Bedtime Stories

I'm slowly becoming convinced that there is no such thing as "sharing" a bed with a Scottie. Sure, we might be on the same mattress but I've learned that no matter how small their little bodies are, they somehow manage to take up half the bed or position themselves in the most awkward places...leaving us to come up with equally creative ways to sleep because we feel too guilty to move them. Sometimes, after I've finally managed to fall asleep, I hear a shaking of the collar or the movement of paws heading my way. I turn around and open my eyes to see Mr. K looking very seriously at me, as if to say, "Did you think I wouldn't notice that you turned away/stopped cuddling/changed position on me?" And that's my cue: I turn on my back, pat my belly and he take it up himself to hoist his front paws on top and settle in for the next round of sleep. (This interruption is usually the first of many...)

Of course, I know what you're thinking: how would I know about all this? Doesn't Scottie Dad forbid hooman bed privileges? The answer is yes. Remember: for the purposes of this blog, Heather and Mr. K's habit of stealing the hooman bed while Scottie Dad's away is entirely fictitious. Wink, wink. So when I talk about that night that Mr. K woke me up five times or the morning I got woken up by a Scottie sneeze in my face...never really happened. And those photos you see of them on our comforter? Completely staged. Dont you worry, Scottie Dad! However, I will say this: their days of being prohibited from a hooman bed are limited. We are just three days from closing on a townhome that has three bedrooms. I will honor Scottie Dad's wish of no dogs in the master bedroom. However, the first thing on my agenda is to set up a guest room...not so much for the guests as it is for me and the Scots!

When I lived on my own, I didn't have the luxury of a queen bed like I do now. In fact, I had a twin. Yes, a twin bed that was occupied by myself, Mr. K, Heather (usually for about half the night before she gave up and went back to her doggie bed) and even Scottie Dad when he visited. To this day, I have no idea how we made that work. Scottie Dad said it was highly uncomfortable but I honestly don't recall having a problem. That must be why we spent so much time at Scottie Dad's apartment. They weren't allowed on the hooman bed there, either, but at least they were allowed to sleep under the bed. Those mornings were especially adorable. Mr. K would put his front paws up on the mattress and wag his tail until he got my attention. Who wouldn't wake up smiling to a face like that? It was a confusing time, I'm sure, for the pups - being allowed on one bed but not the other. Lucky for Scottie Dad, his bed is too tall for a Scottie to jump on.

The funniest part of it all is that I am a complete grouch if I don't get the sleep I need. Withought sleep, I simply can't function and when I do, I'm certainly not happy about it. However, I find myself more than willing to sacrifice my sleep just so I can have Heather and Mr. K by my side. It doesn't matter how many times Mr. K wakes me up to ensure his optimum comfort or if Heather has been on my feet so long that they too have fallen asleep. I still would much rather have them there all snuggly in the hooman bed than to get a full night of uniterrupted sleep. It is a good thing I will live so close to work soon. I may need that extra hour on the days Scottie Dad is away to make up for what I didn't get during the night. Here's my question to you: what's bedtime like for your pup? Does he or she get hooman bed privileges in your house or prefer the doggie bed?

The Good Stuff

[caption id="attachment_2637" align="alignnone" width="500"] The goodie bag we received at BlogPaws.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2638" align="alignnone" width="500"] Just tell me when, Scottie Mom, and I'll dig right in.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2639" align="alignnone" width="500"] Something smells scrumptious...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2640" align="alignnone" width="500"] Chomping on a chewy I scored from the goodie bag.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2641" align="alignnone" width="500"] The face I made at Mr. K to let him know he can't have my treat.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2642" align="alignnone" width="500"] Mr. K said I made my message clear and he waited patiently for his turn with a chewy.[/caption]

One Step Back

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry, I thought to myself over and over after I read the email from Heather's V-E-T. The sheer frustration of having no control while doing everything that I can and the overwhelming feeling of being powerless in a battle to achieve good health overtook me. After a year's worth of testing, close monitoring, fretting over the slightest variance in behavior and thousands of dollars in veterinary care, I was completely disheartened to learn that the slow but steady decline of Heather's ALP liver value we worked hard to achieve was no more. Much to my dismay, quite the opposite was true. Her ALP liver value spiked to 869, according to this last test - up 350 points or so since we last checked in January.

