Memorial Day Tribute

We have had many members of our family who have valiantly served in the military forces and we are proud of each one of them.

On this day set aside to remember those brave men and women who paid the ultimate price to defend our freedoms, we give honor and gratitude.

We also take the time to remember and honor the brave dogs of war who also served this country with courage, devotion and bravery.

Throughout our country's military history, dogs have faithfully stood by their soldier companions and protected the troops during America's wars. Tens of thousands of "War Dogs" served in World War I, World War II, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, and in the wars in Iraq. They continue to serve our troops in missions around the world today. Dogs have saved young American lives by heroic measures like dragging wounded soldiers to safety. As scouts and sentries, dogs have been used to detect ambush sites and snipers and warn of impending attacks. They explore caves, underground tunnels, bunkers and other enemy hideouts in search of bombs, land mines and other enemy weapons and ammunition.

American families donated dogs to serve in the military during World War II and the defense Department treated the volunteer dog soldiers as military personnel. Some of the four-legged heroes were killed in action while saving American lives, and after the war, the dogs who survived were returned to their proud families with "Honorable Discharges". Some even received medals for heroism.

You can learn more about the dogs who serve side by side with our military personnel at the United States War Dogs Association website.

Happy Memorial Day to everyone from Cody and Company Pet Products.

For the Dog Who Has Everything

At what point do you say "I think I have reached the sublime here, and my dog has everything you could imagine"?

We got a package from Posh Puppy Boutique yesterday that contained Pet Pops, a fun, bottled all natural pure Australian mountain fresh spring water for your dog.

They are 100% natural spring water with some natural food color added to give them a little pizazz. They come in four varieties with such fun names as Luscious Lulu, Tiger Lily, Candy Pop, and Betty Blu.

Now, I admit, this is not a necessity by any stretch of the imagination, but an entertaining gift for the pet that has everything. It even says so on the package, with a picture of a little Chihuahua in a bikini and sunglasses driving a pink convertible.

I opened the bottle of Luscious Lulu for the dogs to try. They happily lapped at it.

Our dogs love to munch on ice cubes, especially during the summer. I recently purchased some ice cube trays that make the ice in little dog bone shapes. I am thinking it will be fun this summer to make their little cool, refreshing treat with the Pet Pops.

Yes, I did say dog boned shaped ice cube trays.

Perhaps I have reached that point mentioned at the beginning of this blog.

New Shirts From Pure Country Pet

We got a new package of goodies from Pure Country Pet Boutique this last week. It is so fun to see what they send us!

I love the tshirts from Pure Country Pet Boutique. They have some of the cutest sayings on them and they are quality, well made items. They can go through washing after washing and still come out looking great.

We certainly support the cause to find a cure for breast cancer. Any way that the message can get out there is fantastic.

Aww, who doesn't love their Baby Boy? Let the world know who your favorite baby is! This shirt really makes me want to get a little boy dog......

And of course, if you have a Baby Boy, there is bound to be those who have a Baby Girl also, right?

Be sure to check these shirts out, and all the others that Pure Country Pet Boutique has. Hurry on over and use the coupon code PCPB2010MEM for 20% off your order today through Friday. Their prices are already very reasonable, so you don't want to pass up this sale!

Why Do Dogs Get Carsick?

Today's 'Why Does My Dog Do That?' question deals with traveling with dogs in the car and dogs that get carsick.

Many dogs love riding in the car. They get excited if they even think you are getting the keys and heading towards the door. At our house, Stormie and Breezy really enjoy going for rides in the car, but Shimmer acts as if she is on a journey to doom.

But, for some dogs, the whole car riding thing brings on vomiting. Why?

Truthfully, dogs aren't designed to ride in cars and the experience can be physically and emotionally unsettling, especially for younger dogs. The motion of the moving vehicle can effect the inner ear, triggering nausea and dizziness.

Other dogs become upset in the car because they have learned it is not an experience that ends well. If car rides are infrequent and end at a destination that is not exactly a dog's favorite - such as the vet's, or the groomer - their dislike is hard to overcome.

Take your dog for rides in the car that end with fun adventures such as a run in the dog park, going to see a friend, going to the bank or gas station where they give out treats to doggie passengers. Your dog will soon learn to look forward to the rides.

Some dogs get violently ill during car rides. This can also be overcome by more frequent trips. The more the dog rides in the car, the more used to the motion of the vehicle he will become and the nausea problems will fade.

