Art and Sew Forth

It's Furbaby Friday!

Have you ever seen a Keeshond? If you're like me, you have, but had no idea what breed they were! Theresa, from Faerymoongoddess on Etsy, has a very sweet 'tail' to tell about her furbabies Willow and Neo!

Theresa will receive 50 FREE TWEETS next week for being my guest!

I absolutely adore Keeshonds! If I could, I'd have a house full of them (although I'd need to take up stock in the vacuum cleaner industry). What type of breed is a Keeshond (properly pronounced "kayz-hond" )? This link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeshond will tell you all the specifics. Although the Keeshond is growing in popularity in the United States, I still field many questions about my doggies. They are truly like no other. Essentially, they are energetic, cuddly, loving unbridled bundles of energy. I often say they are like eternal two-year-olds!

Their most striking feature is their spectacled-eyes (kind of like a raccoon). I first met a Keeshond when my husband and I were helping friends move about 10 years ago. Like many people, I was unfamiliar with the breed and I asked a ton of questions. I think I pretty much forgot about moving and played with the dog most of the day! When the time came for us to get a dog, I immediately thought "Keeshond!" We decided to go with a local independent breeder. I met the parents-to-be and was sent photos of the litter once they arrived - including a photo of the adorable little furbaby who was to soon come home to us. And then the ball dropped. We were told by this breeder that we'd have to sign a paper agreeing to be "co-owner" of the pup - as the breeder intended to put the pup on the dog show circuit. I was crushed - we were never told this information. We just wanted a special pup to call our very own. We wanted a pup to love and to play with - and not have to care if he or she got messy now and then. I wanted to raise my pup myself - not as a trophy - but as a well-loved member of our family. Needless to say, we had to tell the breeder "thanks, but no thanks."

After a lot of tears, my hubby suggested we try a pet store that we were told had open pens for the pups to socialize and play in. I guess it was fate - because when we arrived, we were told that two Keeshonds would be arriving within the next two days. I couldn't believe our luck! We gave our phone number and anxiously awaited the call. And this was how we got our little Willow.

Willow is now 9 years old, and I love calling her my princess. She's kind of ornery, which is a bit unusual for the breed, but it appears that Willow prefers to be a one-dog kind of person (mainly for her mommy). She's also highly intelligent! She learned so quickly - picking up sit, stay, "side," and "cookie" almost immediately. I remember how tiny she was when we first got her. She literally fit in the palm of my hand. As I mentioned, Willow has her quirks, but she is very loyal and protective. She also does the cutest things. Every night, when it’s time to go to bed, Willow needs to find "the" perfect toy to take with her. She'll scurry to her toy box and select just the right one. Sometimes, it's inappropriate (like a hard white beef bone that will often fall off the bed and land on the floor with a big thud). She also instinctively knows when it's time for mommy to head to bed. When I get up from the couch late in the evening, she knows it’s time for her bedtime treasure hunt! Willow also causes quite a commotion when either mommy or daddy comes home. She'll be waiting by the door, wiggling her curled up tail, and holding an "offering" (most likely a stuffed toy) in her mouth!

We went directly to our local open-pen pet store to find our baby boy, Neo. And he is the light of my life! Neo, short for Neopolitan, LOVES life and everything and everyone in it. He is the happiest dog I have ever known. He's 4 years old, but he thinks and acts like a little pup. He always makes me laugh when he sleeps with his back legs splayed out behind him. It's funny - when Neo was just a pup, he was SO serious. But once he learned to smile, he did it constantly.

Neo is most definitely a cuddle monkey. While Willow is more independent, Neo likes nothing more than to curl up next to you and lick, lick, lick. Yes, our little guy has a thing for licking. He also joins Willow in the bed time fun every evening. Whereas Willow jumps to the middle of the bed, my little boy warms up my spot, and then moves to the top of my pillow where he stays for most of the night. Each morning when I wake up, I get sloppy wet kisses all over my face. Neo loves his sister and likes to lick the insides of her ear, which she seems to enjoy.

Neo also LOVES to eat. He will literally gulp down his food in less than a minute, while his older sister is still demurely munching on her meal. He never tries to eat her food, which is amazing in itself! Neo is quite the little begger - he likes to get right on in there and practically put his snout on the plate. Willow will just sit quietly by your feet as you eat - hoping that something will magically drop from your plate. Both of them LOVE snacking on almonds, cheese, carrots and especially tomatoes!

I love my sweet furbabies so very much. I can't even imagine life without them. I love that they keep me company all day long while I work and create. Although they are the same breed, they have two entirely distinct personalities - but that just makes them all the more special to me. Thanks for allowing me to introduce Willow and Neo to all of you.

Theresa is a very talented artist and jeweler. Her shop is full of color, texture, warmth, and variety. You can click on any of the pictures above or below to see her lovely offerings.

You can also find Theresa here

http://www.twitter.com/faerymoongodess
http://www.faeriemooncreations.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/faeriemooncreations

FURBABY FRIDAY is dedicated to our much loved furry (or not so furry!) animal friends that enrich our lives and world and make us better people!

If you are an owner of an Etsy, Artfire, or other online shop with a pet and would like to be featured here, please follow me and leave a comment with a link to where I might contact you. Those chosen will receive 50 free Tweets of advertising the following week.