We all know that dogs are a huge part of our lives. I know that without my dogs, this business certainly wouldn’t be the same, if it was even here at all. Today, I’d like to introduce you to the dogs of the shop and help you get to know them a little better. All designs are tested on the dogs first before I list them on the website. I get to test them on a big dog and a little dog, which also allows me to create different sizes. They are a huge part of my shop and they deserve all the love and kisses in the world.
Up first, the one and only, inspiration for the shop name… Dru! Dru, which is short for Drucilla (yes it’s a girl), is a career change from Guide Dogs for the Blind. She was born on Dec. 26, 2017 in San Rafael, California as part of the ‘D’ litter. She is on the small side of being a lab, and was part of a litter of 10! In July of 2019, Dru decided that being a guide dog was not for her, and that’s okay! She is now a forever pet and big part of this shop. For fun, Dru enjoys sunbathing on the back porch and cuddling with her stuffed animals. Fun fact: she has never chewed up a stuffed animal before and treats them with so much care. Her favorite treats are fried eggs, which she never got to experience before becoming a pet. Even though Dru is a lab, she does not enjoy the water at all and has no interest in playing fetch. Because of her calm and sweet nature, I decided to have her tested and registered as a therapy dog. This does not mean she can go into public places like a service dog or fly on an airplane, but instead she can be invited into places such as hospitals or libraries to help people. She is also a Pet Ambassador for Guide Dogs for the Blind, meaning she has a special patch which she wears on her therapy dog vest to help spread awareness about GDB. Drucilla is the model for many things in our shop, and the inspiration behind them too. When we officially adopted her, she did not have a collar and that was the first thing I made for her. In fact, she still wears it today. It is the Purple Marble Fabric Collar. I also made her a Convertible Biothane Leash because I wanted something other than the leather leash I had to stand up to the rain and heat. Her favorite item in the shop right now is the Two-Tone Biothane Collar. I love the combination between the coral and white colors, and the way it pops against her jet black coat. Even though she is definitely not a water dog, I know it would always be okay if she jumped in the water wearing that. There are so many people that helped Dru get to where she is today, and now she gets to continue this journey as our #1 girl.
Up next, Charlie! Charlie is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who comes from Washington State. He was born on May 9, 2014, and is everything I could have asked for in a dog. He was my first dog and my family’s first dog, too. He spends his days napping on the couch, but always at the ready to defend the house from any dogs walking by. Charlie is just under 20 pounds, making him the perfect size to test out all our gear for small dogs. He also sheds like you wouldn’t believe, so our products get a chance to be cleaned after he wears them. One of his favorite activities is playing fetch in the backyard with his miniature tennis ball. He will only chase it a few times, but it is adorable. He is not super confident so if it goes under anything or next to something, he will not get it but insist you come over and give it to him. One of his weird quirks around the house is taking socks. He does not take them to eat them, but he just carries them around the house and whines. When he is done with them, he finds a ‘safe’ place to bury them, usually in the couch cushions or in his bed. His favorite treat is part of a rotisserie chicken from Costco, which he only gets occasionally. He enjoys going for little walks around the neighborhood, but is not a hiking dog at all. Charlie doesn’t mind the water, but he doesn’t love it, either. His current gear setup includes a collar which we haven’t released yet and is still in testing, a small bow tie, and a Standard Biothane Leash. Our favorite bow tie is the Orange and Blue Plaid Bow Tie, as it just looks awesome against his coat. Charlie has been such a good boy over the last six years and we know he has many more years left! I can’t imagine being in this situation today if it wasn’t for Charlie, the man that started it all.
So that’s it! Those are the two dogs that run Dru’s Doggy Delights. Aside from our two permanent residents, I also raise puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, so they can help out sometimes. Don’t worry; if you want to know more about that, keep your eyes open for another blog post coming out soon about what it’s like to raise a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Thank you everybody!