Chihuahua Pages

The Dog Behaviorist

2010-02-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of dogs. I won't deny it. Even though they're small, five dogs is still five dogs, and five dogs come with five distinct personalities and five unique sets of problems. Sometimes these problems can get a bit.....overwhelming.

Because we love our dogs so much, we knew that we needed an extra hand to help get some of our dogs behaviors under control. We were most worried about Ziggy's anxiety and continued marking, Loki's barking and door/stranger aggression, and Monet's fear of everyone. We wanted our dogs, and us to be happier and bring some harmony and balance to the household.

After researching some local dog publications, I found Carolyn Ross, a behaviorist, whose website indicated that she had the skills and experience we were looking for. After a lot of emailing, and saving up the needed funds, we asked Carolyn for a home visit to observe our dogs and see what she could suggest.

When we met Carolyn, both my husband and I immediately felt comfortable with her. She was warm, friendly, and at ease with the dogs, even while Loki, Monet and Vixen barked their heads off at her. She told us that she had personally owned five dogs at one time before, and knew how challenging it could be at times.

Carolyn stayed with us for an hour and a half, and the time just flew by! She showed us some basic Tellington Touch (T-Touch) techniques to help relax the more anxious dogs, and how to associate with a word command that would help to bring on a relaxed state. She showed us when to ignore unwanted behaviors and when to reward a calm state. Many of the things we went over we were already familiar with, and it was a good reinforcement of our own training techniques and beliefs.

To many dogs dogs are abandoned due to behavior problems that could be fixed with a little time and patience. If you are struggling with behavioral issues with your dog, I would strongly urge a consult with a good dog behaviorist. You, and your dogs, deserve it :)

The consult was well worth the price. We've been using the methods she showed us, and have been seeing imporvement with our pack. Progress is slow, but we know it doesn't happen overnight. Progress only happens with patience and cionsistancy.

Wow- It's Been A While

2010-01-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Once again, the days have slipped away, and it's already a new year.

Our doggie family has grown, and it's now at maximum capacity. Last time I checked in, Ziggy was the new addition. Now, there's Monet:

He's a Chihuahua/ Jack Russell mix, full of energy, and love. For me. And my husband. And that's it. He doesn't like anyone else, including the kids. We're working on it. He loves other dogs though, and the dogs are a big cuddly, playful bunch.

We never intended to keep him. It just happened. And now there are five. The house is full of love. And fur. And too much pee most days (thank god for the carpet shamoo'er)

Each dog has their own set of quirks, behavioral problems, and sweet affectations. While sometimes they make me want to scream ( Ziggy, why do you keep marking the trash can!? And the table!? And the...) at the end of the day, when we're a fuzzy cuddle in the bed, I know they love me. And it's all worth it.

Fun in the Sun

2009-08-24T17:09:00.001-07:00

The Summer has slipped by so fast, it's hard to think about.

The dogs have been enjoying beach excursions, and visits to the new dog park we've discovered. Loki still leaves a lot to be desired in the social skills department with other dogs, but we're doing our best to work on it and expose him to new dogs.

I have finally found a new job, and it's been a rough transition for both the kids and the dogs to have me gone again. I miss them all, and wish I could be a stay at home mom for the kids and the dogs. Maybe someday.

So for now we grab what days we can together as a family, and enjoy the sun.

Our dog's friend Teezer surrounded by fluffy little chi puppies

Vixen loves being outside at the dog park. Can you believe how BIG she is?

Aresm relaxing in the sun.

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Ziggy and an adorable chi pup

Vixen and Loki, tempted by a stick

Loki and his little sister Tequilla

Chihuahua Sleepover!

2009-08-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our Chihuahua friends have been visiting us for a few days once again, and it has been a real blast. Twelve little dogs all on one house!

Cashmere (Loki ans Ares' mom) is here with her puppies, and they have gotten so big, and super adorable. They're like little scampering balls of ridiculously cute fluff.

We took all of them to a local park for a nice long walk, and it really showed us what a headache having so many dogs could be. As much as I often fantasize about having hordes of Chihuahuas, I couldn't imagine trying to walk so many barking, pooping dogs again. lol.

