Emily's Pet Parade

  Rusty was my Beagle, and even though we didn't have Rusty for as long as most of our other dogs, I still loved him. Of course, I loved pretty much all my pets, especially my dogs. The only pet I can safely say I didn't care too much about was my second hamster, Mitch (see my post about my 2 hamsters for more on Mitch). Anyway, this post is about Rusty, not Mitch. Like all of our dogs, we got Rusty as a puppy, and let me tell you, Beagle puppies are one of the most adorable puppies ever! All puppies are cute, of course, but there are some breeds that are just the epitome of adorableness as puppies, and Beagle puppies are one of them.  Beagles are generally a very friendly, happy-go-lucky breed. They also happen to be one of the healthiest purebred dogs out there, and by that, I mean that they have very few genetic health issues, if any at all. The main thing you have to worry about with Beagles is that they are hound dogs. What do I mean by that? Well, hound dogs are bred for...

  In my last blog post, I talked about Labrador Retrievers, including a bit about the breed (and how awesome the breed is!) and also introduced you to Lu Jack, a black Labrador that belonged to my dad, and also to Lucky, whom I considered my first Labrador Retriever because like I mentioned before (maybe even several times before), I loved Lu Jack, but he wasn't my dog, technically speaking. Anyway, back to Lucky. In part one of this 2-part post, I told you that Lucky was possibly the smartest Lab I've ever met. Not only did he learn things quickly as a puppy, but that ability also followed him into adulthood...and even into his old age. Not to say that old dogs can't learn new tricks, because they can. It just takes a lot more effort, time, and patience to teach them when they've hit their senior years. Not with Lucky.  I remember this one time when there was a thunderstorm going on, and let me tell you, Lucky HATED thunderstorms! He was absolutely terrified of them! A...

To say that Labrador Retrievers are awesome dogs would be an understatement to say the least. Trust me when I tell you this: Labradors are one of the best, if not the best  dogs in the world (and maybe the universe!). I'm serious, too. If I could think of why dogs are called "man's best friend," it would be because of the Labrador Retriever. They have almost everything one could want in a family pet: intelligence, eagerness to please their family, they're easy to train, and they have a friendly, kind, and loving personality...towards just about anyone, not just their owners. Labradors want to be friends with just about everybody.  Labradors are also very gentle and tolerant. VERY tolerant, in fact. I remember the first Labrador my family had, Lu Jack. I loved Lu Jack. He wasn't my dog, he was my dad's, but I still loved him. I had a good time with him, too. Of course, my dad got Lu before I was born, so Lu was already senior-aged when I was a toddler. Boy,...

  I've had a total of two hamsters so far, and let me tell you, I am NOT going down the rodent-pet road again. And by "rodent-pet," I mean rodents as pets in general: mice, rats, guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters. Not that I didn't enjoy my hamsters (well, my first hamster anyway). They're fun pets to kids to play with and own. Of course, I'm saying that because I was not the one who cleaned their cages. Okay, that's not totally true. While I really didn't do any of the cage cleaning for my first hamster, I did help with the cage-cleaning of my second hamster. And let me tell you, cleaning a hamster cage is absolutely disgusting. Don't let anyone tell you that hamsters pick one spot in their cage to go to the bathroom in, because it's NOT true! I can tell you from experience that hamsters will go anywhere and everywhere in their cage, and if you don't clean the cage at least once a week or so, it really stinks, literally and figuratively. ...

  I had a next-door neighbor once who loved parrots. She even had one as a pet: an African Grey Parrot named Percy. Parrots are pretty cool pets in a lot of ways, particularly if you want a pet you can talk to. Not that parrots can actually talk exactly  like a person. They just repeat what they hear around the house. Some parrots are very intelligent, like the aforementioned African Grey, which has the intelligence level equivalent to that of a 7-year old child! Of course, when you think of a 7-year old human kid, it doesn't sound that smart. However, that IS pretty smart for a bird.  Anyway, parrots are neat pets to have...if you have the time to commit to spending with them. Parrots are also high-maintenance pets that require a lot of attention and interaction from their owners. However, I feel I must warn you that most parrots, in general, are one-owner pets, meaning that they bond mainly with one person in the household, and they bite the crap out of everyone else. N...

  My Shih-Tzu, Jeffery, will always be special to me (even if he's already crossed the rainbow bridge), because he was my first puppy. He also happened to be the highlight of my 5th birthday. No, seriously. He was my favorite 5th birthday present...not that I remember my other presents from my fifth birthday. That should give you a hint of just how special Jeffery was. He's literally the only present from my 5th birthday that I can actually remember.  Anyway, Shih-Tzus are wonderful family pets. They're happy-go-lucky, affectionate, and playful. Not to mention ADORABLE! Sure, they may have a face that looks a little smooshed-in, but they make it work. It adds to their charm. And really, if you think a Shih-Tzu has a pushed-in face, you obviously have never seen a Pug!  Shih-Tzus also have a long, luscious, silky coat. Speaking of which, a Shih-Tzu has hair instead of fur which, in case you were wondering, DOES mean they have to be groomed every now and then. That said, if...