Aspen the Yorkie

I don’t want to be a complaining little puppy, and sound like I didn’t get all the toys I wanted for Christmas, but do want to make sure you know that even though Christmas is over, there are still a lot of fun things that owners can buy for their pets, and they can cost $25 or less.

I can give you some examples of last minute gifts from Kmart, or I guess now that Christmas is over, that would be gifts that you didn’t get and wanted.

There are about 25,000 gifts under $25, here are examples of some things you humans might like, then I’ll give you some that us pets might like, okay?

Human Gifts:

• Craftsman® 23-inch hand tool box with comfort handle
• Martha Stewart Everyday tall nickel pillar candleholders
• Route 66 girls fashion hoodies and embellished jeans
• Joe Boxer men’s and women’s two- and three-piece cozy sleep sets
• Just Kidz® Deluxe soft-bodied 16” doll set with stroller
• LeapFrog Leapster Learning Games, various titles

Those things might sound fun to you, but here are some things we saw that pets and humans taking care of pets might like…just search “pets”, then “price low to high” in the drop down box.

Pet Gifts:

• Snapware Pet Paw Treat Container
• Two-color round dog beds (small sized ones like I would use)
• Cat or Small Dog Door Passage Inserts
• Book – A Kids Guide For Protecting and Caring for Animals (and lots of other books)
• You Bake ‘em Dog Bisquits
• 2100+ other items came up when we searched “Pets” (some from Sears which you can get to from the same link.)

So if there is anything that you didn’t get, now is the time to get it, because the prices are good, and there are such good sales…whether you are shopping for yourself, or your pet.

I thought it would be fun to have posts now and then about different kinds of dogs, not just Yorkies like me.  This is the first post, but in time, if you want to find all the posts that are about different kinds of dogs, then click on “Dog Breeds” under “Categories” to the right, and you’ll find them.

At the same house where I was born, the owner had a Basset Hound, he was a great big dog, I think I am smaller than his head was.  But in memory of him, because he has gone over the “Rainbow Bridge”, I thought I’d start with an article we found about Basset (sometimes spelled “Bassett) Hounds.

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Although we are unable to identify the exact time period in history when the Basset Hound was created, some historians have noted that the first mention of this type of dog was found during 16th century text that made mention to “short legged dogs used for badger hunting.

We also know that comparable dwarf breeds that had short legs were used during the ancient times, but it is very difficult to focus in on exactly when and why the Basset Hound was intentionally bred.

The word “Basset” is French and is derivative from bas, which means “dwarf”. We know that short legged dogs were normally used for slow paced hunting during the French Revolution. History of this dog breed indicates a much clearer snap shot after French Revolution.

During this time period that Basset Hounds became a whole lot more common as a hunting companion. Many Hunters needed a dog that was intelligent enough with its scent ability to hunt prey and at the same time was slow enough so that they could be followed and hunted with guns. This is where this animal received its small dwarf like body; it became the perfect hunting formula for these needs.

Ultimately, there are four different variations of the short legged kind were created. One of these variations is know as the Basset Artesien Normand. The Basset Artesien Normand is what closely resembles today s Basset Hound. In the late 1800s and then again around 1930, crosses were developed with Bloodhounds to bring up their size. The first Bassett Hounds were sent to England and the United States during the late 1800s.

Personality

You will discover that the Basset Hound is one of the most calm and relaxed dog breeds alive today. They are very good natured with nearly every other animal and human they come into contact with. The Basset is enormously suited for kids and is well behaved even in the company of other strange dogs. Even though these dogs are considered high in affection levels and friendliness, do not underestimate its watchdog capabilities. In addition, these Hounds made great watchdogs.

Taking Care Of A Basset Hound

Basset Hounds need a dose of daily exercise, but not an over dose. One or two walks each day on the leash around your block will suit just fine. But, like any animal, it is always good for extra playtime and games when possible. Basset Hounds should sleep indoors with the family during the evening. During the day, having these dogs should have access to an enclosed yard. There’s no need for that much grooming. Just a little brushing and bath times throughout the week will be fine. Also, make note that these dogs tend to drool frequently.