On the other hand, having the puppies here has really got me thinking about how much fun it might be to do some hobby breeding with Vixen and maybe another female in the future when we finally own our own home.

I'm Back

2009-07-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while, but I'm jumping back on the blog train. After dealing with my job loss last month, it was hard to get motivated for a while. But life goes on, and I'm feeling better about it. Time to start sharing once again.

The dogs are doing lovely. No matter what happens in our lives, they keep us smiling.

Ziggy has been quite the handful. He has issues with anxiety, which we've been working through. I guess it's to be expected when a dog has been in four different homes. We're working with him with love love and patience, and hope that soon he will stop worrying that we're going to send him somewhere else. He is the world's greatest cuddler, and has a playful and loving nature. We adore him, and he's truly a part of the family.

Loki and Ares celebrated their first birthdays and continue to be healthy and happy. Loki had a rough period adjustment when Ziggy moved in, but seems to have accepted him. Vixen is still growing, and she's bigger than the boys. She's the cute baby girl, and she knows it.

This past week, we puppy sat and got to watch Loki and Ares' mom Cashmere and her new litter of four amazingly cute puppies, as well as their other chihuahua, Chiquita. It was a ton of fun.

Cashmere and her puppies

Little Chiquita

Ziggy and Ares

Ares and Vixen

And so things go on. And I'll be around more to share :)

He's Here!

2009-06-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Ziggy arrived late Friday night after flying in his crate all day. I was so relived that he made it safe and sound, and very eager to finally meet him in person.

When I got him home, we put him in the kitchen with a baby gate up so he could explore a bit without getting too overwhelmed, and kept the Chihuahuas upstairs. My husband commented on how huge he was. Only in a house of Chihuahuas would anyone consider a 16 lb. dog huge :)

Ziggy quickly acquainted himself with the cat box by marking it. And then marking the box of cat litter. We quickly put on one of the belly bands his previous owner had sent with him. First order of business when he's finally settled in- Getting Fixed!!!!!

The chis still haven't quite made up their minds about Ziggy. They're a bit intimidated by his size, and Loki seems a bit depressed. I think they'll adjust, but it will take a bit of time.

Just for fun, we took all of the dogs hiking together for a little bonding:

One thing we do finally agree on- we definitely have enough dogs now :)

News!

2009-05-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Once again I've been a bad blogger and slacked off to enjoy as much time outside with the dogs as possible. We've been taking a lot of trips to local beaches and parks, where the dogs are always trailed by an eager band of smiling children.

We've been wrestling with Loki's excessive barking, and can't seem to deter it. He barks at everyone and everything when he's outside, and when he things he hears something outside, he barks his head off inside. We've tried noise aversion, removing him from the stimulation, treating good behavior, and all of the other methods we can find. It may be time to try a citronella collar. Anyone have any other suggestions?

The biggest news however, is an upcoming addition to our puppy pack. That's right, another dog. Most people think we're mental for having three Chihuahuas, and I know we'll get flack for a fourth dog, but the truth is we love them to death and find them a total joy. We have more than enough time and affection for our dogs, and their our main source of entertainment.

The new dog's name is Ziggy, and he will be arriving from Texas via plane on Friday evening. He's a two-year-old Chinese Crested. That's right, not another chihuahua, but a Chinese Crested. We think Crestie's have a wonderful personality that will go well with our Chihuahuas. And this boy has had a rough past and deserves a loving home. He's battled heart worm, and possible physical and emotional abuse while he was with the breeder he came from. The family that has him now in Texas loves him very much, but due to personal reasons, can no longer keep him. We're very touched that his Texas family has agreed to let us adopt him.

Here's the photos we have of our new boy:

Isn't he fantastic? He'll be here on Friday, and we can hardly wait. Once he arrives, I'll be posting photos and updates as to how he settles in. Wish us all luck!

Updates!

2009-05-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

Once again, life has gotten away from me, which makes blogging slip my mind.

Loki is doing great. His bandage is off, and he's running around like a champ. Thanks to his antics in the mud, he even landed himself a bath with Ares and Vixen, despite his best efforts. My husband already told me that thanks to a romp in the mud this morning, all of my careful grooming has gone down the toilet.

