New Puppy!

            What is the big news out of the Laird household this summer? Ryan and I got a new dog. Her name is Hannah and she is a terrier mix. She was born on June 7, so she’s a grand total of twelve weeks old now. As you can see in the pictures below, she is an adorable little puppy. She has a white streak running down the middle of her face and circling around her mouth. She has lots of toys to play with and nice comfy dog bed.

Hannah with one of her toys. 

          Adopting dogs seems to be commonplace at DGA these days. Doug and his wife, Mary, adopted their two current dogs, Judge, a goldendoodle, and Mayday, a golden retreiver. Benson and his wife, Liz, also got one of their dogs, Ruby, from the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary in Tylertown, MS. Ryan and I adopted Hannah from the Pearl River SPCA. Pearl River is actually just across the state line in Mississippi. It borders St. Tammany parish (the headquarters of DGA) and is only about a forty five minute drive. We picked Hannah up when she was just eight weeks old. The Pearl River SPCA handles adoptions for both dogs and cats. They also have a fostering program designed to re-integrate abused or neglected animals into healthier environments. They rehabilitate their animals—making sure they are vaccinated and healthy before placing them with new families.  The Pearl River SPCA also partners with the PetSmart in Slidell, Louisiana. Almost every weekend they bring a number of dogs and puppies to the store for adoption. They do good and important work looking after abandoned and neglected animals in our area.

Hannah in her bed. Playing? Sleeping? Both? 

           Hannah is a terrier mix. The American Kennel Club has thirty different breeds of terriers listed on their website. The word terrier comes from the Latin word terra meaning Earth. It also comes from French meaning “to burrow.” Historically, humans have used the terriers’ skill at digging and burrowing to control rat, fox, and rabbit populations. The vast majority of terrier breeds come from Great Britain and Ireland. Over the past few centuries, humans have bred terriers for a variety of purposes including hunting, herding, and as show animals. Some breeds average only about six pounds fully grown while others can go up to as large as seventy pounds. Terriers are affectionate and loyal, but can also be a bit bossy.

 

Hiding under the furniture. 

          Just looking at her, we think that Hannah definitely has a lot of Boston Terrier in her. Boston Terriers grow to between 10-25 pounds. They have short tails and snouts. The Boston Terrier originated around 1870 as a cross between English bulldogs and early show terriers, like the White English terrier. Hannah is black and white in color, but they can also be dark brown or brindle (a mixture of darker and lighter shades). Boston Terriers are generally strong, friendly, and happy—that’s what Ryan and I are hoping for. They’re eager to please and protective of their owners and territory. They like people and aren’t known for their barking.

The perfect lap/leg dog. 

          Ryan and I are excited to welcome Hannah as the newest member of our family.