Bittersweet Kennel

05/30/2024

Hello All! We are currently experiencing major computer issues so if you have an upcoming reservation or appointment please reach out to us so we can get you back on our books! Many thanks!

05/19/2024

Always consider the breed NOT their looks.

04/11/2024

Words of wisdom…

Dogs are dogs. They're not fur babies. They're not children. They're dogs.

That doesn't mean I don't love my dogs. It doesn't mean you can't call them your "kids" or "fur children." But for their sake, respect that they are dogs. Treat them well, but treat them as they should be.

People humanizing dogs is actually what's getting a lot of them put down, rehomed, dumped, and loaded with behavioral issues.

The best way to honor and love your dog is to respect the fact that they are different from us. That's part of what makes them so amazing!!

Bringing home a new dog and giving it whatever it wants, whenever it wants, is not setting them up for success. It may feel good to "spoil" them. I get it, but what you're actually doing is creating a brat.

I hear this often: "My dog bit our friend on the couch because he thinks the couch is his." OK, who let them think that? The dog didn't just waltz in and claim your couch. The dog wasn't given boundaries to begin with. I let my dogs on the couch, but if I tell them to get off and go to their bed, they will without hesitation. They've earned that privilege based on respect, trust, and understanding.

If you want to "spoil" your dog, do it by setting them up for success. Exercise them, give them boundaries, give them a job, and give them what they actually need instead of the latest squeaky toy. The time you spend playing with your dog means more than the toy itself.

Love your dog. Cherish your dog. Respect your dog, but for the love of the dog, TREAT THEM LIKE A DOG.

(And before anyone wants to say something silly...My dogs are my family. They literally signed my marriage certificate, but they also have boundaries. Just like any healthy family should!)

01/18/2024

01/15/2024

For those that have admired my dogs over the years…

Once a fox terrier lover, always a fox terrier lover.

Presently, there are two Fox Terrier breeds, the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. For over 100 years, the two were registered and shown in the US as one breed with two varieties distinct from each other by coat type and, to some degree, head shape (a Smooth Fox Terrier’s head is more V-shaped than a Wire’s). Both were originally classified as sporting dogs because of their exceptional nose, remarkable eyesight, and stamina in bolting foxes out of their holes.

Despite their similarities, however, experts believe the two developed very differently and from different ancestries. Wires are thought to have descended from broken-coated black and tan terriers from Durham, Wales, and Derbyshire, while the original Smooth Fox Terriers were thought to be a blend of black and tan terriers with smooth coats, Beagles, Bull Terriers, and Greyhounds. This week, National Purebred Dog Day® is highlighting the Smooth Fox Terrier which is actually the older of the two by some 20 years.

In the late 1700s when the pursuit of fox was considered both a sport and a necessity to protect farms, British hunters realized they needed a dog that would pursue foxes where they lived: Underground and in dens. What they wanted was a dog that would “go to ground” by digging, wiggling, and nosing their way into those burrows, and what they developed to fill this niche was the Smooth Fox Terrier. Breeders didn’t keep precise records about how they developed the breed, but we know from a portrait painted by Sawrey Gilpin in 1790 of Colonel Thornton’s dog, “Pitch, a Smooth Fox Terrier, that the breed we see today has changed very little from the Smooth Fox Terriers of the 18th century. Though the two varieties were crossed many times in those days, particularly to give the Wire Fox Terrier a cleaner silhouette and a whiter coat, it’s been many years since the practice has been dropped.

Smooth Fox Terriers were imported into the U.S. in 1879, and the American Fox Terrier Club was founded in 1885. The club holds the distinction of being the first specialty club to become a member of the American Kennel Club. By the 1920s, the Smooth Fox Terrier was one of the most recognized purebred dogs in America, in some measure because RCA’s logo featured “Nipper,” a dog first identified as a Smooth Fox Terrier who was shown listening to a record machine with his head cocked in an endearing fashion (Nipper was more likely a mixed-breed). In 1985, the AKC formally recognized the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier as two separate breeds, but the standards for both are still maintained by the American Fox Terrier Club.

Though seen perhaps less frequently these days than its wire haired cousin, the Smooth Fox Terrier retains its keen hunting instincts and traits, and is a breed that has mastered many disciplines. There is a reason that this spitfire of a terrier is so beloved by its people who say, “Once a fox terrier lover, always a fox terrier lover.”

Image: Sawrey Gilpin’s painting of “Pitch” in 1790

12/16/2023

Too cute!

11/23/2023

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!!

09/23/2023

Tomorrow is FTCNE’s Fox Terrier Fun Day!

09/15/2023

Come hang out with us at Fox Terrier Fun day!
We even have a trick contest, any fox terriers can enter and all tricks accepted no matter how simple or elaborate, our judges are Fox Terrier people… we are easy to impress! 😆 This is Roxy exhibiting the down stay trick 😆
Event Details:
https://facebook.com/events/s/fox-terrier-fun-day/6232485916860808/?mibextid=RQdjqZ

09/08/2023

09/08/2023

Did you know we are having a costume contest for the Fox Terriers at Fox Terrier Fun day!? Bring your dog’s favorite costume and show it off! We all know Fox Terriers are good sports and not afraid to dress up and try to win a fun prize!
Link to check out the details of the event. Hope to see you all there!

https://facebook.com/events/s/fox-terrier-fun-day/6232485916860808/?mibextid=RQdjqZ

03/31/2023

I really. Really wish people would understand this a bit more then they do 🤪

03/08/2023

11/24/2022

Happy Thanksgiving to our wonderful clients and their awesome pets!!

09/02/2022

FOUND DOG: Female found in Hampton, NH. This little girl was found on route 101 right before exit 13 this morning around 9 am. Does she belong to you? Contact [email protected] or call (603) 772-2921

08/29/2022

🐾😊🐾
Pinterest https://pin.it/XKyS3AF

08/20/2022

We will never know their story , their names, their history but we do know that they only deserve the very best. These two little nuggets were left abandoned in Deerfield NH two weeks ago, and their owner never came forward to claim them.

These two are very friendly little chihuahuas that take a minute or two to warm up to strangers. Once they realize you are trustworthy they climb into your lap for snuggles and kisses.

Christon is the little tan boy one who is 3 pounds and approximately 6 months old. He is super loving and loves to be held, and extremely playful.

Tini is a sweet little 1 year old -6 pound female who is an absolute doll. Very loving and playful. Christon might be her son as she definitely controls the show and allows him to play with certain things and is always checking to make sure he is ok.

Tini & Christon will have all their vetting up to date and are scheduled to be spayed & neutered.

Thank you to The Deerfield Animal Control Officer Cindy for trusting us to help find their forever home.

Thank you also to Deerfield Animal Hospital for taking care of them while they waited to see if their family would come liking. Everyone at the hospital feel in love with these two.

Are you looking to adopt two little bonded nuggets? These two deserve to stay together and to find their forever loving home where they will be loved unconditionally.

We ask you to fill out an application and we will be in touch . https://form.jotform.com/210196630119046

08/12/2022