Remember to be safe when traveling with your dog in the car. They should be restrained in some manner. Driving with your dog loose in the car is risky both for your dog and your ability to concentrate on the road. They should be secured with a canine seat belt, car seat or in a crate. In an accident, a canine can become a projectile that can be fatal to both dog and driver.

Check out some great safety options at G.W. Little

There are many options available, such as carseats, and more pet stores are starting to carry them. A simple restraining strap can do the trick for keeping a dog from getting down on the floor and interfering with your ability to drive.

People will always love to take their dogs with them in cars, and many dogs love to ride in cars. It is up to you to keep it safe for everyone.

We All Have Our Addictions

Everyone is addicted to something. Maybe it's chocolate. Maybe it's baseball. Maybe it's 'Dancing With The Stars'.

Maybe it's dog beds......?

Yes, I admit it. My name is Kelli and I am addicted to buying dog beds.

We currently have six dog beds for three little dogs, four of which are in the sewing room. Yes, I am aware that there are homeless dogs in this country that don't even have one bed and that I shameless indulge my girls by having so many.

I don't know what it is, but I seem to have a compulsion for checking out dog beds in whatever store I am visiting that might possibly have some. And when I find one that I like, that is when all the rationalizing comes in. When it's a cute, adorable bed, I become like some women are about shoes. Gotta have it!

Possibly it is because the girls love the beds as much as I do. When I bring a new one into the house, they get so excited and all pile into it to check it out.

Throughout the day they will roll around in the different beds, grunting and snorting and making all kinds of un-lady-like noises as they settle in for a nap. Perfect rationalization for my indulgence: it makes them happy.

All of this brings me to my latest purchase. When I saw a picture of this on Facebook recently, I knew I had to get it. I called our local Walgreen's, they confirmed that they had them, and I was on a mission. Shawn was in the office working on the computer when I said, "Wanna go to Walgreen's with me?"

Shawn is awesome, rarely asks questions, just says, "sure," turns off his computer and we are on our way. I love that man.

On the drive to the store he asked, "What are we getting?" We are on our way to Walgreen's, so I'm sure he's thinking something like bandaids or cough medicine. I am pretty positive a dog bed was the last thing he expected me to say, but he kept a straight face.

But who could resist a Sock Monkey Bed?????

Stormie loves it the most. She lays in the bed and ferociously attacks the ears and head, making great growling noises. Then she looks up at me with such joy on her face, like she's saying "Thanks mom, you're the best. It's a bed AND a toy in one!"

She will share a little bit with Breezy, but only if she's in a real generous mood.

The sock monkey bed resides in the sewing room, right by my feet.

I think we have enough beds now.

Until the next one.

A Fun Visit and Ready to Fly

We had an awesome visit Saturday from Melissa Trajano-Williams of Bark.Sniff.Drool and her husband Josh. It was fun to sit and visit and get to know each other. You know how some people come into your life and you feel like you have known them forever? That is how it is with Melissa. She is so much fun and the nicest person I have met in a really long time.

She brought Coco Chanel with her, as well as Candie, a little 4 month old Pomeranian puppy she was babysitting for the weekend. The dogs all had fun running around, chasing the cat, sitting in every one's lap and just having a grand time. There was some question on whether my daughter-in-law, P.J. was going to let Candie leave. It was love at first sight.

Being a complete dork, I didn't even think to get my camera out to take some pictures :(

But, Melissa took quite a few, so maybe I can get some from her.

Melissa surprised me with a wonderful gift, a Pet Flys Carrier bag. It is so amazing. As you can see, it is zebra print inside. I feel so hip. Or at least my dogs are hip!

It is one of the City Girl Collection, can hold up to 16 pounds, so I could put all three girls in there, although I'm not sure they would enjoy quite so much togetherness. It is Airline approved for travel, so I am ready to fly.

Somewhere. And take one of the girls with me.

Most likely, since I don't do much traveling, I can start taking Stormie with me more places and she will just hang out in the bag and no one will even know she's there.

I love it. Thanks, Mel!

Waggin' Tail Treats

Thursday was a rainy, time-to-build-an-ark kind of day here, so the girls and I decided it was a perfect time to bake up the organic dog treats with the mix we received from Stuart Cullins at the Portland Doggie Dash last weekend.

Stuart works with Port City Development Center. The more I have learned about the work they do there, the more impressed I have become. Port City has more than three decades of serving individuals with disabilities, providing employment and alternatives to employment services, focusing on capabilities, creativity, and diversity.