Emotions were all over the place and so, I opted to call it a night and sleep on the information I had been given before I turned to the blog to share the news. Not knowing what is going on is the hardest part and I was a wreck last night thinking about what it would mean if the Cushing's test results come back and she doesn't have it after all...Thinking rationally, however, I really wouldn't be so surprised if she is diagnosed with Cushing's disease. I don't know much about the disease (yet) but research has shown me it could be why she doesn't have as much hair on her belly as Mr. K, why her liver values have been so abnormal and even a possible explanation for why the wound on her skull opened up again, as dogs with Cushing's can devlop thin or fragile skin. On the one hand, I don't want to hear my little girl has Cushing's but on the other, it would be nice to have an explanation for these things.

Additionally, Heather's test revealed she is "antibody positive" for Ehrlichia, a bacteria the V-E-T says is trasmitted by ticks. This one doesn't surprise me because when she was rescued two years ago, she was covered in ticks. However, what stumps me is that I do not recall this having been picked up in testing before. The V-E-T says dogs can carry this for years after exposure. To be safe, I have chosen to have her platelets tested again the same day she goes in for Cushing's testing to make sure they aren't low. Last but not least, Mr. K's bloodwork came back clean. It has been nearly one year and three months since the mystery illness struck him and I think he is going to be as healthy as ever. Some crystals did show in his urine test but the V-E-T is hopeful they were only there because the urine sat a while on the way to the lab. To be safe, I'm letting them check again (this time in-house) to be sure. This does scare me a little because both Heather and Mr. K had crystals in their urine during their respective health scares last year.

Ok, there you have it: a full and complete health update on Heather and Mr. K. Be sure to check back throughout the week for updates or subscribe to receive the news as I get it. Plus, it is a big week for the Scottie Mom and kids as we will be giving our followers a glimpse into the new house before we even move in. In terms of testing, I imagine we should get Mr. K's results back rather quickly. I'm not sure, however, how quickly we'll know whether or not Miss Heather has Cushing's. In the meantime, keep the Scottie Mom kids in your thoughts and look to hear from us again on this topic soon.

The Biggest Loser

It's official: everyone in the Scottie Mom household is now watching their weight. Scottie Mom and Dad are just doing the responsible thing and trying to eat right. No real diet or plan to it. So far, Scottie Mom's down six pounds and Scottie Dad...well, it's hard to keep up! He's definitely ahead in the game. Heather, who has lost a whopping three pounds since she was adopted two years ago, is being monitored to make sure she maintains her weight of 25 pounds. Mr. K, on the other hand, is the last to join the Scottie Mom biggest loser team and as of today, has been instructed by the V-E-T to lose a few pounds even though he weighs exactly the same as Miss Heather...25 pounds.

When he was adopted in 2010, Mr. K was a little underweight at 17.5 pounds. The shelter told me they thought he had been the runt of his litter. His first V-E-T at Pet Friends Veterinary Clinic (whom Mr. K actually loved to visit because he thought it was a personal massage appointment every time!) asked Scottie Mom to put a little meat on his bones. For a few years, he stayed steady at 23 pounds. Since his horrific health scare shortly after we moved into the condo, however, he has slowly packed on a couple extra pounds. Today, he weighed in at his heaviest at 25 pounds. So, where do we go from here?

Much to Mr. K's dismay, it starts - or rather, ends - with treats. (Sorry, Mr. K. Scottie Mom has had to cut out some favorite foods, too...) I've asked Scottie Dad to support me on this one since he is my treat-giving accomplice. It is so easy for the Scottie face to win us over and to see just how happy they are when they taste something scrumptious...especially those homemade doggie blueberry muffins we tried a few times. Heather and Mr. K go nuts for them! But, we must be strong and get Mr. K down to the weight the V-E-T says is healthiest for him: 23 pounds.

