Scottie Mom

Snow Scotties

We don't often get snow in Atlanta but when we do, the effects can be somewhat catastrophic. Remember Snowmaggedon of 2014? Fortunately, we didn't have to relive that nightmare and I was home with Heather and Mr. K as the snow came down. While our friends to the northeast of us surely got hit with a lot more of it, Heather and Mr. K were excited to spend some time burrowing their noses in the fresh snow. And I was happy to watch them indulge in this small pleasure.

Had the snow fallen more, I have no doubt Heather and Mr. K would have been rolling in it. Perhaps then I would have gotten to witness the snowballs that attach themselves to Scotties' skirts for the first time! It was hard to keep Heather and Mr. K still long enough to brush the snow from their nose and beard. I cannot imagine what some Scottie Moms and Dads must do to get all the clumped snow out of their Scottish Terrier's skirts! Have photos of your Snow Scotties you want to share with the community? Post them to our Facebook page or tag @TheScottieMom on Twitter or Instagram!

A Very Merry Meetup

Recently, our friends in Peru got together for a holiday-themed Scottish Terrier meetup. These adorable Scotties came dressed in their best and were ready to rock around the Christmas tree (or just take turns marking them!). They exchanged gifts and made new friends, including a tourist who snapped the group photo above and claimed he had never seen so many Scotties together in one place - not even in his homeland, Scotland! Have a Scottish Terrier meetup in your area you want to share with the Scottie Mom community? Leave the event details in the comments section below.

Santa Paws is Coming!

I have to deliver all these presents to C-A-T-S?!

He's made his list and checked it twice. Now, he's scratching his beard wondering how so many friends of the feline persuasion made it onto Santa Paws' list labeled "nice!" As has become something of a tradition in the Scottie Mom household, Mr. K has put his qualms with the evil C-A-T-S aside so that our extended family of fur cousins can enjoy some peace on Earth between C-A-T-S and dogs.

Six little stockings are stuffed with more crinkle toys than any C-A-T could want and lots of yummy, assorted treats await for our canine, equine, goat and chicken cousins, too. And, of course, we couldn't help but splurge on the newest (non-furry) addition to the family: Heather and Mr. K's darling human niece. All that is left is for Santa Paws to deliver the goods on Christmas morn!

Scottie Finds for $5 or Less

Scottie dog cookie cutter at Target, $.99

Scottie dog socks, TJ Maxx/Homegoods, $1.99

Scottie dog wrapping paper, Homegoods, $2.99

Assorted magnets, Homegoods

Monogram ornament frame, Michael's, $4.99

Scottie dog holiday cards, TJ Maxx

Scottie dog wrapping paper at TJ Maxx, $2.99

Sticker sheet at Target

Scottie dog turtle neck at WalMart, $5.94

The Season of Scotties is upon us! Sadly, we have not seen a lot of new stuff this year but we did stumble across these bargains recently. Not bad for a day's work! Still, we couldn't help but feel a tad bit disappointed in the selection this year so we set out to create some unique stuff just for us Scottie lovers. Check out our store here! Tell us: where do you often find the most Scottie goods?

Scottish Terrier Training: Tips & Tricks

One of the things I hear Scottie Moms and Dads joke about frequently is that often times, their Scotties have them trained. Not the other way around. This is very much the case for Heather and Mr. K, and I just know Scottie Dad would love to have it the other way around. Recently, we came across this awe-inspiring video of Reggie the Scottish Terrier showing off some of the tricks he's learned.

We contacted Reggie's Scottie Mom and asked what her secret to success was and we loved everything she had to say. So, we thought we'd share her message with you. Got a few training secrets you'd like to share with fellow Scottie Moms and Dads? Tell us in the comments below!

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Reggie is not only our first Scottish Terrier but our first dog, so our advice is somewhat limited to what has worked for us; force free, reward-based training and a positive attitude.

If I could give only one tip, it would be to enjoy it. If your dog sees you having fun then they will be more interested in you than sniffing around -- however, this is not always 100% accurate, as Scotties can have a mind of their own! When Reggie is in 'sniffing' mode, he does tend to ignore commands, so to combat this, I usually have to work harder, get excited and try to be more interesting.

Reggie and I take obedience classes which are part of the British Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Scheme. In my experience, classes were great for us first-time dog owners as it has been excellent for advice, socialising your dog and teaching your dog to listen to you around some big distractions. We do around five to ten minutes oftraining at home before meals, using some of his tea, so we are not over feeding him and he gets a big reward at the end of it. I also do a limited amount of training on every walk, so he gets used to listening to me outside but still gets to enjoy his walk.

My last tip is that no dog is perfect and you shouldn't aim for it either -- no one wants a robot dog. You may get dog envy when you see another dog owner in the pet store with their dog off lead, potting along side them ignoring all smells, food left on the floor and other dogs, but sometimes (as I have found), this means the dog does not like other dogs, gets separation anxiety from their owner, or they may just be the perfect dog, who knows? However, my point is, don't expect too much from your dog too soon!

Scottish Terriers of Instagram

We know you just can't wait another day for #TooCuteTuesday so we'd introduce you to this week's #ScottishTerriersofInstagram. Aren't they adorable? If you'd like to share your Scotties' Instagram photos with us, upload your photos to Instagram using #ScottishTerriersofInstagram or tag @TheScottieMom. Oh, and be sure to follow us and this week's featured Scottie dogs!