Molly's Fluffy White Thief
Published: Wed, 05/26/10
Pet Tips 'n' Tales©
Molly's Fluffy White Thief Photo by Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe"© Molly adopted her Bichon Frise, Fergus, hoping for a "well-behaved dog." Instead, she got a fluffy white thief! TALES Five years ago, Molly retired from her position as an administrative assistant for a property management company. She now works as a part-time volunteer classroom aide at Our Lady of Perpetual Health Preschool, and she also volunteers in our community. One day Molly's home felt empty. "I found myself thinking how nice it would be to have a little 'well-behaved' dog. I researched small breeds and fell in love with the Bichon Frise. Books described them as cheerful, playful, affectionate and inquisitive, with no known health problems. As it turns out, my understanding of inquisitive differs from not only the book's definition but the dog's as well!" Last June, Molly went to see an adorable litter of puffball Bichons Frises. She adopted a cute male and had a revelation when it came to naming him. "I suddenly realized that in my seventy-plus years of life, I have never named a dog! When I was raising my family, we had several dogs. Either they came with a name or another family member named them. Since a dog is a valuable family member, I knew it was an important decision to choose just the right name. That is when I learned a funny coincidence. Both the puppy's mother's name and my mother's names are Pearl! Well, how can you ignore a sign like that? Since Mom's family name was Ferguson, I decided Fergus would be an ideal name for the puppy. In a very short time, Fergus and I have become inseparable friends. Well, until I open the front door, then he bolts out and runs for two blocks looking for squirrels to chase! All Bichon Frise personality traits mentioned in the dog books were right on, especially the one about 'inquisitive.' It is hard to hide anything from Fergus. When he was three months old, I was on the phone and looked down to discover he had located a long-forgotten mouse poison that had slid behind the clothes dryer. To my horror, he was chewing on the poison! Luckily, he only required an overnight visit to our favorite veterinary clinic and a very unpleasant medical treatment; all of which he survived with no complications. Our cats became asthmatic after we painted the inside of our home last summer. Look for a low-VOC paint to protect the health of your two- and four-legged family members |