Do you love dogs?

'Cause I do..

If I had to characterise my personality, it would certainly include the love of animals at the top (apart from being fiesty, sarcastic and tenacious of course).

Growing up, there were a couple of attempts at dog ownership that didn't quite come off so when I met my husband, a big 30 years ago, having dogs was on the top of my list. Luckily, it was his too as he had grown up around dogs all his life. He got to keep his though.

First we started with a staffy called Molly, she was the runt of the litter who nobody wanted so of course I picked her. She was white and had long legs too so was hardly cat walk material, although technically she was actually a pedigree.

She was the heart and soul of the house and protected our babies like they were hers when they came along. She was clumsy, full of energy, a bit daft and always ready for a game or a run. She adored sticks and would carry one round like it was her baby. She was part of our family in a big way so when she died suddenly at the age of 10, my heart felt like it had been ripped out. There is a gut wrench that only pet owners know when their animals die. It is truly awful.

Which is why I couldn't even think of another dog until a year after. My husband yapped and yapped and yapped until I gave in. And, so the basset hounds joined us. Dennis and Ozzie. They were stubborn, lazy, grumpy and all the things you just don't want a pet to be but we adored them. They would not go for a walk, would not play with a ball (Dennis attempted to in his own way but it was an embarrassing game of, 'I'll pick the ball up and wander around with it). They did get excited to see us though but would happily go to bed when it was bed time.. that is when they got to do their favourite thing... sleep. All in all, they were bloody hilarious. Everything was too much trouble.

When they passed our hearts were once again broken.

We are on a dog break now but we still stop to pet every dog we see. I would pet cats too but they seem to just glare and then run away. I did adopt a stray cat once at my office and called her Mavis but she was flighty and went to whoever got her the best cat nip. Our son's girlfriend has a golden retriever called Max who is literally always smiling. We love to fuss him when he comes to visit so it is nice to have a dog around every now and again.

Anyway, back to The Sarky Cow.

Last time I blogged, I mentioned that photo albums are my next new product and I was pondering on how to start the collection. As usual, I have a million ideas. Some never make it to production but they are scribbled down and then eventually crossed out. The ones that do have to go in priority order. I choose which ones I think will be more popular and also think about the time of year. Let me tell you, producing a new collection take so much time. Luckily, you lot keep me so busy in orders that I rarely have time to create new graphics etc so I am grateful for that. But, I am always so excited when I get to do a new launch.

This time I have picked dogs first.

The collection is called 'The Life And Times'. And, no, it is not a photo album for when they pass over the rainbow bridge. It is a photo album for all the funny and cute pics you collect along the way. A photo album dedicated to your dog. For the time you caught on camera when they chewed all the socks or the time they pinched your sweets and looked guilty, the time they went for a walk and a roll in the puddle or even that cute time they got a bath. You may even get some selfies or snap them snoozing.

Whatever it is, you will cherish all of these pictures and they will bring you smiles long after they have gone, just like Molly, Dennis and Ozzie do for us now.

I have compiled a list of the most popular dogs but as usual I have a massive range of them to choose from. You can even just send me a pic of your pooch and I will use that in the design.

Doggo Sample
Labrador
French Bulldog
Golden Retriever
Corgi
Cavapoo
Schnauzer
Chihuhaha
Beagle
Yorkshire Terrier
Bulldog
Pomeranian
Spaniel
Huskey
Weimaraner
Doberman
Daschund
Pug

The Details
Size – A5
Pages – 30
Paper – White Card 300gsm
Spiral Bound
Landscape

I hope you enjoyed going down memory lane with me about my pooches over the years. They have been such a massive part of my life so it was nice to share their personalities with you.

You know I like to make the blog the real life part of my business. I am not just another online seller without a face or a story. I am like a real bricks and mortar online shop with a person you can chat to, relate to and hopefully trust to buy from.

I truly hope my personality cuts through to you all.

Thanks for reading.

Toodles

Paula x