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    LuLu is queen of her household

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May 9, 2008

Little LuLu is queen of her household

LuLu likes to throws her weight — all 12 pounds — around in her household.

“She’s pretty well in charge of our whole house,” owner Deb Fridy of Danville said. “Our lives revolve around the schedule of the dog.”

LuLu weighed only 3 pounds when Fridy and her husband, Frank Atwood, brought the Boston terrier into their home. She will be 2 years old in December.

When it comes to size, LuLu is at the smallest end for Boston terriers. The lowest weight for a Boston is 10 pounds.

Although Fridy has always owned boxers, she and Atwood decided they wanted a smaller dog to travel with when they retire.

Besides, she said, cuddling LuLu, “I just love the squished face!”

A Boston terrier looks like a miniature boxer, in a way.

Fridy had a boxer when she was little, adding, “I’ve always been in love with them.”

As an adult, she had three boxers at various times; they all died of cancer.

Gretchen died about 10 years ago, Atti passed away in 2006, and Missi, last December. Gretchen and Atti went to the University of Illinois after their illness was discovered, but Missi’s showed up suddenly.

Atti died just one week after LuLu joined the family.

Missi tolerated the puppy. Even though she was little, LuLu used to rule over the boxer, too, and would place her rear end on Missi, with her front feet stretched out in front.

LuLu has been an only dog since Missi died. However, Fridy is considering adopting an older Boston — also a small one — from a rescue site to keep LuLu company.

In the meantime, LuLu is enjoying all the attention that comes with being an only dog. She loves to ride in the car, and has a special seatbelt harness.

She keeps the backyard free of birds and rabbits by chasing them away.

Fridy, owner of Fridy Realty, even mentions Lulu (followed by a small bark) in radio ads promoting her business.

As for the Boston terrier breed, Fridy said, “They’re sweet dogs.”

But, she added they’re high energy. LuLu has a lot of toys to choose from, and she loves playing with her “dad,” Atwood.

“She’s spoiled rotten,” Fridy said.

A big animal lover, Fridy hates it when people leave their dogs alone in the yards all the time, with no attention or exercise.

She’s adopted a saying, which she uses at the bottom of her correspondence: “Kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us.”

She also recommends going through a rescue site, rather than a breeder, if someone is looking for a specific breed. The Web site, http://www.petfinder.com is an excellent place to start.

“That is absolutely the best thing to do,” she said.

Fridy has a lot of love when it comes to dogs of all sizes — from the tiny terrier that rules her household to the big boxers that still reign in her heart.

Contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.

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