As the parent of an adopted son with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, I am so very grateful for wonderful organizations such as Port City Development Center that provide such valuable resources for people with disabilities to serve the community in whatever capacities that they can.

One way that they help to raise funds for their work is through distribution of Waggin' Tail Dog Biscuits. These come as a mix of organic whole wheat flour, rolled oats and baking powder. You simply add a few ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen, roll out out the dough, then cut out the biscuits with the cute little metal dog bone cookie cutter that comes with the mix, bake, and presto! you have made your dogs some treats that they will love.

Let me show you how we did...



The dough is mixed and we are ready to roll...



Soon we had a pan full of fun bone-shaped treats ready to go in the oven. The package says that it will make about 20 biscuits, but we rolled them out a little thinner as I wanted to be able to easily break them into pieces to give to the girls. Each one is big enough to be a full meal for their little tummies! We ended up with 40 biscuits.

I was not left alone through the entire process. The girls, looking adorable in their tshirts from Pure Country Pet Boutique were diligently by my side, ready to help with any clean up that might need to be done on the floor...

The biscuits were done in about 20 minutes and were cooling on the rack. I thought Stormie would like to pose with them. Not sure which was more nerve-wracking for her -- sitting next to all those yummy smelling biscuits or knowing she was up on the kitchen counter (Shawn, don't look).

Ahhh. The finished product. Total prep, cooking, and clean up took about an hour. It was a fun thing to do with the girls' 'help'. It's nice to know that we made them ourselves and that we know what ingredients are in them. They would also make a fun, easy gift to give to some of our doggy friends.

We would definitely encourage others to support the great work that Port City Development Center is doing by purchasing the Waggin Tail dog biscuits! They are $8.95 and can be ordered online.

And to give further testament that I am sure could only come from our house....

Our son William, thinking they were cookies, ate one and gave his approval.

Just another day at the Giles' house.

Never Know What You Might Find...

I decided to broaden my vocabulary the other day and was perusing the Webster's Dictionary. I was very surprised to see some pictures that were associated with some words there. Look at some of what I found!

First, I decided to look up:

ador·able
Pronunciation: \ə-ˈdȯr-ə-bəl\
Function: adjective
1 : worthy of being adored

2 : extremely charming

Well, yes, I would say Shimmer is adorable. How nice that Mr. Webster thinks so also!

Next, I looked up:

pre·cious
Pronunciation: \ˈpre-shəs\
Function: adjective
1 : of great value or high price

2 : highly esteemed or cherished

Imagine that! Yep! Breezy is very precious.

This was getting amazing! How did my girls' pictures end up in the dictionary...????

Finally, I went to:

di·va
Pronunciation: \ˈdē-və\
Function: noun
1: Italian, literally, goddess, from Latin, feminine of divus divine, god

2 : a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality

Oh yeah, they hit THAT one right on!

You never know what you will find when you read!

Have a great day!

Danger From the Sky

There are a lot of things we do to protect and take care of precious little pets. Because they are so small, we know to watch our feet so that we don't step on them. We know that they really shouldn't jump off of the furniture as it is bad for their joints, as well as could break a leg. We know to watch young children around our little dogs, so that they don't get dropped.

We fence our yards, walk them only on a leash (okay, I'll admit it...or in a stroller), keep a diligent eye out for larger dogs that think our little ones are a living squeaky toy.

But, are we aware of the dangers from above? To the eagles, hawks and owls, our precious little dogs look like a tasty lunch and many have lost their pets to these airborne predators.

When I first started discussing this with my family, they all thought I was crazy.

You have to remember, I live with alot of macho men....a husband and four sons. They do well to tolerate the little dogs, and only do so because they make me happy. But the thought that I was worried about a hawk swooping down and snatching one of them seemed a little far-fetched to the guys.

Until I started pointing out how many times there are hawks circling in the sky over our neighborhood. Now, I don't think they are there because news has gotten out that we have three little cuties that come out in the yard. They have always been there, I just didn't spend as much time looking up before I had Chihuahuas.

I would notice a lot of posters on poles about lost little dogs. Postings on Craig's list about a little dog that "just disappeared from our backyard". Could it be the work of birds of prey? Then, one day on our local TV news there was a story about this very thing. A hawk had swooped into some people's yard and carried off their little Chihuahua mix pup. Between my tears of horror and the "I told you so" statements, I resolved to be even more diligent.

