Top 10 Dog Names

If you were rescued like I was, you may have had a couple of different names.  I was 14 weeks old when my mom found me on Pet Finders and came to get me.  The nice people who drove my six brothers, sisters and me from South Carolina to Connecticut called me Puff.  Names are important and everyone should have one.
My name got changed as soon as my mom and dad came to get me and take me to my forever home.  Dad said "Zeva" and mom said "perfect". I am named after Cote de Pablo's character on NCIS.  My dad thinks she's hot. I think she's smart, athletic and very pretty. If she were a dog, she would be a border collie lab mix, I'm sure of it.
My name is spelled Zeva because mom thought it looked better than Ziva.  Mom's kind of weird about some things.
Zeva is a good name because it has two syllables so it was easy for me to learn and easy to remember.  Sometimes mom calls me Zee which is nice but when she calls me Zeva David, I know I'm in big trouble.
I checked around and came up with a list of the most popular names for dogs. Here are my top ten:

Names for boy dogs

1.  Max
2. Bailey
3. Jake
4. Charlie
5. Buddy

Names for girl dogs

1. Molly
2. Sadie
3. Lucy
4. Daisy
5. Sophie

I meet lots of dogs and love to know their names.  One new friend is named Misty.   She was the winner of a Dogs In Toy Land gift basket from Laurel Mountain Basket Co .  She got the most votes in a contest we ran over the Holidays.  I'm thinking up a new contest, so stay in touch and maybe you will be our next winner.
In the mean time, I'd love to meet you and learn how you got your name.
Your friend,
Zeva

Give A Dog A Bone

Hi Everyone
Well, the Holidays are over with for another year.  Hope Santa Paws brought you everything you asked for.  I got some really tasty treats and some great toys.  I did lots of toy testing to see which ones shred the easiest. Toy testing is part of my new job as Designer for  the Pet Division of Laurel Mountain Basket Co and I take my job very seriously.  My new NylaBone and King Kong are the only toys that passed the Zeva destroy test.  My mom makes sure all of my toys are safe to play with and when they get shredded she takes them to their new home in the trash.
I did get a couple of raw hide bones but I'm not allowed to have them.  My mom has some concerns about where and how they are made.  She learned that some raw hide, especially from foreign countries, is treated with chemicals like arsenic. Also, I like to eat my toys, not just chew them and she is afraid some raw hide chunks will get in my tummy and cause indigestion or blockage which is really, really bad.
Instead of raw hide I get marrow bones to chew on.  Because I am a fast eater, I get all the good stuff off of the bone so it doesn't sit around collecting bacteria.  If I eat too much of the yummy stuff inside the bone, I can get diarrhea so mom makes sure I don't have too much.  I did get a huge knuckle bone that didn't have any middle stuff but it's great for chewing anyway.
I don't think I will be putting any marrow bones in our gift baskets but I'd be interested in knowing what types of chew toys you think I should include in my new designs.  Drop me note.  I'd love to hear from you.
Remember, no chewing shoes or furniture,
Your friend
Zeva

My Own Credit Card

Hi Everyone,
I have my very own credit card.  It's a special credit card that takes care of me when I have to visit the vet.  I don't go have to go to the vet often because I try to be healthy.  My humans help out by making sure I get good food, lots of exercise and enough rest.  That's all good stuff but I still need to get regular check ups at the vet's and I could get sick.  Like last Thanksgiving Eve. I had a bad tummy for a couple of days and kept being sick.  When we called my vet's office, we found out they were closed for the holiday, so my mom took me to the Emergency Hospital.
The doctor at the hospital said I was sick because I was stressed out and acid was making me sick.  She was supposed to make sure I had food in my tummy when I went to bed and that would help.  It was good that we didn't have to do any big tests or get a prescription for medicine but just a visit to an Emergency Hospital can be very expensive.  So I'm glad I've got me my own credit card.
My friend Honey hurt her legs and not only did she have to go to her vet and the Emergency Hospital, she had to go to Tufts Veterinary Hospital which is far away.  She had to go stay at Tufts for a couple of days and even when she came home, it took her a long time to get better.
Being sick is no fun.  When any of my friends gets sick I send them lots of hugs and sometimes I send them one of my Best In Show or other pet gift baskets from my design collection.
After my visit to the hospital and Honey's scary story, I'm beginning to wonder if I should get pet insurance.  I've been doing some checking and have talked to some of the dogs at the day care but I'm not sure it's right for me.  Do you have pet insurance?  Do you think it's a good investment? Let me know what your think.
Hope you all have a happy and HEALTHY New Year!
Your friend,
Zeva

Dog Heads Up New Division

Hey everyone, check out this draft of my Press Release:

Marie Lisewski, owner and chief designer of Laurel Mountain Basket Co is pleased to announce the promotions of Zeva The Dog to Designer of the company's Pet Line division.  Zeva will be responsible for choosing and testing all of the toys and treats that will be used in the company's expanded line of pet gifts and gift baskets.

"Zeva has been a key part of our success and we are thrilled to promote her to this important position", said Lisewski.  Zeva joined the company in August of 2010 as a puppy and due to her Border Collie intelligence and organizational skills quickly rose to several management positions including Retail Greeter at the company's Easthampton Massachusetts location.

"We plan to expand our on line presence in the pet gift field in the next twelve months and Zeva will be an important asset to help our organization reach its goals", said Ms. Lisewski.

"I am thrilled to be taking on this new role.  As a dog, I am very aware of the need for more toys and treats in every pet's life and my goal is to see that we provide pet gifts to fit every taste and every budget." said Zeva.

-end-

 I am so excited.  I've been promoted.  As you know, we already carry a nice selection of gift baskets for dog and cats but in the coming months my goal is to expand the line to include lots more gift ideas.  I'm looking forward to to taking on this new challange and would love your help.  Let me know what you think we need to do to provide our clients with the best pet gifts and gift baskets in the Universe.

