Puppy Toy Haul.

I am excited to announce that I will be fulfilling my childhood dreams of welcoming a dog to my family. Say hello to Xabi Alonso Rodriguez-Perez! 

This is Xabi at 5 weeks with his brother Milo at his side.

My puppy is a beautiful Havanese that is part of an incredible doggie network. Seriously, the Havanese Angels family is huge and gorgeous! Over the last couple of weeks I have amassed the necessities (crate, food, bowls, etc.), but I wanted to take time out to show you a few of the FUN items I have purchased in anticipation of Xabi's arrival. Some of you may know that I am a first-time dog owner and while I have gone a little crazy buying my baby toys, I know full well that he may just prefer to rip them apart or to chew on my mother's baseboards instead (Just kidding, mom!).

Nylabone, Mini Orka Bone, & Cracklehead
Chew toys are beyond necessary. I thought I'd try a classic Nylabone (this one is Chicken flavor) to start. I also bought a Mini Orka Bone, which seems like it's the perfect size for when my little guy gets munchy. I think he will love the gummy texture of it, too. The Cracklehead came highly rated by Xabi's friend Luna (Luna is my sweet friend Cynthia's 2-year-old English Bulldog. Xabi hasn't met her yet, but I know they will be the best of friends). Even I have to admit I am very excited about this one as I am positive Xabi will play with this one for days!

Ostrich
My mom picked this out for Xabi. I love it because it's equal parts cute and wacky and the belly of the bird is really soft. 

Piggy
I saw this adorable adorableness at TJ Maxx and just had to get it! It's so soft and just too precious. I can't say anything else about this because it is too cute for words. I can just see Xabi resting his head on the twisty ring.

Duck
I'll just go out and say it: I adore Beagles. I think Beagles are the first dogs I fell in love with (BEFORE I EVEN KNEW ABOUT HAVANESE OF COURSE!) and I love that they are true hounds! I know that there are large differences between Beagles and Havanese, but I thought I'd humor myself by buying this slingshot duck so that Xabi and I can play fetch and he (read: I) can pretend he is hunting!

Giraffe
The giraffe is my mom's favorite animal so I couldn't pass up getting Xabi a giraffe squeaky toy. How cute is this? I just love his cheery little face and twisty arms.

Soccer Ball
This was an obvious choice, also gifted to Xabi by my mom so that he can live up to his namesake.

Harness, Collar, and Leash

I picked these up from Target and while they are cheaper than the ones I saw at Petsmart they are actually really good quality. I am especially excited about the collar (I love the red with the thin, neon blue stripes!) and the material feels very durable. The leash is about 4 feet long, so I think it will be good for teaching him how to walk on a leash and also good to tie around my waist when I want to keep him close (around the house, etc.). So many people have recommended that I use the harness to walk my pup since it is more gentle on his neck. Also, Xabi will look dashing in red.

I hope you all like what I've got! What toys have your puppies enjoyed? I welcome any and all recommendations! And now I'm off to cut the tags off of everything before Xabi eats them...

Kisses and wet noses,
V.

Bonus Bits

• 5 more days until my pup comes home!
• I'm going to paint my nails later, considering a bright, poppy red shade.
• My mom made fish tacos for dinner. Yum!
• Happy Memorial Day to all!