Doug and Carol Goings are proud to give their precious girl Bailey some well-deserved attention.  Their nine-year-old miniature Schnauzer has been a beloved member of the family since she was just a pup, and that love is evident with every word… 

 

Carol and I found Bailey in an advertisement offering miniature schnauzer puppies for sale about six months after our second schnauzer died. Since the former was a silver, Carol really hoped for another, so even though Bailey was in north Georgia, we knew she was the one.  

 

The only story behind Bailey’s name is that she and her two previous step-sisters all have had the same first name: Baby. We’ve had three miniature schnauzers: Baby Gracie, Baby Savannah and Baby Bailey. They have all been small enough to fit in our hands.  But unlike most miniature schnauzers, Bailey’s ears stand up. People often have their schnauzers’ ears clipped, like people do to Doberman pinchers so that they stand up. Carol and I prefer natural floppy schnauzer ears, called bell ears. When Bailey’s started standing up we only briefly considered having them tacked down.   

 

Bailey loves to eat - especially likes her cookies. In order to receive one, she must do some small trick: sit, stand, lie down, twirl, and walk forward. Don’t tell her so, but in our book, just her being pretty is enough. 

 

Bailey cuddles. If she is sitting beside me while I’m reading, she will put her head between my chest and my arm as if she is reading. She also needs to be nestled in my lap, where she expects belly scratches, and often she will climb up to lie behind my head and the top of the recliner. She did this often in the car, lying behind my head and the headrest. 

 

On the day I picked Bailey up from the breeder, I drove to Home Depot to pick up some painting supplies. At this point, she had only been with me 30 minutes, but she knew - even at nine weeks old - that she was supposed to protect me. While I was holding her in my hand in the paint aisle, she noticed someone at the far end of the aisle walking our way. Bailey started growling, almost under her breath to warn off the intruder.  

 

Bailey is only as spoiled as I am for her. During our “rest period” in the afternoon she jumps into my lap to take a nap. She never begs for food, but she certainly expects to taste what I snack on.  

 

If you ever see her out without either Carol or me, she has escaped her garden fence. Funnily enough, Bailey will not go through the backyard gate even though we leave it open while we work in the garden. If you see her, just call her and she will come to you. She’s never met a stranger!