TulsaPets Magazine January 2023

January / February 2023 • TulsaPets 13 PETS AND THEIR PEOPLE Studio Assistants Norwich Terriers Are P. S. Gordon’s Good Companions by Jennie Lloyd | Photo by Cindy Alvarez P opular portraitist and artist Patrick (P.S.) Gordon says what many dog owners are thinking: “My dogs are the most important relationship I have.” He looks down at his two Norwich Terriers, Sister and Logan, playing and jostling in his lovely living room over- looking the heart of Maple Ridge. The room is filled with canvases and paint and light and an enchanting work in prog- ress, a larger-than-life painting of yellow flowers. “I adore these dogs,” he says. Norwich Terriers are known for being good lapdogs and amusing companions and were originally bred as ratters in the United Kingdom. With little legs and a terrier build, sprightly ears, and thick coats, Norwich Terriers are an uncommon and charming breed. Sister and Logan are no exception. The Cutest Dogs When Gordon first saw a pair of Norwich Terriers walking through the streets of New York 30 years ago, he thought, “Those are the cutest dogs I’ve ever seen.” Gordon says, “I started tracking these dogs down.” He found one in Rochester, New York, so the tan-and-black Norwich Terrier became Rochester Gordon. It was the perfect name for a great dog. Gordon’s current pair are the ones who came after his sweet Rochester passed away during the pandemic. “It was terrible,” Gordon says. “So I got another one named Sister, and she is a little smaller.” Sister also has a lovely brindled tan-and black-coat and is two years old. Logan is nine or 10 years old and has a two-toned red coat. Gordon calls Logan “a brisket with four legs” because he is thick, com- pact, and adorable. Norwich Terriers have two coats — a top coat, which is water- proof, and a downy-soft underlayer of fur. “They’re just funny dogs,” Gordon says. “They have a wild bark … but what are they gonna do? Chew on your ankles?” Sister and Logan are not guard dogs, to be sure. But that’s OK with Gordon. He loves it that they do not shed very much,