Check out the two stories below, of recent attacks, one in Wisconsin and one in California:

http://www.wbtv.com/global/story.asp?s=12129434

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/03/10/owl-danger-from-above/

Now that Spring is here and with Summer just around the corner, we are spending more time outside, and I am even more resolved to protect my precious girls. My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced this horror.

I hope that everyone will also learn from these stories and keep a diligent watch over their sweet little ones.

Doggie Dash 2010

We packed up the girls, Bonnie, Christopher and P.J. and headed downtown this morning to the 23rd annual Doggie Dash. It is a walk-a-thon dog event that benefits the Oregon Humane Society. The weather today is absolutely gorgeous and there were thousands of people in attendance and more fun dogs than I have ever seen all in one location.

There were booths galore of all kinds of doggie stuff (watch for a review on some really great treats I am going to make with a mix from one of the vendors), children's wading pools for dogs to drink out of (a few dogs got in and laid down or splashed around), live music, competitions and demonstrations.

We participated in the Fashion show with the girls in their coordinating dresses. We didn't win, but got plenty of applause.

We learned that when you walk through a crowd of thousands, pushing a pet stroller containing three adorable little Chihuahuas, you don't get anywhere very quickly. We were stopped so many times while people oohed and aahed over the girls. Many wanted to take their picutres.

Stormie and Breezy were all about the ride. They spent most of the day riding with their front paws up on the edge of the stroller, watching all the action. Shimmer, as usual, preferred the view from the safe lower window. When Breezy's back legs would get tired, she would sit on her haunches, doing her 'prairie dog' look. The rest of the time she looked like a furry hood ornament hanging out the front.

We met up with Melissa Trajano-Williams, her husband Josh and two of their dogs, Coco and Armani. Armani was totally in love with our stroller full of girls and practically climbed on in to say hello. He is such a charmer.

It was a great day. All the dogs are exhausted and are now taking naps.

Spring Gardening Time

The sun is shining today and I have such a craving to get out there and start planting my flowers. The dogs love to hang out in the yard with me and soak up the sunshine.

The American Kennel Club newsletter recently shared some cautions that all pet owners should remember when they are planting and working in their gardens:

"Due to their natural curiosity, their love of digging, and their tendency to consume anything they come across, dogs are at a high risk for accidental poisoning. This can be particularly true in spring, as front gardens and backyards come to life with new growth, and as dogs and their owners spend more time outdoors.

Toxic bulbs, plants and flowers include tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, certain lilies, crocus, and lily of the valley. See a detailed chart here.

Harmful fertilizers and ground cover include cocoa mulch, blood meal, bone meal, and any fertilizer containing disulfoton or organophosphates. Store all poisonous substances in your home, garage, and yard out of reach of your curious canine, and block access to potentially harmful bulbs and flowers. If you suspect your dog has ingested a poison, call your veterinarian at once; or dial the Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680. "

All good things to remember.

P.S. The adorable dog in the picture is my "little brother", Teddy. Teddy is a Pom-Chi that lives with my Mom and is a real sweetie.

Kiss That Mouth????

Today's 'Why Does My Dog Do That?' question isn't so much to clear up a mystery of dog behavior as it is to address the urban legend that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's.

Come on!!! Who really believes that?? Have you SEEN what a dog does with it's tongue? As we all know, dogs aren't particularly fussy about where they put their tongues or what goes into their mouths. A dog's mouth contains a lot of bacteria.

Think cat litter box, dead stuff, rear ends of other dogs..

Remember, a dog's tongue is not only his wash cloth but also his toilet paper.

Well, it's true!

So, is a dog's mouth cleaner than a human's? Not at all!! Should you let your dog plant a big slurpy kiss on your face? If you want to. You are not going to die from some horrible disease that you acquire from your dog's tongue. It's really more of a personal issue. Some people will let their dogs lick inside their mouths.

Ok, that's just gross. Remember....toilet paper?

While others don't mind an occasional lick on the cheek.

There is no medical proof that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's, or that it has any mysterious healing powers.

It is what it is. A product of what goes into it. If you enjoy sharing your affection with your dog in this way, go right ahead.

Just understand if no human wants to kiss you afterward.

Cute Christmas Ornaments

I received some adorable porcelain ornaments with the girls' pictures on them this weekend. They were made by Pams Gifts and Collectables shop on eBay. I recently wrote about the business card holder that I had ordered from this shop. They do such a great job of taking your photograph and turning it into such high quality products.

