Decorating & Design
November 13, 2015
Meet Senior Design Editor Morgan Michener’s Dog, Hayley!
When my kids were young they begged us for pet. “A real pet,” they said. Though my husband and I were hesitant at first, our minds were changed when we discovered a breed that was perfect for our family. The Coton de Tuléar is the royal dog of Madagascar. Great companion animals, Cotons are known to be affectionate, intelligent and easily trained. They also have the very softest hair — while still being non-shedding and hypoallergenic. I was sold!
Though we ideally wanted a rescue dog, there were no Cotons available at the time to adopt. I decided to reach out to a breeder, and we had a good chat. I then learned that they had an older, six-year-old dog that just happened to need a home…
Three years later, our family could not imagine life without our lovely lady, who offers nothing but unconditional love. Let me introduce you to our dog Hayley.
Here she is on our very first walk together on the day we got her.
Now she’s part of a pack that loves her.
The breeders kept baby pictures of Hayley, which they were happy to send my way. While I’m sad to have missed this part of her life, it’s so nice to have the photos.
Hayley’s always up for summer fun, and is so good off-leash!
She loves watching the loons.
And doing a little shopping.
“Long walks are the best!”
Car rides usually mean family fun…
…but cold walks require negotiations.
Yes, we have a few silly coats and boots for Hayley, but the salt hurts her toes, and since she’s low to the ground, her fur tends to get matted.
Here she is going blonde for Hallowe’en.
And this is the Command Centre, a.k.a. Hayley’s bed. I had our upholsterer recover it in deep pink velvet. (Although who am I kidding? She sleeps wherever she wants).
Here she is enjoying a sleepover with her bestie, Ms. Maddison. Looks like I interrupted a good chat!
One of many portraits drawn by the kids.
So glad we found our sweet girl.