Next, per the V-E-T'S instruction, we are to cut his food down by 20 percent. Right now, Heather and Mr. K are fed twice a day. Each gets about a half cup of Blue Basics (which we chose to help with Mr. K's allergies) at both meals. The biggest change - and the one I'm most excited about but couldn't tell anyone until I knew for sure it was going to happen - is the reintroduction of long morning and afternoon walks into our schedule! Currently, that is not always possible giving our city locale. However, in just about a week from today, Heather and Mr. K will be closing on a townhome to call their own - complete with a very walkable neighborhood! More details to come.

And so - I'm sure our friends at Scottish Terrier Health Network will appreciate and support this - Mr. K would like to propose that his fellow Scots (and other four legged friends, of course) join him on this quest for optimal health and fight against pet obesity by dragging their Scottie Moms and Dads out for more walkies and playing extra long games of fetch. Send your pups' photos and success stories to thescottiemom(at)gmail(dot)com or just add them to our Facebook page as you watch those pounds drop!

He's got the Whole World...

...in his mouth. Yes, as many Scottie Mom readers have noticed, Mr. K's world revolves around one toy: a squeaky tennis ball. He is seldom seen without one. Even at the shelter I found him, Mr. K had one with him and the volunteers said he only perked up when the squeaky tennis ball was around. It doesn't matter the size or color, Mr. K is all too happy to greet his best friend the squeaky tennis ball time and time again. He loves to chase it up and down the halls at first but soon, that game gets old and he moves on to total destruction, the next level of Scottie fun.

Mr. K has the art of squeaky tennis ball destruction mastered. If he is left to his own devices, he can break open a tennis ball (even the bigger ones he can't fit in his mouth that are meant for much larger dogs), silence the squeaker and remove the fuzzy exterior in about 15 minutes or less. At about $5-7 a pop, this is a rather expensive hobby. I gave up at one point and only bought sqeaky tennis balls for special occasions but then I would see that happy Scottie face when he was treated to one and decided I couldn't deprive him of this most-treasured experience.

Now, we always keep a squeaky tennis ball around but Mr. K is limited to chasing it up and down the halls. Occasionally, he tries to sneak it out of the condo and take it with him for a walk. We keep a close eye on him to insure the level of fun doesn't get upgraded to total destruction. And, when he's done playing chase, we take the ball back up and put it away where a Scottie can't reach. So far, this new arrangement has been working out just fine. I'm determined to make this squeaky tennis ball last but, by a Scottie's standard, "last" could mean a matter of weeks as opposed to mere minutes.

From one Scottie Mom to another, I'm curious to know: what's the longest a toy has ever survived the playfulness of your pup? Has anyone found an indestructible toy yet?

Scottie Mom Down

BlogPaws Day 2: Epic fail. Heather and Mr. K never made it to the second day of the BlogPaws Conference. In fact, they didn’t even get out of the hotel much that day due to yet another unexpected turn of events. Saturday was like any other day. Mr. K signaled when it was time to wake up and go for a walk and, after taking care of business outside, he and Heather came back to the room for breakfast. For whatever reason, Mr. K wasn’t interested in eating. Instead, he asked to come up on the hooman bed and cuddle with Scottie Mom. And who could refuse such a request (especially since Scottie Dad was sleeping and wouldn’t even notice!)?

About a half hour later, it was time to get ready for the conference. Mr. K was playing shadow, following me everywhere from the bed to the sink to the kitchen and back to the bathroom vanity. I encouraged him out of the bathroom so I could shower in peace but moments later, I noticed the little guy coming back. Something was going on for sure and I wasn’t about to tell him to go away. I continued getting ready and started the shower. Mr. K was stationed at the entrance of the bathroom, lying solemnly on the floor. I placed one foot in the tub and before the second could touch ground, I realized the only thing that would be touching the ground was my back.

