Recently in holiday Category

So today is St. Patrick's Day and PetPlace.com has an article on Irish dog breeds. Do you know what they are? (Hint: The dog at the left isn't really one of them, but how cute is he?)

There are quite a few, actually: Irish Terrier, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Kerry Blue Terrier.

Check out the article for the rest of the dog breeds that hail from the Emerald Isle.

Poor Mr. Cowboy.

The fireworks in our part of town last night drove him to jump up onto the pillow next to my head by 11 p.m. He typically prefers his own private sleeping space in his dog bed on the floor (which is fine with me), as does Tess.

Cowboy never gets on the bed unless he's super-stressed.

He's just not a party kind of dog, I guess. He worries so much about loud noises.

How did it go for all your critters last night?

Round up those critters. Santa's coming to town -- and several local malls and shopping  centers are setting aside times for pet photos with Santa. (Check out    our earlier post about one of the malls.)

So Hark! Here's the scoop:                  

• South Bay Galleria at 1815 Hawthorne Blvd. (at Artesia) in Redondo Beach: 7 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Dec. 8; 8-9 p.m. Dec. 15. (310-371-7546)
• Del Amo Fashion Center at Hawthorne Boulevard and Carson Street: 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14 (a Sunday). Bring your dog or cat through the Mall 11 entrance just outside the security office. (310-542-8525)
• South Bay Pavilion at 20700 Avalon Blvd., Carson: 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays, Dec. 1, 8 and 15 (dogs and cats only). (310-366-6636)
• Manhattan Village at 3200 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 28 (the Friday after Thanksgiving); near the center court. (310-426-6313)

Your dog may not thank you. Neither will Santa.

But you'll enjoy watching it all happen. 

Photo: Santa tries to put a puppy at ease at a Friends of Feral event recently in Alabama

Find out with a visit to Santa Claus!

I'm not sure how the guy playing Santa feels about all this, but there are special times set aside this year at the South Bay Galleria (1815 Hawthorne Blvd., at Artesia, in Redondo Beach) where you can bring your pets to have their pictures taken with Santa.

Santa will be available for your pets from 7 to 8 p.m. every Monday between now and Christmas (Nov. 24, and Dec. 1 and 8; hours are 8 to 9 p.m. Dec. 15).

Let's see, I think Tess just wants her broken toe to be all better by Christmas so she can play fetch again.

And Cowboy? Well, he pretty much has everything he wants -- which is Tess. He loves Tess. I mean he really loves her. A lot. So maybe Santa Claus can persuade Cowboy to stop humping Tess so much at the dog park. I think Cowboy would be sufficiently scared of Santa Claus to listen, that is if I could ever drag him that close to the big bearded guy in the red suit (highly unlikely).

So what do your pets want this year? Do you buy holiday gifts for your dogs or cats? How about for your friends' dogs or cats? (I always send over cat gifts to Shirley, my good "cat person" friend from the old neighborhood, and she gives presents to my dogs.)

I know our reader San Pedro Dogs is busy this time of year with her holiday baking. In case you don't know about her, she's got a hometown biz making specialized biscuits and treats for dogs, all done out of her home. And they're all homemade and healthy.

Check it out online (www.sanpedrodogs.com).

He's in the news. He's become a media sensation. He's got an agent and he's thinking of running for office.

He's Joe the Plumber. Two weeks ago, nobody knew who he was. Now he's being turned into Halloween costumes -- even one for dogs.

At the Tomkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in New York, Joe was honored by this chihuahua.

You can find more great animal costumes here.