Love,
your friend
Zeva

Dear Santa Paws

Hello everyone,

Christmas is only a few days away so today I am writing my letter to Santa Paws.  As I mentioned in my last blog, I was too young last year to realize how much fun Christmas is.  I also didn't realize that you can actually ask Santa Paws for stuff and, if you were very good all year long, he will bring you what you asked for.
I heard my Mom talking the other day and I know I am going to get a new collar because mine is dirty. I think it got that way when I went in the pond and then ran through the field when Bella, Pyra and I were playing tag.  If I have to get a new one, I hope it's either purple to match my halter or red because I look so good in red. We 'll go to Dave's Pet Food City because I'll need to try the different collars on and Dave's is one of the few store that dogs can go in.  I love to go in Dave's and check out all of the toys and treats.  I like shopping there but I am not allowed to take any of the treats out of the bins. I'm not sure why that is.
I already know what I am getting my friends for Christmas cuz I helped make the pet  gifts we sell at Laurel Mountain Basket Co.  Our Best In Show Gift Basket is perfect for all of my friends cuz it's filled with toys AND treats!  What could be better than that?
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that you get all the presents you asked for.  If you need any help choosing gifts for your friends or if your humans need help finding just the right gift for you, tell them to contact me.  I am an expert when it comes to choosing pet gifts.  You can email me at info@laurelmtbasket.com or call 413-527-1243 and talk with my Mom.  She's pretty good at helping too.
Merry Christmas everyone,
Your friend,
Zeva

A Dog's Eye View of Christmas

I'm so excited!  Christmas is almost here! I know because I heard some dogs on the radio singing Jingle Bells.  Last year was my first Christmas so I didn't realize the significance of the day until the night before.  That's when I found out that lots of the pretty boxes under the special tree that lit up were for me.  And those boxes were filled with TOYS!!!! 
That's when I understood that Christmas is when dogs get lots and lots of toys! So this year I'm ready.  I'm already sniffing the pretty packages but all I smell are clothes.   I hope those are for the humans cuz I don't like clothes.  My cousin Sophie like to wear sweaters and stuff, but I don't.  May be we'll buy her a new sweater from Cute Critters at the Winter Festival on Saturday at Eastworks.  And maybe I can convince Mom to buy me some cookies from Wagga Tails Treats cuz they are going to be at the Festival too.
Although the most important part of Christmas is the toys, and we pets get excited about all of the new things in our houses please remember that Christmas can be a dangerous time for us.
We all like looking at the pretty trees with their flashing lights and pretty balls, but the oil in the trees is toxic and the needles don't digest.  The chemicals people put in the water that help the tree live while it is inside are also toxic to pets.
Make sure your pets don't chew on the electrical cords that keep the lights flashing and those pretty balls, if made of glass, can easily break and those little pieces of glass can cut our paws.  Tinsel, is very tempting, but tinsel does not digest either and can get all knotted up in our bellies.  We can die from knotted up bellies.
So please be extra watchful of your pets around your Christmas tree.  In our house the tree stands on a high table so I can see it but can't reach it.  In some of my friends houses, there are gates in the doorways so the dogs can't be in the room with the tree unless there are humans in there too.  Cats are different so gates don't work for cats and cats love to climb trees. So houses with cats need to be extra careful.
So please remember to keep your pet safe during the Christmas Holiday and remember to buy them lots of toys and treats.  If you don't know what to get them, just give me a call.  I helped design all of the pet gift baskets and can help you choose the right gift for your pet.  You'll find some of our most popular ones in the Pet Gift Section of our website.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Your friend,
Zeva

Staying In Shape

I'm part border collie and part Labrador so I have lots and lots of energy.  My border collie ancestors were bred and trained to gather and herd animals like sheep.  Lots of my cousins still work on farms herding all kinds of animals including cows.
My Labrador ancestors were bred and trained to retrieve game birds.  My friend Sadie is a Lab and is really good at putting up and retrieving birds.
Unlike Sadie and my farm cousins, I spend most of my days inside working behind a desk.  That's why it's important for me to get as much exercise as I can.  Good exercise like walking and playing not only keep me fit but keep me from getting bored.
I have lots of toys at work and at home to play with and my mom tries to take me for a walk every day but there are times when we get so busy she can't leave the Studio so she's found other ways to make sure get my exercise.  When Mom can't take me out I get to go for walks with my friend Lee Ann.  Lee Ann doesn't have any dogs of her own so she takes me and some of my other friends for walks.  Sometimes we dogs play tag or catch and when I get back to the Studio, I'm so tired I need to take a nap.
I love when Mom has all day meetings because I get to go to Dances With Dogs day care.  Being in day care is the BEST.   I get to play with lots of dogs all day long.  We get to play indoors and outdoors.  In the summer they have pools where we can cool off and the toys!  I've never seen so many toys in one place and I can play with all of them.
The people at Dances With Dogs are really nice too.  They make sure I get my lunch to keep my energy up and a nap so I don't get over tired.  Even with a nap, I am so tired when it's time to go, I usually sleep all the way home.
If Mom and Dad need to be away on a weekend Deborah my pet sitter from All Life Matters comes to my house to walk me, feed me lunch and play with me.
Balance in life is important.  Working hard is good but you need to make sure you get plenty of exercise, eat right and get enough rest.  That goes for dogs too.  Dogs, especially working breeds, need lots of exercise.  If we don't get enough exercise or if we get bored, we can get destructive and nobody wants that.   So, I've designed our Good Dog Spot gift basket with lots of toys to keep any dog busy and happy.  A happy dog is a good dog.
Stay healthy, stay happy.
Your friend,
Zeva