I felt the impact first on the right side of my back, which hit (and broke) the toilet seat before hitting the tile where Mr. K – who had fled the room by now – was stationed. Once I hit the floor, it was like my body went into shock and this intense pain spasmed throughout. I screamed. Scottie Dad shot out of bed to see what happened. The puppies went into hiding under the bed. They only resurfaced after much encouragement from Scottie Dad and were rewarded with an extra walk and some treats. I got ready as fast as I could (which wasn’t very fast at all, considering the pain I was in) and about an hour later, I was sitting in the ER of Inova Fairfax Hospital.

It hurt to walk. It hurt to sit. It hurt to turn left or right, sniffle and even breathe deep. I was completely miserable and I expected a trip to the ER to only add to the agony but it really wasn’t the case.  A dozen X-rays and an IV of pain medication later, I was officially diagnosed with a rib contusion just a few hours into my visit. We were out of there by mid-afternoon and while I didn’t get to do any of the touristic things I had lined up for the Scottie kids, I was more than happy to hang out with Heather and Mr. K in bed for an afternoon of movie watching. Just being in the company of a Scottie (or two!) has a healing effect when we’re feeling down, doesn’t it?

Alas, such was the ending to our weekend in Washington, D.C. Heather and Mr. K didn’t get their chance to pose with Fala, visit any of the doggie boutiques or local Scottie friends nor did I get an opportunity to show off just how cute pajama-clad Scotties look when they take over the hotel. All these things will have to be achieved if we ever get the chance to revisit. In the meantime, the three of us are going to take it easy after a very long weekend of travel and (mis)adventures. Scottie Dad is officially on dog-walking duty until my back heals so I’m sure there will be more than one incident to report by the time I am able to resume normal Scottie Mom duties. Wish him luck!

Conferencing In (and Out)

[slideshow]

BlogPaws Day 1: Success? Not so much. But it was worth a try. We called it quits about halfway through the day. Heather, Mr. K and I attended two classes together and, for the most part, made it through without any major damage done. I should've known it was all downhill when Mr. K's arch nemesis decided to take a seat - you guessed it! - right in front of him in the very first class. At first, it was as if Mr. K himself didn't believe what was going on and struggled to believe it was real. But as the class went on and that M-E-O-W got more defined, Mr. K could not contain himself. He squirmed, whined and even worked himself up to a heavy pant. And for those who know what a Scottie can get like when there is an evil C-A-T around, you know just how embarrassed this Scottie Mom was.

Fast forward through the second class (which Heather and Mr. K acted beautifully for and even scored a few treats) and Mr. K decided to rumble with a fellow pup for about 0.25 seconds before Scottie Mom snatched him up and took him outside to cool off. We walked around the hotel so Mr. K could mark some territory and came back to go through the exhibits - hands down, Heather and Mr. K's favorite part of the day. Everywhere they turned, they were handed treats and asked to pose for pictures (which, as loyal Scottie Mom followers know, Heather and Mr. K are always happy to do). Then, Mr. K decided to start his shenanigans again and lifted his leg on one of the vendor's boxes. As any horrified Scottie Mom would do, I apologized profusely. Just a few minutes later, we settled in to relax in the lobby waiting for our next class to start. That's when Mr. K decided to squat.

You can only guess just how humiliated I was. And that was just minutes before I marched the doo-doo bag outside, took the pups out for their second walk within mere minutes and came back in the lobby to flip - yes, FLIP - over a bench I neglected to see. (Wearing a dress, I might add...) So, here I was, two Scottie dogs and two bags in hand, landing face first on the floor. Luckily for me, my extended humiliation didn't appear to have been witnessed by others and I hoped it would end there. I picked myself up, sat down with the pups to take some pictures documenting the memorable morning and called Scottie Dad to come pick me up. I had enough adventure for one day and was ready to retire. Tomorrow, I'll likely give another go at the BlogPaws conference but I can't decide: go solo or just with Miss Heather Beather? It was a bit much carrying the two around from class to class and Heather sure does know how to network the best out of the three of us! In the meantime, we're set out to find some new adventures of a more touristic nature!

