Introducing our Pet Models: Buster and Kiba

The dog on the Happy Scratch box isn’t just a stock image. He is my dog, Buster.

Buster is a rescue that we got through a friend.  I like to say, “He needed a home, and we needed a dog“. We had lost our soul dog in July of 2022, and Buster serendipitously came to us in October 2022. Truthfully, my husband wasn’t ready for another dog, but I couldn’t stand the quiet of our home.  We had Kiba, but for any of you who have owned a quiet, old, small dog; they are basically a cat. They aren’t the boisterous noise-makers that medium to large size dogs are.  We are also exceptionally blessed in the fact that Kiba does not bark ever, a rarity in a Chihuahua… but I missed hearing the footsteps, the thud they make as they leap off the bed, the giant hole next to me on the couch, bed, or whatever cushioned surface I sat on.

I told my husband that we would ‘foster him’ for a weekend, and when I brought Buster home, I told my husband that he would be staying for a week, when it was time to bring Buster back, I said, ‘Ok…I am taking him back… … …’ and my husband sighed and said, “ok, I guess we can keep him”. That was all Buster and I needed to hear. I may have gotten more than I bargained for with Buster… he is certainly boisterous.  He is a tornado, a steamroller, and a mule all wrapped into one; and he makes me laugh every day. If I had to describe the type of dog my family prefers I would say dainty: Thin legs, soft steps, and well-mannered…Buster is none of this, but he is perfect for us. He is the guard dog I didn’t know I needed, and he lives life at 110%. Our house quickly turned into Buster’s house. We did a DNA test to see if a certain breed could help explain Buster’s personality, to our surprise he is a true mutt with 18 different breeds in his panel. The #1 breed being Mini Schnauzer.  As a joke, I got a ‘I love my mini schnauzer’ magnet for the back of my husband’s car.

Buster Facts:

• Top 5 breeds: 15% Mini schnauzer, 14% Beagle, 13% Plott hound, 10% Border Collie, 7% Chihuahua
• Personality traits: Loyal, Independent-minded, Guard dog
• Wakes us up in the morning by: jumping off the bed, shaking his head, and yawning -> we call this “the song of his people” as each movement makes a sound the thu-thump of his paws hitting the ground, the tick-a-tick-a-tick-a of his ears, and the high-pitched, drawn-out squeak of his yawn
• Likes: Walks, Beds, Neighborhood Watch, Toys (but not the rubber ones, those are bad), Routine, Treats
• Dislikes: Rubber toys, when his people don’t listen to him, and doorbells – my mamma says doorbells are the devil
• Quirks: Buster’s life’s mission is to bring all of the upstairs toys to the downstairs. If their are no upstairs toys or if the only upstairs toys left are rubber, Buster whines at his people.
• Nicknames: Buster Brown Shoes, Bad Dog Buster Brown, Squeaks
• Uses Happy Scratch for: Butt-munching and allergies

 

While my “old white dog”, Kiba, is not quite model-material, he did make it to “The Science” page.  He is 13 so according to this chart from AKC, he is 68 in human years. He is our old man, and most of the time his tongue does not fit in his mouth.  We adopted him a few years ago as an old man. When we adopted him from the local shelter he had been itching so badly he was missing most of the hair on his bum, and the remaining hair was badly stained with saliva. The itching was an issue we battled year-round, and Kiba is the reason I believe Happy Scratch needed to be brought to the market. I understand being woken up in the middle of the night because your dog is licking or biting at their paws or just plain uncomfortable. As we got the itching stabilized, Kiba became a brand new dog.  We nicknamed him Benjamin Button because it seemed like he was aging in reverse in front of our eyes, he looked like a puppy, he had increased energy, and he was leaping from couch cushion to couch cushion.

Kiba Facts:

• Top 5 breeds: 71% Chihuahua, 20% Japanese Chin, 5% Pekingese, 3% Shih Tzu, 1% Lhasa Apso
• Personality traits: Calm, Sweet, Timid
• Wakes us up in the morning by: A cuteness overload: This consists of what we call “Chichu dives” in which a Chihuahua flops his head and whole upper body onto us to ask for pets and belly rubs… and if no human response is elicited, Kiba escalates to “Shark attacks” where he very quickly attacks our nose with kisses.
• Likes: Beds, Sun spots, Blankets, Pillows, Treats, and Love
• Dislikes: When his people go on vacation without him
• Quirks: When Kiba’s gentleman goes upstairs, Kiba can walk upstairs; when Kiba’s lady goes upstairs, Kiba must be carried upstairs.
• Nicknames: Dr. Kiba Cornelius Buttons, DDS; Benjamin Button; Baby Angel; Rimmel
• Uses Happy Scratch for: Year-round allergies, licking and biting paws, itchy-all-over