Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Pene Patterson & Daisy

Who is in the photo at right?

Hi, my name is Pene Patterson and I guess you'd call me a crafter. I am actually an accountant but took redundancy a couple of years ago when the credit crunch hit and now spend my time making lovely handcrafted items including a range for dogs inspired by Daisy.

Daisy is a West Highland white terrier or Westie and is 2 1/2 yrs old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I never need an excuse for coffee as I'm completely addicted and drink 7 or 8 cups a day.

What's brewing?

If I'm out I drink lattes but at home it's a cafetiere of Java with skimmed milk as I'm trying to diet!

Any treats for you or Daisy on this occasion?

Not for me but Daisy has a rawhide chew, mainly to keep her occupied whilst I do this.

How were you and Daisy united?

I went to a breeder to buy Daisy but it's hard to pick from a litter of identical looking white puppies. She actually chose me by coming up and just sitting by my feet quietly whilst I looked at the others. As soon as I picked her up I knew she was the one and could feel her little heart beating I thought with excitement but when we took her to the vets 2 weeks later for her jabs found out she had a level 6 PDA which is a severe heart defect. She underwent surgery at 12 weeks old weighing only 1 kilo but made a complete recovery and is fighting fit. My husband always says that Daisy chose me because she knew I'd make her better but it makes her very special to us.

How did Daisy get her name? Any nicknames?

I don't know why I called her Daisy but she also gets called dumpling.

Does Daisy have a favorite outdoor destination?

We live on the west coast of Scotland and Daisy loves our local beach. I try to take her down at least once a day although it's not much fun in winter. She doesn't swim but loves running in and out of the sea chasing a stick or her ball although I always have to wear crop trousers and crocs as I often have to wade in to recover things!

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Daisy loves cats -- we lost ours earlier this year and she still looks for him and gets very stressed if she sees a ginger cat. She also loves our postman and is always excited if he rings the bell. As for squirrels we don't have any here so I don't think she's ever seen one but if she did she would be very curious.

What is an ordinary day like for Daisy?

She is definitely not a morning person and I often have to physically get her out of bed; yes I'm afraid I'm weak and she does sleep on our bed! Then it's down the beach for our morning walk and home for her to spend the rest of the day between sitting in her favourite window watching the world go by and patrolling the fence. We'll have another walk in the afternoon either to the beach or up the hill to the castle.

What is your dog's best quality?

She has a brilliant temperament, is very loving and lots of fun.

If Daisy could change one thing about you, what would it be?

I don't think she would change anything about me as she has pretty much my undivided attention 24 hrs a day.

What's your dog's proudest moment so far? Her most embarrassing?

Her proudest moment would be when she passed puppy training. As for embarrassing she was very farty as a puppy which luckily she has grown out of but now if she does "pass wind" she always turns and looks at her bottom wondering what's happened!!

Learn more about Daisy and Pene Patterson at their blog.

Visit the Lady Penelope Etsy shop.

--Marshal Zeringue