Crime & Punishment

Whether it is a missing shoe, a yellow puddle on the floor or a mess of torn papers across the room, Mr. K reminds his Scottie friends (and other fellow misbehaving pups) to play it cool when your Scottie Mom suspects you are guilty of a Scottie crime. The trick to getting away with something, he says, lies in your ability to look cute as can be, act as if nothing actually happened and you have no idea how whatever it is got there. He cautions against Scottie cams if your Scottie Mom has one and recommends you "take care" of those first before you carry out any plan you may have had. Without that crucial step, you might just get busted...and if that happens, remember: you are innocent until proven guilty (and you can always blame that dark shadow on the cam destroying everything on that Ninja Scottie that's been ransacking houses lately).

Detour to the Vet

Sometimes, there's just no rhyme or reason why these things happen and there's no telling what our pups get into while we're gone. As a somewhat seasoned Scottie Mom, I'd like to think my condo is pretty much Scottie-proof. You'll find nothing on the floor (except food and water bowls, of course), no sharp cornered furniture, and nowhere for Miss Heather Beather to hide underneath (except the hooman bed, when Scottie Dad isn't around!). So why, nearly three months to the date, does she get a nearly identical injury on the back of her head? That's a question neither myself or the the vet can seem to answer.

Let me set up the scenario, as I know it. Once again, only Scottie Dad was home. He had just returned from a trip to Chicago. You might remember from the first incident that Heather last banged her head on one of favorite (and now nonexistent) hiding places in the corner near Scottie Dad's guitars. Immediately after the last incident, those guitars were moved as they seemed to be the only thing Heather could have bumped into. Today, Scottie Dad said there was no bumping into anything of any kind and yet, when he went to take the leash off after an afternoon walk, he noticed the back of her head was once again red. Upon closer examination and much to his disbelief, he saw that Heather had somehow reopened the wound from nearly three months ago.

It was at this point I get a few frantic calls at work, although I cannot answer them. Scottie Dad texts me that there has been an emergency. The situation as he explains it makes no sense. How did this happen? Why only when I'm not home? What did he do? This time, we had a problem: I had borrowed his car for work while he was in Chicago (the Scottie Mobile decided to overheat and stop running just two days earlier) and so he couldn't take Miss Heather to the vet until I got home. As soon as I could, I hopped in the car and went to pick up Heather, who took another trip in Scottie Dad's forbidden, sweet ride.

The vet is as confused as I am. They take her back and discover scar tissue that makes it appear as if the old wound may have not healed properly and something caused it to reopen. The vet is confident that this was not caused by a bite (not that Mr. K would ever do that to his sister!) but also feels confident she had to hit her head on something. The scar tissue is indicative that the wound is older but then the cut itself is fresh. The vet tells me there could be a number of explanations: 1) it was some sort of head bump, plain and simple, or 2) there is an underlying cause (i.e., cancer, Cushings, etc.) that keeps her immune system low and hence, why the first wound may have never healed properly.

Scottie Dad has since added a third theory: he has never agreed with the fact they only put in one staple the first time this happened. The rationale - as we were told - was so that the liquid could drain from the wound. Tonight, they put in FOUR staples for a wound the same size (and in the same exact location). He thinks the vets simply didn't do it the way they should have the first time, making it harder for the wound to heal in general and thus, making the skin in this area more susceptible. My only problem with that theory is that the staples really and truly were effective in closing her up when she had major surgery to remove the cancer - EIGHT staples held her side together, in fact.

And, much like last time, the right eye is again acting up. It closes while the other one remains wide open. Luckily, the vet explained to me last time that this is usually just a result of stress and it will go away. In the meantime, we're back to the one eye drop three times a day to make her feel comfortable. She'll also be taking one antibiotic every 24 hours to reduce the chance of infection around the wound. Not to worry, though, Heather Beather is in the highest of sprits - it is as if nothing happened today.

