I had two Pugs before Freddie and they lived to eat and would eat anything I put down for them. Needless to say, they were both over-weight and being a typical Mother; I was thrilled to see them eat. I grew up in a household where cleaning your plate was the norm.  Even though Freddie likes my cooking, he still needs to eat more dog food and I would try anything to get him to eat.

Recently my local pet store owner introduced me to a protein supplement by Halo, Purely for Pets, dog and cat food,  which improves the taste and nutritional value of any meal.  It’s called Dinner Party and it contains 75% protein mixed with herbal seasonings. The main ingredient is freeze dried chicken, freeze dried salmon, or freeze dried beef and only a small amount needs to be sprinkled on any meal for your dog or your cat to give their food a tasty incentive to eat nourishing and healthy food.

Halo foods supplies natural dog and cat food as well as natural supplements, treats and grooming supplies. I think your pet will be very pleased with their products and you will be happy to see how well-nourished and healthy your pet will be with the use of Halo natural products. Ellen Degeneres, the well-known comedian and talk show hostess, has used Halo products for years and is an ardent animal lover. She loved their line so much that she became a co-owner of the company and actively promotes their products.

Freddie loves Dinner Party chicken sprinkled on his food and now eats all his food in one sitting and leaves a clean dish. Good boy, Freddie!

I have used “flat leaver” in the presence of many of my family and young friends in regard to Freddie, our three year old Maltese, only to have to give an explanation of what those words mean. Even my nephew, Richard, was interested in finding the meaning and sent me a link from UrbanDictionary.com on the true meaning of “flat leaver”.

However, I am still wondering if this was an expression mainly used in New York City, as that was where I grew up and you would hear “flat leaver” uttered many times in the schoolyard.

Nowadays, I only use this expression when I talk about Freddie.

He is such a lovable dog to George and me and fits the true meaning of “lap dog”.  Freddie needs to constantly be with us anytime we are at home. When we are sitting down, he will jump right into our laps and curl up in a very contented ball of fur. He even taps your hand as if to say, “I’m here, I need some stroking”. If he was a cat, I know he would be purring his head off! Needless to say, Freddie gets loads of love and hugs and kisses from us. But Freddie is also a very social dog and loves human company, whether it is adults or children he has to be right in the center of their attention.

When Freddie was a small puppy and meeting people for the first time, I would always hold him in my arms and introduce him to our guests. He would growl if they tried to pet him and would burrow deeper in my arms.  After doing this several times and my being concerned that he would not be friendly to other people and just be attached to George and me, I tried a little “dog psychology” and found a solution.

I realized that Freddie would be so excited to greet someone when they came into the house and would do the usual little dog yapping. I learned if they picked him up, rather than me, he would be content to be in their arms and wanted that person’s attention all to himself. The growling was basically a territorial reaction and saying that he wanted this person all to himself. In fact, he would even growl if George or I reached out to touch him while someone else was holding him.  Thus, my saying “he is a flat leaver”.

Freddie loves everybody.

The more attention they give him, the more he will perform for them and give them many doggie kisses. I am very fortunate that everyone he has met is an animal lover and loves every minute of his warm greetings. When we have houseguests, Freddie completely leaves us alone and jumps into their laps. I always was under the impression that toy breeds were friendly, but also a one person dog. Freddie has proved me wrong and I think letting others pick him up right away has helped him become a more social dog.

Again, would others think Freddie is a flat leaver or a lover, or is his Mommy a just a little bit jealous?

To all those pet lovers out there, are you being taught by your pet what their favorite food, toys, activities are that will make them happy?  Freddie, our adorable 3 year old Maltese, has taught us what he will eat and what toy and activity makes him happy.

Freddie is a finicky eater and I went nuts trying to figure out what Freddie would eat.

Before Freddie, I had two adorable pugs, Winston and Willie. They loved to eat, in fact, eating was their favorite pastime! Therefore, I thought I could feed Freddie the same way. I always started with dog food, but I would add a little cooked chicken, or slices of roast beef, or even a small moist meatball made especially for Freddie.

He enjoyed these additions, but only to have an upset stomach later in the day.

