Emerging Articles

Terriers, spaniels, retrievers and other cool dudes look great in tartan coats and beds.

Plaid dog collars suit these breeds, too.

Fashion-conscious dog owners will find that dog collars are moving with the times. More and more dog boutiques are taking dog-fashion seriously and supplying matching leads, toys and all sorts of extras to match the collar. Squeaky toys like bones, teddies and comforters can all be made to match and co-ordinate.

Tartan is an old favourite and there are so many tones to choose from. Experts will explain that it all depends on the purchaser’s clan, family, or regiment.

A word of warning: Balmoral tartan can only be used by members of the Royal Family.

But there are plenty of others to choose from.

It wasn’t that long ago that when someone mentioned a dog, the image that most likely came to mind was some kind of mutt or maybe just a relatively “old school” breed such as a beagle, or a hound, or possibly something like an Irish setter. In recent years, however, novelty and specialty breeds – even something people have dubbed “designer” breeds – have been quick to emerge. Of these, perhaps only the Havanese is worth mentioning. Where these other dogs of the toy family are timid and fragile things often pictured being carried around by some debutante in her pocket book, the noble Havanese is a playful and intelligent dog, and somewhat on the larger side for a toy. As far as intelligence goes, this breed ranks near the top and, as such, many people claim that Havanese dog training is a bit easier than the raising of other breeds. In fact, the Havanese is quickly rising as one of the more popular dogs at shows and contests across the country.