the holidays

I actually managed to get up early enough the other day and have enough time to sit down with a cup of coffee and watch the Today Show before going to work. Hilary Swank was on promoting her new movie Amelia (which, incidentally, I am super stoked to see), but she also took some time to promote her other new project - Home 4 the Holidays.

I've always been a big Hilary Swank fan, but after learning that she has partnered up with Iams to promote animal adoptions, she has moved right to the top of my list. In addition to being the proud mom of two rescue pups, Karoo and Rumi, she's helping to promote the rescue cause by lending her time and energy to make sure that this year's Home 4 the Holidays project reaches its goal of 1.5 million adoptions. At this point, they've adopted out a little over 140,000 animals.... which means we've got a long way to go!

So let's help her out... here are just a few ways you can help:

• All my blogger buddies out there... take a few minutes to post about the importance of animal rescue, and promote Home 4 the Holidays' 2009 goal of 1.5 million adoptions. Call to action!


• Make a donation - whether it's to this cause or any other shelter... and donations don't have to be monetary. Call your local shelter to see what they need. Many times they can use old dog beds, blankets, towels, food, etc. I know I've personally NEVER turned down a used crate, and there have been times at my house that every single crate I have is occupied.


• Offer up your time! Many shelters need volunteers to help with everything from dog-walking to record keeping. Another really great way to volunteer is to provide transport for rescues. It's super easy to drive a couple of hours each way so that a few dogs or cats can make their way to a better life.


• And finally... if you can find a little extra room in your heart and home (and as long as your other fur-children will cooperate)... please consider adoption. I love me some pound puppies (and kitties)!

And just because I'm so excited about the new Amelia movie, I'll leave you this afternoon with the trailer... it looks superb.

i'm fired up...

You try and ban this sweet man and I'm gonna bring the hammer down :)

So it turns out that my hometown - Williamston, South Carolina - is considering banning pit bulls and rottweilers. Awesome. This means that I'll either have to make the choice to leave at least two of my dogs behind (or three depending on how broad their definition of "pit bull" is) whenever I visit my parents OR I just won't visit my parents.

Neither of these options makes me happy.

And I'm the lucky one... I don't actually live there anymore. I can't even let myself think of all the dogs that will be destroyed or abandoned if this law is passed.

I've posted here before about Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) but this is the first time it has actually affected me directly. So you can imagine how fired up I am about this.

First, let me explain something about my hometown... it's this little country town in the Upstate of South Carolina where probably 30%of the population still thinks it's ok to chain your dog out back and feed him leftover dinner scraps for nourishment (IF they bother to chain or feed them at all). Another 50% have the mindset that "a dog is a dog... so what?" And if anyone out there from Williamston is reading this, please don't be offended. If you care enough about your dog to read my blog, you obviously don't fall into the aforementioned categories.

But folks, if you think I'm ticked... well, you should talk to my mother. She is... ENRAGED. You don't mess with her kids - and this potential breed ban law does just that. It messes with her kid - me - and her four-legged grandkids. And my mom has never been one to shy away from a fight. So she's gearing up for a full-blown assault (figuratively, people... I mean an assault of the verbal variety) on the town mayor and town council.

I've been helping her compile information for talking points, information packets and letters to the editor. And I thought I'd pass this information along in case anyone out there is facing this same problem.

The information and links I'm providing here are only the tip of the iceberg. I highly recommend doing your own search for information on BSL should the need ever arise.

• Association of Pet Dog Trainers Model Dog Law and their statement on Breed Specific Legislation


• ASPCA provides information on why BSL doesn't work and they also provide contact information for their Government Relations department so that elected officials can work with the ASPCA to draft breed-neutral animal control laws.


• Beyond the Myth movie trailer


• Understand-A-Bull: This web site is a gold mine of information. This site provides facts and statistics, information for letters to the editor, previous BSL court cases, etc.

inspired by...

I'm kind of obsessed with Kate Spade's new fall looks, so when I stumbled across some really cute black and white polka dot fabric the other day, I knew exactly what my inspiration would be for my next collar.

So I picked one of my favorite looks - this particular one is called "Off to the Opera" - and translated it into a dog collar. And I'm just as pleased as punch with how it turned out. I hope I did Kate proud...

*Top photo courtesy of Kate Spade

hailey

Look at this cutie pie... She's sporting her new Pecan Pie Puppies collar and mugging for the camera! Her name is Hailey and she is an almost-two-year-old, spoiled rotten Boston/Boxer mix who loves snuggles and picking on her two kitty cat sisters.

Thanks so much for the photo!

thanks fellow bloggers!

I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks to a couple of bloggers who thought enough of my collars to feature them on their blogs this past week... Make sure to check them out when you get a chance!

So a big thank you to Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! and Diary of a Southern Belle. I appreciate the encouragement!

this little guy caught my eye...

I spend more time on Petfinder than any sane person should. But as I was looking around yesterday, this little guy jumped out at me. I just love his cute, scruffy face.

His name is Archi and he's available through Golden S Rescue here in South Carolina. They also provide transport, so if you're not from this area but still think Archi would be a great addition to your family, they'll get him to you. You can read more about this little man here.

the waldingfield beagles

I'm not into hunting... in fact, I think I'd rather shoot myself than another living animal, but here in South Carolina, I'm pretty much surrounded by it. It's part of the culture of the South. And most hunters I know are awfully proud of their hunting dogs.

It's very interesting to me how hunters train their dogs... whether it be a retriever, a treeing hound or pointer... or any other variation. So the recent article in Garden & Gun about the Waldingfield Beagles caught my attention. It's considered the oldest pack in America, and the article provides some insight into the sport of beagling and how the pack has been maintained since 1885. Click here to read the entire article at Garden & Gun.

*All images courtesy of Garden & Gun

it's fall!

Fall is absolutely my favorite season. The sky just always seems to be so clear, the weather is SOOO nice, and I love me some changing leaves. I'm originally from the foothills of South Carolina, and there's nothing I enjoy more than seeing those rolling hills covered in shades of yellow, orange and red.

So I was excited to pull out these fabrics I had been saving just for this time of year! I love each of these new collars, but I have to say... I think my favorite is the garnet mum and plaid collar. It's perfect for when you take your pup pumpkin picking (say that three times fast!). You can purchase them in the shop here. Happy Fall everyone!