Kathy Riordan

Kathy Riordan
Location
Florida, United States
Birthday
April 27
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One woman's view of life and the universe. Follow @katriord on Twitter.

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FEBRUARY 5, 2010 1:44PM

That Dog

Rate: 41 Flag

Like all good Canadians, that dog was born in British Columbia.  He introduced himself to us at the Tulip Festival in northern Washington while we were on our way home from Hawaii, with a nice trick, getting my brother to pull over at a rest stop.  

That dog knew we were his forever home, and made sure there was no question about it.

That dog flew the red-eye on Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Orlando on an Easter Saturday to find us.

That dog went as a puppy to Mayo Clinic when his dad was sick and came out a therapy dog.

That dog saved both our lives.

 

That dog loves hamburgers, and dolmathes, and riding in the car, and Donna Summer, and flying on airplanes, and staying in hotels, and run-like-hell, and wearing a lifejacket on the boat.  He takes long walks but wants to be carried home.  

That dog loves eating out in restaurants that will have him. 

That dog adores his weekly bath.  But he's a boy in between, and gets plenty dirty, whether he's in Florida or Wisconsin. 

That dog.

 

When going to Hooters. . .knowwhentoquit

 

. . .always arrive in style. . .alwaysgivecomebacksauce

 

. . .be friendly with the help. . .befriendlywiththehelp

 

. . .drink responsibly. . .onefortheroad

 

. . .be sure to give comeback sauce. . .getkissed

 

. . .don't forget last call. . .havesomeonecountyourdrinks 

 

. . .and get kissed.kissyourfavehootersgirl

 

One of the first places our little white Cuban dog, Sweetie, went to socialize in public was a local Hooters restaurant in Florida, which was at the time dog-friendly.  The above shots were taken on his first visit, as a puppy in the spring of 2004. 

 

Short video of Sweetie waiting for the Superbowl, 2009. It was a windy day in Florida.

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Comments

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Love him! Is he maltese or part maltese?
And happy birthday to my beloved little white Cuban dog, who'll be six years old this weekend.
He's a Havanese, Deborah. He looked just like a Maltese as a puppy. I expect he was about four pounds there, or thereabouts. He weighs about twelve pounds now fully grown.
Oh whew . . I thought this was going to be a memorial post and I started bawling.

Happy Birthday to your furry baby! :)

-Pawed-
What a sweet face (don't tell my dog I said that).
'babe magnet'! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!
'Delightfully Tacky and yet unrefined'

Hey!! That's me!! ;)

Ahhhhh, look at the cute puppy!!!!!!!
I havanese and anephew.
He's looks like a teeny weeny Einstein. :)
Happy birthday to your adorable dog!!
Oh great, now my Corgi is asking me to take him to Hooters. Actually, that sounds like a pretty good idea...
What a cute BC-born dog.
I wish more places were doggie-friendly in Florida, Orlando in particular...I'd take my Pom, Bella, out all the time! Like your lil companion, she is saving my life too.
Happy birthday to your boy, who looks a lot like my new girl Millie :)

The pictures are great, I was thinking, "Hooters is dog-friendly? We have to go!" LOL
Ha!

I so couldn't take Jack-the-Dog or Dave-the-Husband to Hooters. Neither of them would behave.
How wonderful, thanks for giving me a much needed heart-smile today.
Apologies to the non-BC Canadians. I should have said, like all good BCers, that dog was born in Canada.

Florida is more dog friendly than it used to be. Jeb Bush passed a doggy dining law when he was governor that allows all restaurants that have outdoor seating to allow pets at their discretion, although they are not forced to do so. There are many places, both here in Southwest Florida and in Orlando, that we have taken Sweetie. Portofino Bay and the other Universal Orlando resorts are extremely dog-friendly. We have also taken Sweetie to the Hooters in Orlando in the past. When he was a puppy, he was a babe magnet, and all the Hooters girls loved him.
Talk about the expression "lucky dog" coming to life.
Great post, great dog. BUT. Where are the pics of Sweetie today? What does he do as a therapy dog? And how did he save your lives? Jeez, you are such a tease!
Who could resist a face like that? My eyes my eyes! The Sheer Cuteness is blinding!

Rated for cute puppyness
Absolutely adorable.
I believe in pet therapy, Kathy.
Man, I gotta take a cute puppy with me the next time I go to Hooters.
This is heartwarming - it kind of sheds a warmer, human light on Hooters...which ain't no easy task!
He's Cute with a capital C.
Hooters gets a bad rap, but it's really a wonderful place to eat. I can highly recommend the buffalo chicken sandwich or the mahi-mahi sandwich. Down here in Florida, we don't take much notice to the women being dressed in tank tops or shorts; it really doesn't mean anything. In other parts of the country, that might be different.
For a more recent pic of Sweetie, check out his August cover here: The Dog Days of Summer
Those who've read my stories about my husband's long hospitalization at Mayo Clinic five years ago would know that Sweetie saved both of our lives there--as a companion to me those long eight months, and as a reason for Larry to get up in the morning. Sweetie went out to visit other patients in the first three months that Larry was in Surgical ICU, then after Larry went to the floor, Sweetie went to visit him in the hospital at least three times a week. After that, he helped us rehabilitate Larry. The husband that doctors said would never leave the hospital alive, and if he did, only go to a nursing home but never walk again, now walks our dog over 1 1/2 miles every day. Without assistance. (Except when he has a broken arm, like now, of course.) He's a primary reason my husband has done so well. And he kept him company when I was away in Oregon for eight days last week.

He's an angel dropped straight from heaven, and came precisely when we most needed him, although we didn't know it at the time.
Huge aww! Thanks, Kathy.
Sweetie is a true gift to your family...:)
What a sweetie! who could resist that face, and how civilised of Hooters to be dog friendly.

Thought he was a Bichon Frise at first.
I want what he's having.
Rated.
I told Mrs. P I was going to take the dog to Hooters. She grounded me.

I forgot that we don't have a dog.
So did you have to take the leftovers home in a doggy bag?

Ha!

Oh my Lord I just kill myself.

Terrible puns aside, thanks for sharing this. It was adorable. I've never heard of a Havanese before but he's just to die for cute. My parents have a Maltese they've had for almost 12 years now and he's still full of vim and vigor, the lil ankle biter. Thanks for sharing.
In honor of Superbowl Sunday, which is also Sweetie's birthday this year, I've added a short video clip of Sweetie waiting for the Superbowl last year.
Cute dog, but he was wearing the wrong colors for 2010 (this year's) Super Bowl. He needs to be black and gold. Who Dat! R
My house is filled with Havanese aka as Paradise! Hugs and Licks to Sweetie.
cute dog. he poses well and he looks like a ham. i like his picture. he makes a good model.
Puppies are indeed cutsie. Oh how I do miss my dear departed Russian Wolfhound, Gesundheit. He was a legend at Westminster in the "giant to obese category." He never should have wandered into that butcher's.....(HurumphHurumph) (sniffle) Amen.
Why can't humans be more like dogs esp this one...
When a Havanese puppy moved in with two friends of mine, I fell in love with him. Irresistible. And he grew up to be a therapy dog, too, who is popular with Santa Barbara hospital patients. He and his roommates were evacuated twice due to wildfires and now he lives with them on the safer side of the highway. I'd like to read about your dog's therapy work - hope you'll continue this story.
Glad I rechecked back in to see the video.