Health Information

Basset Hounds have a live around 9 and 12 years, sometimes they live longer, it all depends on their health. Big health concerns are ectropion, vWD, CHD, gastric torsion, OCD, thrombopathy, otitis externa, and elbow dysplasia. Minor health problems may include patellar luxation. Obesity is a common issue with these animals when owners overfeed them. Make sure that you place caution on how much food you provide.
Author Resource:-> Written by Kelly Marshall of http://Ohmydogsupplies.com, which has a huge selection of over 300 http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/grooming-tools dog grooming tools and dog grooming supplies

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I know Christmas is over, and I hope that you had a really good one! We did, and today one of my owners has a birthday, and so we all had a lazy day at home, eating leftovers, and I got a lot more turkey, my favorite! My owner got lots of birthday “tweets” on Twitter and greetings on Facebook, and calls from family, and nice presents, but I was just happy that they were home all day.

Since my owner’s birthday is right after Christmas, this year some people bought her gifts after Christmas because there are such good sales. In fact, shopping after Christmas is a great thing to do if you are looking for the best bargains.

Maybe we have told you before, but we really like Sears a lot because they have the heroes at home program with it’s wish registry that helped provide gifts for children and families of our military. It is stores that care like this that we should support with our shopping dollars, even if Christmas is over. I’m sure you can think of a few things that you didn’t get for Christmas that you might like to buy…or maybe you were given money as a present, you can spend that on yourself, or you can look around at the different departments in Sears for something for your pet if you have one. We like toys and presents too!

Here’s a little video for you to help you understand more about the heroes at home program.

We didn’t get a chance to wish you Merry Christmas when we wanted to because our cable internet connection was down, so we hope you had a Merry Christmas.  There are parts of Christmas I like…like opening my presents.  I’m going to have to ask my owner to add a picture later of me opening presents, I got a squeaky toy and loved opening that, it made noise the whole time, and my owners laughed at me the whole time I was opening it.

But the other present, lets just say I felt the same way about it as some children feel when they get a box that they know is cloths.  It was a collar, it wasn’t as fun as the other present, even though it’s nice and has a red bandanna attached to it.

The part of Christmas I don’t like is when everyone leaves to get together with the rest of the family.  Then I am all alone at home.  But today, the day after Christmas was even better, at least to this little yorkie.  There was so much food around the house over the past few days that the 20 lb. turkey that my family bought didn’t get eaten, so they cooked it tonight….I LOVE turkey…so have had my fill.  I’m stuffed and going to lie down and go to sleep soon, but wanted to wish all my readers a late Merry Christmas!

Oh boy, I have the opportunity to be a “travel agent” again, a noble thing for a little dog like me.  Will you take a look at these beautiful hotels!  I know my owners have stayed in some pretty fancy places before, but these are especially nice.  I wish I liked traveling more so that I could go along with them on some of their vacations.

What you are looking at are two Hilton Hotels in Branson, Missouri.  They are Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the beautiful Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. I visited the links to see what you can do while you’re in the area, and found a list, but also found that you could take a picture tour of the inside of the hotels. There are some great “winter escape” packages available, so when the holidays are over, and you are ready to get away to relax, this might be just the place for you.  Here are some places you can visit in the area that came up when I did a search at the site:

Branson Landing
Celebration City
City Center
Lake Taneycomo
Silver Dollar City
Table Rock Lake
Tanger Outlet Mall
Theatre district

There are even more places to visit, like the town square, with it’s water fountain with a light and fire display choreographed to music…sounds amazing! There’s an ice carving event, a lot of live entertainment, and so much more.  You’ll be able to search for places using the tools at the site, and can plan where you will go easily because they tell you how many miles away from your hotel the attractions, stores, amusement parks, etc., are.  Or maybe you will just want to relax and enjoy the beautiful hotel accommodations.

My owners have traveled through Missouri on their way out to visit relatives, but can honestly say they haven’t stopped in to visit Branson, they have been in more rural areas of the State….but after having an opportunity to share all of this with you, I think they are going to want to visit sometime.