Henderbagels!: 5 Years of Pug Love

I dedicate my 100th blog post to two very special individuals:

the PUGS!!

It's true... pugs are people too :D

Ryleigh and Caoimhe have brought us five whole years of cuddles, snuggles, licks, wags, snorts, snores, barks, kisses, and puppy love.

Of course they are not perfect... they occasionally fight, bark at innocent passers-by, have accidents, don't travel well, shed, and eat my gum and lip gloss, etc. But despite their imperfections (they're only human, er, dogs), I love the little beasts to death. Mark may or may not concur :P But I'm sure we can agree that they've been an endless source of laughter, entertainment, exercise, and love.

Ryleigh Claire

a.k.a. Peanut (think brain size!), Nugget, RB (Ryleigh Bear)

4/21/2006

You wonder, why must a dog have a middle name? Well, her name is born of two cities. Ryleigh sounds like Raleigh, where Mark went to college at NC State (also the name of my late step-grandfather, bless him). Claire is a reference to own my alma mater, UW - Eau Claire. She was Mark's and my first dog together - a symbol of our commitment to each other before we got married or even engaged. In 2006 we took a drive to Pennsylvania to look for a dog, but were disappointed when our search took us to a heartbreaking puppy mill. Instead we found her for sale in Pikesville, MD by a Yorkie breeder who had wanted pugs but his pregnant pooch wasn't having it. Lucky for us! It was love at first sight. So what if she peed on me on the car ride home?!

Ryleigh grew up to be a playful, mischievous, spirited little puglet. She'll fetch a ball, but tug-of-war is her forte. She enjoys [sniffing evvvverything on] long walks, making dinosaur sounds (see video below!), stealing underwear out of the laundry basket, among other activities. She greets me each morning when I come downstairs and she's happy to see me every time I come home. Unconditional love - priceless.

Caoimhe Louise

a.k.a. Keev, Monkey

10/25/2006 (Happy 5th birthday!)

Caoimhe (pronounced "Keeva") is a Gaelic name which means beautiful and gentle... and indeed she lives up to it. (Louise is my mom and grandma's middle name.) Perhaps they have a face only a mother could love... so I may be a bit biased. But Caoimhe is beautiful to me with those big ol' goofy eyes, curly-q tail, and a snaggletooth every now and again. She was a Christmas gift from Mark's parents. They found her in a pet shop in NJ, and couldn't resist getting a little sister for Ryleigh (with my permission, a total no-brainer!).

She is sweet, gentle, and plays a mean game of fetch. With a tiny pug-sized tennis ball, that is. She loves cuddling with her daddy and if there's an open lap, she's on it. Don't let that curly tail fool you - she's a trained attack dog whose weapon of choice is her tongue, and she's not afraid to stick it right up your nose!