A Trip to City Dog Market

So, I'm pretty sure today did not go as Heather and Mr. K planned. Usually, Sundays are relaxing days for us in which they are spoiled with belly rubs and snuggles at home. Today, we decided to do something different and set out for a little adventure to City Dog Market for a surprise B-A-T-H.

It had been a while since we visited what I've always considered one of the best doggie boutiques in Atlanta. Years ago, I had bought adorable matching collars for Heather and Mr. K there and I was hopeful I could score harnesses this time. We shopped around while we waited for the self-washing stations to become available. Mr. K was immediately attracted to the treats and then, of course, the squeaky toys. He made it clear which he wanted to take home with him by pulling the tiniest squeaky balls I've ever seen off the rack...twice!

After about 20 minutes of perusing the goods, the self-washing stations became available. Up until this point, Heather and Mr. K probably thought they were on a shopping spree for treats and toys. They weren't at all suspicious of the rooms to their right with other doggies covered in suds and toweling off. That all changed the minute we got in there and suddenly, their lovely Scottie smiles were wiped off their faces.

Lucky for me, those smiles weren't gone for long. The team at City Dog Market were very generous with treats and even gave us a goodie bag to take with us on the road home. I may have even purchased another surprise for Heather and Mr. K to enjoy next weekend! Tell us, friends, how often do you give your pups a B-A-T-H? 

Scottish Terriers of Instagram

Didn't get enough of #TooCuteTuesday? We've got you covered. This week's #ScottishTerriersofInstagram are here to bring you even more Scottish Terrier cuteness. Want to share your Scottie dogs' photos with us? Upload them to Instagram using #ScottishTerriersofInstagram or tag @TheScottieMom. Oh, and be sure to follow us and this week's featured Scottie dogs!  

Still looking for more Scottie Love? Check out other Scottish Terriers of Instagram on Pinterest!

Pet-Friendly Ways to Keep a Clean Floor

I, sweet Heather Beather, am notorious for "washing" the floors for Scottie Mom with my tongue. You just never know where you might find a scrap of something yummy.

Despite my handy work, Scottie Mom always brings out a steam mop to clean the floors one more time. I promise you, Scottie Mom: I got this - there's no need to clean up after me!

The minute she finishes washing the floors, Mr. K likes to bring out his toys and run around on the freshly steamed floors so everyone can see his paw prints and so he can begin painting the floors with doggie slobber once more!

One of the most common questions I'm asked by Scottie Mom friends and fans - right after how I get my pups to pose for the camera so well and what "Mr. K" actually stands for - is how the Scottie House hardwood floors always seem so clean and shiny with two dogs running about the house. Until recently, there was no real secret to keeping it clean. Just some good, old-fashioned elbow grease and a bucket of hot water mixed with a bit of vinegar.

The process of cleaning the hardwoods in the Scottie House by hand takes approximately four hours. Needless to say, we have a lot of hardwood flooring in the house - only the bedrooms have carpet. Washing the floors used to be an extremely laborious process but after going through two separate health scares that inspired this blog, I simply wasn't willing to risk another health scare by using any cleaning product with which Heather and Mr. K might come into contact.

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Read about Mr. K's brush with death here. To this day, we still don't have a diagnosis.

Read about Heather's health scare, which occurred three months after Mr. K's, here. 

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A few months ago, Scottie Dad came home with a Bissell Powerfresh Steam Mop. Truth be told, I wasn't too happy about it at first. I had heard steam mops shorten the life of the hardwood flooring over time and I was still skeptical about using anything other than water, vinegar and a few old rags to spruce up the place. Still, Scottie Dad insisted we give the steam mop a try because it only used water - no harsh chemicals. Reluctantly, I gave in and I'm so glad I did. The time it took me to clean the hardwood floors was reduced by 90 percent and the floors felt just as clean beneath my feet.

This was huge. Having accepted a job that takes me about an hour and half away from home, I had less time to do household chores and spend time with my precious pups. To find something that was pet-friendly and gave me back more than 3.5 hours of my time was priceless. I'm pretty sure Heather and Mr. K approve, too, as this little steam mop doesn't make loud noises like that big, bad vacuum cleaner does. Most of the time, Heather and Mr. K will rest in their Scottie beds and observe the steam mop hard at work - even when it is just inches away from their beds.

Now, we want to hear from you: what pet- and family-friendly cleaning tips and tricks do you have to share for keeping the Scottie House so fresh and clean? Comment below!

A Scottie Mom in the Making

Our feline cousin Cruz snuggling with the baby bump!

