понедельник, 23 апреля 2012 г.

Such nice friends


My family


 


         Hello everyone! I’m happy to continue my blog’s posts! Today I’m going to tell you about my family.

           I have a nuclear family by modern standards: just four people. My parents: mom and dad, my older brother and myself. Of course, I have grandparents and aunts, but they live in other places, even in other countries. So I can say that my family is spread out all over the world.  

Well, but I would like to dedicate today’s blog to my favourite relatives – my dogs! Well, I should add that the dogs are an important part of our family. I can even say that they are relatives in our families. When I was small we had a dog, but nowadays our family has two dogs. So I can say that I live with such relatives all my life.
     Nowadays I have two dogs, Red and Chester.  Red is 15 years old and Chester is only 1 year old. Well, their breed is Shih Tzu. They’re very beautiful and charming dogs with long silky hair. The breed is originally from China, and the name is translated as The Lion dog, the Chinese guardian lions. The Shih Tzu is also often known as the "Xi Shi quan", based on the name of Xi Shi, regarded as one of the most beautiful women of ancient China, and, less often, the Chrysanthemum Dog, a nickname coined in England in the 1930s.The dog may also be called the Tibetan Lion Dog, but whether or not the breed should be referred to as a Tibetan or Chinese breed is a source of argument, the absolute answer to which "may never be known".


When my mother was a teenager she saw this breed and loved it at first sight. But unfortunately, she couldn’t afford it. After marriage, she told my father about her dream, and my father decided to buy a small dog. She was so happy!!! Shih Tzu isn’t easy to look after. The traditional long, silky coat that reaches the floor requires daily brushing to avoid tangles. Because of their long coat and fast growing hair, regular grooming is necessary which may be costly. Often the coat is clipped short to simplify the look-after, in a "puppy clip".

When we had only Red, my mother didn’t have enough time to participate in different shows. That’s why Red always wore a short haircut, which is named "puppy clip" haircut.

But one year ago, my father decided to surprise me and my mother. On the Women’s Day he brought home a small Chester. It was so unexpected. We were very happy!!! The dog was so cute and funny.


      Nowadays my mother has more opportunities to take a part in different dog shows with Chester. She spends lots of time washing him, making special rags for curling the hair, and as a result Chester is The Youngest Champion in Russia among Shih Tzu. We are proud of him!!!


And I’m so glad that I have such nice friends among the dogs!!!