Here's where I need your help, fellow Scottie Moms and Dads: has anyone ever experienced the vet's second theory of how an underlying health issue caused a wound like this to not heal properly? Of course, hearing the evil "C" word will scare any Scottie Mom into action. The vet offered a second option which I believe to be a bit extensive given the circumstances, where they would biopsy some of the tissue from inside the wound, take cultures and a few other things that would help them determine if there is indeed another cause like the evil "C." This would require she be under anesthesia and I'm all about avoiding that whenever possible. Plus, there's always the possibility that it would come back clean and we'd be just as confused as we are right now. However, I do not want to be the negligent Scottie Mom and miss an opportunity to catch something early. We've already battled the evil "C" once and we can do it again, although I sincerely hope we do not have to.

I have two weeks until Heather and Mr. K go in for the annual physicals and we'll get to discuss today's events with Heather's main veterinarian, the one who helped her beat the evil "C." However, I'd love to get other Scottie Moms' and Dads' thoughts. We'll be doing another round of blood work on Heather to make sure her liver values are continuing to normalize and I'm even considering having her tested for Cushings so we can rule that "C" out along with the even more evil "C." All I know is that after everything we've been through, I don't want anymore medical mysteries and I'm hopeful we can look forward to a healthy and vet-free year sometime soon!

Siete de Mayo

[caption id="attachment_2579" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Scottie Mom's quesadillas are lip-smacking good![/caption]

Mr. K missed the Cinco de Mayo memo. In fact, he waited two whole days to "properly" celebrate. Tonight, it was Scottie Mom's turn to host book club and so the fur kids broke out their Scottie charm and entertained the guests while dinner preparations were being finished. Chicken quesadillas were being served - complete with a little cayenne and some pepper jack and cheddar cheeses. Mr. K was more than proud to walk beside Scottie Mom to present this perfectly laid out dish of triangle-cut quesadillas with crackers and dip in the middle to the guests.

Much to his dismay, no quesadilla bits were accidentally dropped on the floor for him to enjoy. The food made it safely to the middle of the room and was placed on the ottoman that doubles as a coffee table. Scottie Mom laid out a number of dishes and gathered drinks for everyone. This is when Mr. K forgot his manners and decided he had missed out on the Cinco de Mayo celebrations for too long. He circled round the table, away from the guests so his head could blend in with the black ottoman as he raised it above the table and went in for the kill. First, he maneuvered his head to make it look like he was simply resting his chin on the edge and when no one caught on to his advancement, put his front paws up on the ottoman and snatched a quesadilla.

All this in a matter of seconds. By the time Scottie Mom turned around with the last drink, Mr. K had chowed down on nearly half a quesadilla wedge. Scottie Mom was not pleased. Her near perfect presentation had offically been ruined and before any of the guests had been able to partake. Mr. K's eyes met Scottie Moms as she discovered his wrongdoing and he stopped chewing in his tracks. She moved closer and started addressing Mr. K directly instead of chatting with guests. Mr. K, not wanting his Siete de Mayo fun to end just yet, snatched up what was left of the quesadilla wedge and attempted to run away with it.

Unfortunately for Mr. K, the condo isn't very big and he wasn't able to stash the quesadilla or eat the remains before Scottie Mom got to him. The coveted quesadilla was confiscated and while he remained in the living room to play his part as life of the party, Mr. K had to rely on his charm and good looks to win over the crowd since Scottie Mom made it clear that the Siete de Mayo quesadilla snatching was his last comedic act of the night.

Be Inspired by a Scottie (Dad)

Meet Heather's Foster Scottie Dad John. I've only met him twice personally, but this man (and his whole family) has more of my respect than some of the people I've known for years. Not only did he rescue my sweet Heather Beather and give her a chance to find happiness in our home, he and his family also go above and beyond the call of Scottie duty for countless others. His home is a temporary haven for those in between homes and permanent living quarters for a special few.

This weekend, I learned more details of just how Heather came to be the girl we love today. It broke my heart to hear of the mistreatment my baby girl endured and yet, it made me all the more grateful for John and his family for taking her in. There really aren't enough words to describe the impact a foster Scottie family can have on a pup's life. Two months ago, I gave loyal Scottie Mom readers my Top 5 reasons to foster a Scottie. Allow me to add one more to that list:

To foster a Scottie is to embrace the chance to give back to the very breed that has and will continue to bring you joy. It is an easy way to put a little good back in the world in a seemingly small way while maximizing the impact on dogs in need everywhere. To foster is to save a life - or two - and to live up to our Scotties' expectations and be the Scottie Mom (or Dad!) our fur kids think we should be.

