Bettie and Junie Not Just “Standard” Poodles!

Tell us your names and the name(s) of your pet(s).

We are Paul and Andrea Young and our kids are Trevor, Camille and Simon. We have two standard poodles, Bettie (silver and white) and Junie (cream).

How did you get your pet(s), how long have you had your pet(s), and what was your inspiration for naming him/her/them?

Andrea had a poodle as a child and she’d always wanted one as an adult. She found a breeder in the Homestead Heritage village near Waco and we got the pick of the litter in 2016. Junie was an “oops” pet… a family member was breeding her standard poodles and Andrea casually mentioned, “Maybe we’ll get a second dog.” The kids happened to hear her, so it, of course, became a certainty! Bettie is seven and Junie is two. When we got Bettie in 2016, Andrea had recently received a small inheritance, which we used to pay the breeder. The inheritance was from Andrea’s Uncle Ken and Aunt Betty. They were animal lovers, so we named the puppy Bettie in honor of them! We chose the name Junie because it sounded cute to say “Bettie and Junie!”

Tell us about your pet(s): fun tricks, unique talents, quirky personality, etc.

Bettie is extremely loyal and devoted to her family. She never wants to be far from us. After we come home from work or just go out to check the mail, Bettie will come lay her head on one of our laps and look up at us with those devastating puppy eyes. If you happen to be standing near her, she will lean into you to the point that you lose your balance. Her requests for affection are impossible to resist. Paul likes to wear his favorite t-shirt when he walks Bettie that says, “I am my dog’s support human.”

Junie is our wild child puppy. Although she is a little taller and longer than Bettie, she’s about twenty pounds lighter. She has vocal arguments with the squirrels in our backyard on a daily basis (sorry, neighbors). She fairly flies through the yard when she’s running and keeps

Bettie fit by making her chase her. She is especially attached to our daughter Camille, taking up most of Camille’s bed at night by stretching out her long legs across the bed.

How long have you lived in Canyon Creek?

We have lived in Canyon Creek for 24 years in October.

What do you love most about living in Canyon Creek?

We love the deep sense of community in Canyon Creek. We love having families of all generations on our street—it manages to constantly be a balance of young families, middle-aged families, which is now us, and retired families. Of course, we love the mature trees and how the houses are not all identical. We love that we sit outside and have “driveway cocktails” with our neighbors. And, from a practical standpoint, we love that it’s close to everything!

Please share with us a funny or awesome story of living in the neighborhood.

We’ve been involved and served in so many clubs and organizations (formal and informal) right here in Canyon Creek: cooking club, moms’ club, informal running club, PTA, Cub Scouts and National Night Out block captains. Andrea is part of a book club based in Canyon Creek and they have now been meeting monthly to discuss books (great and not so great) for fifteen years! We think maybe we should form a “Poodle Club!” as we see a lot of them being walked in the neighborhood.

Is there anything else you would love for your neighbors to know about you or your pet(s)?

We recently remodeled the front of our old 1968-era house and took the porch from a basic step-in front door to a long sitting porch with chairs. If you see us out when you walk by, please stop and say hello!