Put your paws up for Holly the miniature Schnauzer, named Fort Worth’s cutest dog
With over 30 submissions from readers and 503 votes cast, only one can be named the top dog in Fort Worth.
Winning in both rounds of our Star-Telegram poll, meet Holly, the 7-month-old miniature Schnauzer from Fort Worth, with 290 votes.
The fetching runners-up were Seeley the Basset Hound with 45 votes, and Bear the Husky mix with 19 votes.
Holly Grace joined her family, Jenny and Adrian Cardenas, just a few months ago.
“My husband Adrian and I had been looking for a new dog to bring home (one of our other dogs, a rescue dog named Jake, passed away the year before at 19 years old), and we fell in love with a photo of Holly online.”
She was only three pounds when the Cardenas family brought her home. Now, she weighs in at a tiny 7 pounds with a few more months left to grow to her full potential of 8 pounds.
Her size doesn’t take away from her relationship with Teddy Bear, the family’s 9-year-old poodle-mix.
While at first, it took a while for the two to start playing together (given the size difference), they are now the best of friends.
“They play hide and seek using the ottoman, where she hides underneath and he circles the ottoman, looking for her,” Jenny says. “She’ll sprint out and Teddy will then chase her around the living room.”
Every day the two demand a three-mile walk, where Holly prances on the right and Teddy Bear is always on the left.
“She refuses to come inside unless her big brother is right by her side,” she says.
They also love to play tug of war with their toys, which have to be replaced often due to constant holes being ripped into them. They tag team the destruction – Holly makes the hole, and Teddy Bear destuffs the toy.
Holly loves to take naps on heated blankets and often snores. But when she isn’t cuddled up, the mini Schnauzer enjoys learning how to fetch.
“Her ears were not cropped, which we love, because they express her emotions. Whenever she tilts her head and has one ear up and 1 down, you know she’s trying to figure something out,” Jenny says.
We imagine Holly had a similar expression when being told that she was voted as Fort Worth’s cutest dog.