Free Pumpkin-Carving Stencils of Favorite Dog Breeds

Luca is a 96-pound, 10-month-old American bulldog. His full name is Luca Brasi, after the slow-witted but muscular character who helps protect Don Corleone in The Godfather. Luca goes to work every day with my husband Nick at a personal training gym.

-- Mary Beth Rouse, Luca's owner

My border collie, Oreo, thinks she's a cat. She leaps from the floor to the top of the sofa in one swift movement, then glides to the coffee table to look out the window. Oreo's favorite toy is a chew stick. She'll throw it in the air, swat at it, watch it land, and then pounce on it. It keeps her entertained for hours, but she rarely eats it. In fact, she usually buries one in the sofa as a "present" for me to find.

-- Jenny McCoy, Oreo's owner

Patches is a curious 12-year-old Boston terrier. The first time she saw a jack-o'-lantern, she ran up and attacked it. I hope she behaves better with these pumpkins!

-- Liat Paul, Patches' owner

I adopted Maya, a Chihuahua-miniature pinscher mix, when she was 1 year old. She is a spunky little girl that entertains our entire neighborhood in the summer months. She loves her toys and squeaks them as she runs through the house.

-- Becky Irish, Maya's owner

Lucy is a beagle-terrier mix with a love for little kids, their sticky fingers, and their leftover snacks. Diet? Now, seriously. Who can manage to put a beagle on a diet? Especially with those big, beautiful brown eyes begging for more.

-- Stacey Willey, Lucy's owner

Matilda is a 5-month-old flashy fawn boxer (that just means she's brown with a lot of white). Matilda is no different than any other boxer; she's a total clown. She loves all people, especially children.

-- Aynsley Starbuck, Matilda's owner

My two Cavalier King Charles spaniels couldn't be more different. Lola (left) does crazy tricks, and Thomas (right) is more old school -- "sit" and "stay" are about it for him.

-- Sarah Bailey, Lola and Thomas' owner

Mouse is a supersweet, supertough glamour girl as well as a miniature dachshund. Her special passions include sunbathing, fine jewels, department store escalator rides, and chasing chipmunks in the garden.

-- Karin Edwards, Mouse's owner

Tela's hobbies include shredding Mom's hostas, chewing through every new toy she gets, and being Dad's all-around pride and joy. However, her true passion is playing with (actually, harassing) her 10-year-old beagle sister, Abby, with whom she spends endless hours playing tag.

-- Jessica Saari Christensen, Tela's owner

Lucy Buttercup is a friendly dog who loves to snuggle on the couch with my husband and me -- and steal food from the counter when we're not looking. She once ate an entire peach pie! When we adopted another dog, Rocco (a dark Golden retriever), Lucy was shy at first, but now she plays, wrestles, and cuddles nonstop with him.

-- Diane Starkey, Lucy's owner

This cocker spaniel, Marlo, may look sweet, but her nickname is "Monster Girl." She's into everything and always at top speed. On the flip side, she's also an obedient, registered therapy dog.

-- Cindy Joyce, Marlo's owner

Bear, a Pomeranian, has two favorite things that get him excited: tennis balls and car rides. Although he has dozens of tennis balls, he always has one specific go-to ball of choice. He loves to play fetch, but he can easily entertain himself by nudging his tennis ball off the edge of the bed, then chasing after it. The best kind of car ride for him is when he gets to bring his ball along -- those are the greatest!

-- Blake Kermode, Bear's owner

Scout is an 8-year-old rough-coated Jack Russell terrier who lived her first three years as a city dog in New York City. She likes all things that begin with the letter "P": popcorn, potato chips, pretzels, pistachios, peanuts, pepperoni, and even wasabi peas.

-- James Baggett, Scout's owner

Our dog, Tango, is a fabulous hunting dog who is great with little kids. She loves to play with her stuffed animals, which we call "babies," and tease our real live cats. When she does something naughty, like eating food off the counter, she hides from us because she hates getting in trouble.

-- Jeremy and Jenny Boeck, Tango's owners

My Doberman pinscher, Dobey, is a 4-year-old garbage disposal. He's like a goat -- socks, dryer sheets, drywall, blankets -- he'll eat anything.

-- Nikki Storms, Dobey's owner

Darby is an 8-year-old, spoiled-rotten, dearly loved chocolate lab who has been a member of our family since she was 8 weeks old. She comes from a long line of hunters. But she also sits, drops, speaks, crawls, dances, spins, begs, and gives kisses, all on command.

-- Diane Brunia, Darby's owner

Chunky is about 6 months old. He sits, occasionally shakes hands, and chases his tail like a doofus. When he does, my two kids always laugh and yell, "That's not a banana, Chunky. That's your tail!"

-- Chris Colwell, Chunky's owner

My rottweiler Daisy is only 5 months old, but she is already huge and an old pro at tricks. She just learned how to do a high-five -- it's her new favorite thing.

-- Julie Cirksena, Daisy's owner

Carl Barkley is a proud descendent of a Westminster champion. Carl and his mother, Flossie, devote their time to lounging on furniture and annoying Percy Dove Tonsils, the cat. Carl would like to see world peace and wants to be a model when he grows up.

-- Tom Perrine, Carl's owner

Sophie, my schnauzer, chews, destroys, and eats everything in her path -- shoes, rugs, paper, laundry sheets -- she's not picky. She's destroyed cell phones, hairbrushes, wicker baskets, water bottles, and lots of dog toys. She's a sweetheart, though, and oh-so adorable.

-- Rachel Haugo, Sophie's owner

Gigi, who weighs 20 pounds, is almost 2 years old. She has a big bark for such a small dog. Her favorite things are watching people or cars go by, dirty socks (she likes to steal them out of the hamper), saltine crackers, and peanut butter.

-- Veronica Toney, Gigi's owner

Even though my shih tzu, Zoe, is meant to be an indoor dog, she would rather spend all day exploring outdoors. When it snows, she loves to run around in it, and then I get the joy of brushing the snow clumps out of her hair.

-- Danielle Woods, Zoe's owner

Meeko is a beautiful 6-year-old, 80-pound Siberian husky. Although he's big, he's gentle and a perfect gentleman. He's never met a stranger -- human or canine -- because he insists on meeting everyone. Meeko loves car and boat rides, walks, and family vacations at the lake. And when he's got something to say -- watch out, he'll talk your ear off.

-- Denise Kokemuller, Meeko's owner

Yorkshire terriers consider themselves to be big dogs. They have no idea that they are small. Gordie "Killer" Blevins weighs only 3.7 pounds. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for with his personality.

-- Ann Blevins, Gordie's owner

The only thing we love more than a cute puppy pumpkin is a holiday costume to match. Need inspiration? Check out these adorable puppy pictures from readers.