The ornaments are round, white porcelain, about 2 7/8 inches across. They even come with a sweet little red ribbon for hanging. They are custom made, so delivery takes a little longer, but they are well worth the wait.

You really should check out Pam's store. They can use your photograph to make so many awesome things, such as belt buckles, playing cards, pillows, coasters, puzzles, watches...just to name a few!

I better not go too crazy with household items featuring the girls' pictures, or else my two-footed children will start to get jealous. Okay...they already are feeling a little jealous, but they will get over it!

I love my new ornaments. I am seriously thinking I may just have to have a small Chihuahua themed Christmas tree in my sewing room this year, with these ornaments holding center stage!

And playing cards with their picture would be pretty nice also....

I wonder if Shawn would wear a belt buckle with Stormie's picture on it.....

It's Mother's Day!!!

It is Mother's Day weekend and my girls have the cutest tshirts ever!

They love their Mommy! Yay! She loves them, too.

They bought me flowers to plant in my deck pots and yard. They did a great job of picking out the pretty ones, too!

I hope everyone has a great weekend....Happy Mother's Day!!!

Where To Put It All...

If you have ever had a baby, you know that the amount of stuff that you need for that baby far exceeds the size of the child. You wonder, 'how can such a tiny little human need so much?'

Have you ever noticed that the same is true for our dogs? All total, my three little dogs don't even have a combined weight of 15 pounds, yet the amount of supplies, clothes, toys, food, etc. (I know...it's the etc. that gets us every time!) that they have is taking over the house. And we have a large house.

I have recently been trying to come up with a way to rein it all into one spot as much as possible and have come up with a perfect plan.

We have this really cool dresser that belonged to Shawn's grandmother. It has served many purposes throughout the years. It started out as the dresser for her 6 children's clothes (much less 'stuff' back then). After her children grew and left home, the dresser became home for her quilting fabrics and supplies. This is when I became acquainted with the dresser and fell in love with it. I love the tiny little drawer on top and how each drawer gets bigger as it goes down. It has been painted many different colors over the years, with chocolate brown being it's current hue. I am debating on whether it needs a new paint job, or if I should leave it as Grandma had it.

It is now in our home and I have tried to use it for various purposes. None of my kids appreciate the quaintness of it and never wanted to use it for their rooms. I started out keeping my fabrics in the funny drawers, but my inventory quickly outgrew it.

The dresser has been sitting in a corner, needing a job. I decided it was the perfect location to keep the girls' clothes, collars, harness vests, extra toys (they have so many, we rotate them out and they always think they have new toys!), and blankets.

It is quickly filling up.

The dresser doesn't wrangle all the items that are needed to keep my girls happy. We are still looking for the perfect storage place for our awesome new stroller, and their food still has it's own drawer in the kitchen, but all in all, I am quite happy with the new life I have given to this quaint piece of Giles' history.

Not so sure what Grandma Giles would think, but I am hoping she is smiling.

Just The Right Spot

Today is 'Why Does My Dog Do That? Wednesday' and we are answering the question of why do dogs pump their leg when you rub their tummy.

First, one needs to understand reflex reaction. We all have it. If something tickles us, we reach up and scratch at it (think of the videos of someone putting whip cream in a sleeping person's hand and then tickling their nose. Admit it. You have laughed hysterically at that one).

If nerve endings detect something tickling the skin, the dog's leg will automatically come up to scratch the pest off, even if the pest is their loving, kind human doing the fiendish tickling.

Dogs kick their legs because it feels good when you scratch them in certain parts. It's like you are massaging the area that you scratch them on. These areas are most often the stomach, on the rump near the base of the tail, and with some dogs, their ears.

Think of it as going to get a massage. You may moan with delight as all those spots you can't reach get worked on. Your dog has the same feeling, they just automatically start pumping their leg. They usually seem rather oblivious to the fact that they are doing this, which is why we humans think it's so funny.

This leg-pumping 'scratch reflex' is so predictable that many veterinarians will use it to help with their neurological exam when a spinal damage injury is suspected.

So, really your dog is enjoying the sensation, and you get the added bonus of a little wicked enjoyment from watching them do it.

Keeps some people entertained for hours.

Battle of the Redheads

To protect myself, I am going to preface this blog today by saying that I am the granddaughter, sister, and good friend to some wonderful redheaded women and I am in no way prejudiced against them!

My dog has different opinions.

We have a battle that is waged at our house. We call it the Battle of the Redheads.