Heather and Mr. K are going to be an aunt and uncle! In less than three months, they will welcome their niece into the world and will commence training on the second generation of Scottie Moms in our family. We couldn't be more excited! In shopping for our little niece, we've found that there is a healthy variety of children's clothes out there featuring Scottish Terriers and, of course, we're working on building her wardrobe of Scottie-patterned clothing. Please keep your eyes sharp, friends, and be sure to comment below with your favorite Scottie finds for mom, baby and the nursery so we can all run out to the stores and collect them before they're gone! 

Scottish Terriers of Instagram

It's the moment you have waited for all week! With #TooCuteTuesday just around the corner, we thought we would whet your appetite for the cuteness overload happening tomorrow on our Facebook page by introducing you to this week's bunch of smiling #ScottishTerriersofInstagram. Aren't they just adorable? Let's try captioning some of these Scots! If you'd like to share your Scotties' Instagram photos with us, upload your photos to Instagram using #ScottishTerriersofInstagram or tag @TheScottieMom. Oh, and be sure to follow us and this week's featured Scottie dogs! 

Still looking for more Scottie Love? Check out other Scottish Terriers of Instagram on Pinterest!

Like a Good Neighbor

We were on our way to the overtreater's house when suddenly, the Scottie Mobile decided it needed to take a nap on the side of the highway near Anderson, South Carolina.

We may not have thumbs but we knew being this cute meant we were Scottie Mom's best chance at hitchhiking a ride. 

It got too hot in the car, even with the windows down, so we ventured outside.

We watched as all the trucks and cars whizzed right by us.

Back in the car, we waited to be rescued. 

The tow truck arrived and we had plenty of interesting things to sniff on our way to the car shop.

There wasn't any air conditioning in the tow truck, either, but we enjoyed the strong breeze from the open windows.

 

We arrived at Firestone in Anderson, South Carolina, and had no trouble making ourselves right at home.

Finally, the overtreater came to pick up and take us home. Never has an air conditioned car felt so good!

State Farm was there, helping me get Heather and Mr. K out of the broken down Scottie Mobile on the side of I-85N somewhere near Anderson, South Carolina - about halfway to our destination: the overtreater's house. We still had a good two hours to go when the Scottie Mobile decided to take a nap. I knew a hot car with no air was no place for two dogs and so I sought help right away. 

First, I called the overtreater (Heather and Mr. K's grandpa) to come pick us up. Then, for the first time in my life, I called my insurance company. For me, car insurance has always been one of those things you're supposed to have but rarely use. And I recently switched over to Scottie Dad's team at State Farm so I was relatively unfamiliar with the coverage and what kind of help they'd be able to offer us. Much to my surprise, I had someone on the phone right away. They called me a tow truck and provided text message and automated phone call updates on the tow truck's whereabouts.

I was relieved to learn the tow truck would be there to rescue us within 45 minutes. Even still, I did my best to get some air flowing about the Scottie Mobile and blocked out the sun as much as I could from the backseat windows so Heather and Mr. K could stay as comfortable as possible. Every few minutes, a tractor trailer would rush by and give us a good gust of wind. It wasn't the most comforting thing to feel the car rock slightly as these larger vehicles whisked by but it did feel nice to have a bit of breeze every few minutes as the Scottie Mobile baked in the afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, we waited about a half hour longer than expected for the tow truck but we passed the time in and out of the Scottie Mobile. I always take a portable water bowl and provisions with me on car trips like this. Naturally, I had only brought the bowl this time - no water. So the longer it took the tow truck, the more nervous (and guilty) I felt. Lesson learned! Luckily, the pups were doing fine and once the tow truck was there, we were on our way to safety thanks to our friends at State Farm. 

We stopped at the Firestone in Anderson, South Carolina, where the team was nice enough to let me bring the dogs inside. I filled the pups' bowl with fresh, cool water and gave them each a few Blue Bits treats to help them settle in. They honestly didn't need any help settling in, though. Within minutes, Mr. K had his legs kicked back and Heather was taking an afternoon siesta on the cool tile floor. They even met a lovely woman and her son who told me her brother is also owned by Scotties!

Finally, the overtreater arrived and Heather and Mr. K literally jumped for joy knowing he had a pocket full of treats to share. We left the Scottie Mobile at the shop and hoped it would wake up from its nap by the time we returned the next day. And though it did wake up (after nearly $1,000 worth of work), we know it is time to replace it with a newer, safer Scottie Mobile. Tell us, friends: what kind of Scottie Mobile do you have and what would you recommend for our new ride?