Out came “The Essential Maltese” book and I learned that small toy breeds have very tiny stomachs and need small portions of good quality dog food. Forget the people food, a big no-no. I found a brand that he loves and it is Innova dry dog food, an excellent natural food for dogs. It is made from ingredients from all five food groups. Contains no cornmeal and is made up of 25% protein and 14% fat.

To add more nutrients, I sprinkle Archetype, a freeze-dried product which contains meat, organs, bones, plant nutrients and micronutrients: 45% protein and 33% fat. It can be served dry or rehydrated with a little water. It’s also excellent to serve a little bit as a treat. Thank you, Freddie, for teaching me what is best for your little tummy. He loves this combination. His coat looks better and best of all, no more eye staining!

As for toys, Freddie’s favorites are little plush toys with squeakers inside, particularly his soft ball that rolls. Naturally, they have to be tiny for his little mouth and teeth to hold and www.jefferspet.com is a great website for purchasing items especially for small breeds. Give him a rubber toy or large toy and he will sniff it and walk away. A plastic storage container works well to hold all his toys and he loves picking through the box for a toy.

Freddie is not very fond of driving in the car or taking long walks but he loves his stroller. It is made especially for small dogs. Plus, I get my exercise while strolling Freddie around the neighborhood. It also gives me a laugh or two when people who are not aware I’m pushing a dog in a stroller. Instead, they are expecting to see a grandchild. Are they surprised! Freddie loves the attention. The dog stoller was very easy to assemble and just like a baby’s stroller, it folds up and fits in the trunk of our car.

Freddie is one happy little pooch. Oh, did I mention, he’s a little spoiled?

Are you getting ready to watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, February 9th-10th at 9:00p on CNBC?  I eagerly wait for those shows as football fans wait for the Super Bowl.  There’s no tailgating here, but there’s munchies for Freddie and me. Freddie, my three year old Maltese loves Wysong’s Dream Treats (non-cooked freeze-dried chicken) and it’ll be popcorn for me.

I enjoy watching all the breeds compete for Best in Show and naturally I root for my favorites, Pugs and Maltese.  The behind the scenes of handlers and owners caring for their dogs always touches my heart.  Such love and such dedication go into the care and training of these dogs.  No different than you and me caring for our pets.  However, I wonder if owners, during the preparation at the show, recognize their dog when they are bunched together with the same breed.

Well, I know I failed that test!

When Freddie was one year old, George, my husband, and I decided to try a new groomer for Freddie.  The groomer was recommended to us by another Maltese owner.  The salon was further from the house than we would have liked, but what the heck, she came highly recommended.  Once we arrived at the salon and gave instructions on how we preferred them to trim Freddie’s coat, we left him in their care.

After a few hours we were notified by phone that Freddie was ready for pick up.

We quickly left the house as we were eager to see the new groomer’s work.  They put Freddie in my arms, George paid the bill (not cheap) and we left.  As usual Freddie sat cuddled in my lap and very content to be going home.  While holding him I thought to myself he felt a little heavier and his coat seemed thicker.  When I told that to George, he looked over at Freddie, and said he looked good to him.  So we headed home.

Once we got into the house, our dog scurried through the house and sniffed around as if he had never been there before.  And to top it off, he tinkled on the carpet.  Oh my goodness, this definitely was not Freddie!  I panicked because the salon was due to close soon and what if they gave Freddie to the wrong owner. Would we ever get him back?  George calmly called the groomer and said we were on our way back with the wrong dog. They doubled checked their kennels and realized they gave us Maggie, not Freddie.  Great, I had a female. I didn’t even think to look down there!

Another long drive back to the salon (we got in a traffic jam to beat) there was Freddie waiting with his soulful eyes that said, “What took you so long?” After lots of hugs and kisses for forgiveness and a fond good-bye to Maggie and a few choice words to the staff from George, we finally had the right dog. Maggie was a lovable and adorable Maltese and she behaved like a champion throughout the ordeal (accept for the tinkle).

Hope you enjoy the Dog Show and give your pooch a lot of love and make sure you have I.D. tags or a computer chip on your dog. By the way, if you like Dog shows, I highly recommend renting the DVD “Best in Show”, directed by Christopher Guest, it’s also shown on cable from time to time.   It’s hilarious!