Our 'grand-dogger' Bonnie lives with us (along with our son and daughter-in-law). We love Bonnie. She is 15 months old, still got some of that lumbering puppiness that a Golden Retriever seems to keep for many years. She is very well-behaved, other than the corner of the deck that she likes to chew on, and the occasional hole in the flower beds. We love and adore her.

Breezy, not so much. Breezy cannot stand Bonnie. She is fine with Carson, the Collie. Pretty much ignores him. But, when it comes to Bonnie, she turns into this tiny, pint-sized prize fighter.

Breezy will chase Bonnie all over the house. If I hold Breezy in my arms while Bonnie is passing through the room, you would not believe the noises that come from that little 4.5 pound body. She wants to get down and take her on! When I finally let her down on the floor after Bonnie has left the room, she storms the door, barking ferociously.

Bonnie loves the little dogs, probably too much. She wants to play with them something fierce and will stand on the other side of my sewing room door, which is a french door with glass panes, so she can see in, whining for them to come play with her. Stormie and Shimmer just ignore her, but Breezy will growl and tell her to get away from the door.

I can think of only one reason for this animosity and it has to do with Bonnie stepping on Breezy's head once in her exuberance to meet her in the very beginning. It was minor, no harm done, but it seems to have set the groundwork with Breezy. Now, according to Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, dogs live in the moment and do not hold grudges.

I'm thinking Cesar might not understand the Chihuahua mind quite as well as he thinks he does.

The Battle of the Redheads continues to add spice to our household. Breezy continues to think she wins each round, as she truly believes that Bonnie leaves the room because SHE made her leave. And Bonnie just continues to look at this little redheaded fireball with a quizzical expression, and then looks at me like "what IS her problem..??"

When it will end? I don't know. But, at this point, my money is on Breezy.

The Story Behind the Name

There are dogs that come into our lives that are much more than a dog. They become a soul mate. One cannot create this bond, it is naturally there and something to be treasured if you have the good fortune to experience it.

One such dog in my life was Cody, officially known as Cherokee Star Memory Maker. Cody entered my life in June of 2005 as a 3 month old puppy. I have had a collie in my life ever since I was 12 years old and adored the breed. I still do. Cody was my first Tri-color Collie, all the previous ones had been the Lassie sable and white.

Cody and I bonded immediately. He was always such a stately dog, even as a puppy. An old soul, as some would say. I swear that dog could read my mind and finish my sentences.

When Shawn and I decided to start our business in the pet industry, we named it Cody and Company, after this great companion. We started out dealing in pet toys, supplies, etc. and got into designing small dog clothing later (I will save that for another day). We were doing well and business was progressing nicely.

Then came the chain of events that one hopes never to go through, certainly not after only having your dog for three short years.

On the morning of Thursday, August 28, 2008, Cody woke up violently vomiting. It was very apparant that this was no ordinary case of an upset stomach. We quickly had him at the vet's office. There was no question that he was in distress and they immediately went to work trying to determine what was wrong.

It is so frustrating when your pet is seriously ill. They cannot tell you what hurts or how they feel. I could look into his eyes and see that my Cody was not there and I was in a panic.

After x-rays, ultrasounds, IV's and I can't even remember what else, by Saturday morning we had the answer. Cody's abdomen was filled with cancer that was attached to so many vital organs that there were no options for treatment. Nothing had ever shown up in his yearly physicals and he had never before this time shown any signs of pain or discomfort. After consulting with other specialists who agreed with the diagnosis, we had no options but to say good-bye to our beloved Cody and end his suffering.

I have never been more shell shocked in my life. In two short days, one of my best friends was gone. This is just not suppose to happen to a three year old dog. Even the veterinary staff was in shock. In a daze I made the necessary phone calls to inform family and friends. Some people asked if I was going to change the name of the company. I was determined to keep it going in his honor, to make it a success.

While we have taken the business in a different direction than we started, it will always carry his name. I get asked often how we came up with this name, so today I decided to share with my readers how it came to be.

I love my three little dogs, and we still have Cody's half-brother Carson. Dogs are wonderful, true friends. Why they live such short lives, some even shorter than others, is a mystery to me, but they pack so much love and devotion into those few short years and teach us so much.

I miss Cody alot. He hasn't been replaced by the girls, but the great thing about the human heart is it's capacity to still love, even after it has been broken. I feel privileged to have had Cody in my life, even for such a short time. And I am equally privileged to have Carson, Stormie, Shimmer and Breezy to love now.

That's the way life works.