One day, when this Scottie Mom is "all grown up," I hope to be half the person John and his family are for Scotties everywhere. My dream is to be part Scottie Mom, part foster Scottie Mom and to open my home to Scotties in need while preparing potential Scottie Moms (and Dads) to be responsible pet owners. My vision is a world without homeless, abandoned, mistreated, neglected and puppy mill Scotties. John, who has had as many as a dozen Scotties sharing his home at one time, is trailblaizing his way to Scottie sainthood (if he hasn't already achieved that!) and is certainly one we should all be inspired by. ArRRrOo to you!

Scottie Picnic

Yesterday, we made the long trek to Lebanon, Tennessee to attend the Tennessee Scottish Terrier Rescue's annual picnic. Much to Heather's dismay, it was raining but that didn't stop us. Heather and Mr. K arrived in style with their baby blue and yellow raincoats, and they were greeted by more Scotties than I've ever seen in one place at one time. There was so much barking as we walked around. It obviously was a little disconcerting for Heather and Mr. K who are used to a very quiet lifestyle but they managed just fine. The noise was very much music to my ears - so many happy Scotties in one place! - but had Scottie Dad reaching for the Advil within minutes. 

I stopped when I saw Bella's puppies. Bella is a purebred Scottie the Tennessee rescue group saved last fall. Just a day or two after she was placed safely in the hands of Tennessee Scottish Terrier Rescue, she delivered four puppies...two of which were still looking for loving homes of their own at the time of the picnic. Bella and the two other puppies had already found furever Scottie Moms!

What do you mean you want to take them with us?!

I stopped when I saw these two because I knew where there was a Scottie and/or Scottie mix in need, Heather's foster family wouldn't be far away. That, and I was amazed by how big the pups had gotten since I had last seen photos of them! Heather's foster family had taken in Bella and her puppies the day after they were born. The two that remained, Cocoa and Snickers, were now just as tall as Heather and Mr. K. They are some sort of shepherd mix and they are very beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, they caught Scottie Dad's eye and for a brief moment, I thought I might finally have the keys to bring those two more rescues I've wanted through our doors!

It wasn't more than a few minutes later that Heather was greeted by her Foster Scottie Dad. It took two years but we finally made a reunion happen! Heather was happy to make herself available for extra back scratchings and soaked up every bit of attention she could get. We settled in and I took Cocoa and Snickers from their crates, hoping to win Scottie Dad over. Snickers came out first and as I held him in my arms, I laughed at seeing just how quickly two pairs of Scottie eyes shot up at me cradling a pup that wasn't them. Mr. K was especially not amused.

Keep us close, Scottie Mom!

Alas, Scottie Dad didn't cave (yet) but did suggest we could trade Heather and Mr. K and then we could take the two Scottie/Shepherd mixes. (GASP!) If you think Heather and Mr. K's eyes shot up at me fast then you should have seen my reaction to Scottie Dad's moment of insanity. (And let's also point out that he is still in the dog house for that comment!) Cocoa and Snickers eventually found a furever home together in Columbia, South Carolina - where I found Mr. K years ago. However, there are still others needing homes. I have all the confidence in the world in the Scottish Terrier Rescue of Tennessee and their ability to find these precious pups find the homes they deserve.

Transforming Cuteness

What a difference a good grooming can make! As these before and after shots show, Miss Barbara at Barking Hound Village really outdid herself today. Heather and Mr. K look great and are so obviously happy to show off their new looks to the world. Now, that's not to say their scruffier alter egos weren't as cute - everyone knows there is no such thing as a Scottie that isn't cute - but you can tell these two enjoy a day at the spa every once in a while and their confidence really shines through when they're all groomed. So, what do you think? Is this a true transformation of cuteness or what?