DNA tests are now available to find out what your pet's breed heritage really is, but on St. Patrick's Day that doesn't really matter. What's important is that you are Irish in spirit!
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On St. Patrick’s Day it seems that almost everyone is at least a little bit Irish. And since people like to include their pets in celebrations, they consider their animal friends are Irish, as well. In some cases, they’re right.
Several dog breeds even have “Irish” as part of their breed names. One of the smallest is the Irish Terrier, a high-energy animal that weighs around 25 pounds. If you are a Notre Dame football fan, you may have seen one of the Irish Terriers that have served as the team’s mascot.
The Irish Setter is more than twice the size of its terrier cousin – about 60 pounds or so – with a gorgeous reddish-brown coat. Its sweet disposition makes it a great family pet.
The tallest of all dogs is the Irish Wolfhound. Its long legs make it a pet that needs some room, but even though it can weigh 100 pounds or more its intelligence and temperament make it a family-friendly pet.
Dogs are not the only Irish pets. The Manx cat originally came from the Isle of Man off the coast of Ireland. A Manx has a very recognizable feature, its tail, which is usually very short or non-existent.
Even if your furry friend doesn’t seem to have any family ties to the land of Shamrocks, you could always give it an Irish name. If you need some inspiration or a suggestion, checkout the website petnames.net, click on the Origin link and select Irish Pet Names. Cat lovers can visit the website funcatnames.com and again click on the Origin link and then Irish Cat Names. On either page, each entry has a color-coded symbol to let you know whether it’s a male or female name.
Or you can be really clever, like my friend who loves all things Irish; she named her feline companion “St. Catrick”. In her house, every day is St. Catrick’s day!
Whether your pet is really Irish, or just claims to be Irish, it’s always a good time to celebrate the special animals that share our lives all year long. They may be very different from each other, but they all have one thing in common – they are our best friends, when we’re speaking of pets.
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