Sunday, June 8, 2014

My First Pet--A Cocker #Spaniel by Karen Rose Smith


I love cats and dogs and most furry creatures.  Most of my readers think I'm a cat lady.  And I am.  But my first pet was a dog--a Cocker Spaniel named Buffer.

Buffer wasn't really "my" dog.  My dad gifted my mom with him on their anniversary when I was three.  He was a rambunctious golden-buff pup with huge brown eyes that could melt any heart.  We lived close to a school with a playing field and lots of green lawn.  On summer evenings, we walked Buffer there to play fetch with a tennis ball.  If Buffer ever slipped his leash and ran off, he ran to that school yard.  So I imagine he enjoyed his play time there, too.

Me with my dad and Buffer
Each summer when school vacation began (my mom was a teacher so we spent summers together), we would walk Buffer about a mile away to his veterinarian. My mom didn't drive.  In those days, vets were also groomers.  Buffer would get his summer haircut and look like a different dog.  But it wasn't long until he was fluffy and curly again.

Buffer was an American Cocker Spaniel.  American Cockers mainly have shorter ears than English Cockers. When I decided to write a stray dog into DEADLY DECOR, I naturally chose an American Cocker Spaniel.  My sleuth Caprice De Luca names her found cocker Shasta because she is the color of her Shasta daisies.  When Caprice's veterinarian informs her that Shasta is pregnant, that is a surprise!  Caprice becomes a doggy midwife when Shasta's pups are born.



What happens to the pups and Shasta?

Read DEADLY DECOR to find out.  Have fun solving the mystery with Caprice, cook with her, become part of the large Italian De Luca family in this cozy mystery series.

And if you have a Cocker Spaniel, feel free to tell me about him or her in the comments.  I love to hear cat and dog stories.




Copyright 2014 Karen Rose Smith

1 comment:

Jeanie Jackson said...

Love Shasta! I grew up with a black Cocker Spaniel. Shasta's connect with animals is one of the many things bout the Caprice mysteries that makes them so compelling.