Owners' names: Denise and Patrick van den Bossche

Type of animal/breed: Dog, Teacup Yorkshires (Yorkies)

Name, gender, and age of pet: Shiloh Bruno (male, 3 years old, four pounds) and Selah Grace (female, 1 and a half years old, three pounds)

Is there a story behind their names? 

Both Shiloh and Selah are biblical names. Shiloh means either “gift from God” or “peaceful one,” and Selah is a term used throughout the book of Psalms inferring “to pause and reflect.” 

What nicknames do you call your pets? 

#theToddlers or #theKids

What’s the story about how your pets became yours?  

Went to a puppy play date with friends who were picking up their newly acquired pup from the breeder, and bada boom, and we ended up with Shiloh. He was such a joy that we endured a long post-COVID-19 wait to get Denise a little girl.

Do your pets have any special talents?  

Shiloh does a long army crawl every time he sees carpet. Selah can unbutton a duvet in order to crawl inside to play "hide and go seek." This results in pillows “walking” across the bed or a paw darting out to tease her brother into pouncing on top of her, like a playful cat. Or she will crawl into the pillow shams and stay there quietly as we frantically call her name, looking for her.

What game does your pet like to play? 

Selah thinks making the bed is a game and races to untack the sheets. 

How spoiled is your pet?  

On a scale from one to 10, that would be around 25. Our entire house is customized for their comfort. They have their own closet full of clothes, with lots of matching outfits, using doll hangers, of course. We justified an RH platform bed for ourselves because it is PERFECT for them. They have a mini Mercedes remote-control convertible we customized for them.

What adventures have you taken with your pet?  

They travel with us; both fit in one under-seat carrier, and no one even knows they are there. They are the company mascot and have been to many offices around the country. They even have their own business cards. They have stayed in some of the finest hotels across the country. The Ritz is dog friendly, by the way.

 

What adventures have your pets taken without you?  

They love doing sleepovers at Camp Bow Wow or hanging out with the big dogs at Lori’s cage-free Dog Grooming.

What’s a typical day for your pets?  

Sleeping in as long as possible followed by looking out the window to bark at people on the golf course. They generally hang out on our bed until we come home, and they chase us and each other around before they crash on a pillow. Every night at 8 p.m., they let us know it's time for everyone to come to bed. 

How have your pets enriched your home/family? 

They truly can turn a “bad” day into a good day because they are so gosh darn cute. We hired a personal trainer for Shiloh when he was a baby, and he learned to walk on the treadmill during COVID-19. Patrick posts at least one thing every day about something funny they did. Whenever we are out, everyone always ends up showing dog pictures.

What are your pets' favorite treats?  

They love Natural Balance mini-treats. Their tummies are super small, so they are on a very regulated diet.

Do they have any favorite dog-friendly places to visit in the area? 

OHSO is one of their favorite places, as is Luci’s because they love people and love big dogs. Both places have plenty.

They are social media and photography darlings. Super photogenic, love their picture taken, and love getting dressed up because they know we’re taking them out somewhere.