Vixen is growing like you read about. She's huge, already the size of the boys and passing! Everyday she looks like a different dog. Her coat is starting to fringe out a bit, and I'm excited for it to really start coming out.

Ares is... well, Ares. He's just as timid, but snugly as ever. He was a bit upset that my husband picked up some extra hours this week, causing the dogs to be left alone more than their used to. This has made Ares a little extra clingy the last few days, but we don't mind at all. He's the world sweetest cuddler.

Other than that, we're waiting out the rain, and hoping for some more sunny days to romp around the yard.

Poor Loki

2009-04-30T03:23:00.000-07:00

My Loki is a sad little puppy:

And this is why:

Yesterday, while I was at work, my husband called me in a panic to come home right away because we had to bring Loki to the vet. When I arrived home, there was blood everywhere, and my husband said while he had the dogs out in the yard, somehow Loki had caught one of his claws and almost ripped one of his back "toes" right off.

The vet was wonderful, and took him right in. We had to leave him because he needed sedation in order to be patched up. They removed the broken nail and patched up his toe and wrapped it all up.

Loki is not happy about having his foot wrapped to say the least. I've caught him trying to chew it off several times. However, he LOVES the liquid antibiotics he has to be on for the next few days. Oh, and he gets to delay bath time for another two weeks. He's going to be one sticky, smelly dog by the next time we can get him in the tub. But at least he's all right, and I can live with a little dog smell any day.

The Beach

2009-04-21T18:25:00.001-07:00

Finally the weather has cooperated enough to give us a chance to take the chis to the beach. This was their first trip to the beach, and we were curious to see how the doggies would respond to the sand, to the waves, and all of the new exciting ocean smells.

Ares, our champion sniffer, loved all of the ocean debris laying around:

Vixen kept sticking her nose in the sand, leaving her with a sandy nose to match all of the other places in her fur she got sand:

All the dogs were fascinated by these balls of sea stuff we kept finding on the beach. They appeared to be compacted sea weed and grass, and who knows what. All that mattered was that the dogs were crazy for them:

This is the dog's cousin Mopsy. He's a fun happy little Bichon that belongs to my mother-in-law who the chis get along with great. Mopsy had fun running around off leash- unfortunately our dogs aren't quite ready for that yet.

And of course, there was Loki. My husband thought for sure he would bark at the waves, but he didn't. Granted, he barked at everything, and everyone else,(including some giant horses riding on the beach) but not the waves. He had a great time poking around as well:

Now we know the dogs will have no problems spending the summer days at the beach. I just can't wait until we can all get in the water!

And, on another note, this trip to the beach finally gave the dogs a chance to find some cool beach goodies for Pedro's mommy's table! I can't wait to send them along.

Welcome Back Spring!

2009-04-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

So, now that the warm weather is finally beginning to show it's face around here again, we've been taking full advantage of the sunshine and spending a lot of time outside and away from the computer. The dogs are loving it, and so are the rest of us.

Loki is still healing from getting fixed. Luckily it's healing up nicely, and he hasn't been licking at his stitches. In a few more days they should start dissolving. It was rough watching him be so uncomfortable, especially since he also had four retained baby teeth taken out at the same time, so his mouth was tender too. But he's bouncing back like a champ :)

So, just to prove we all still exist, here are some lovely bath time photos from the doggies before Loki's surgery:

Cute Overload

2009-04-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted lately. Sometimes life just gets a little crazy.

This weekend we were so excited to have a nice day and spend some time outside. We put the dogs outside in their pen so they could scamper around while I did some yard work. Before long, our neighbor came over and introduced our puppies to some new friends- A mama bunny and her babies.

The dogs had a blast getting to know their new friends, and were very gentle with the babies:

We're hoping that this is just the first in a series of nice Spring days. I'm sure the bunnies will be back to play.

Loki is getting neutered tomorrow. I'm nervous, but I keep telling myself everything will go just fine. Keep your fingers crossed for my boy!

New Duds for Vixie

2009-03-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Having a girl dog is a lot of fun. Even though we've only had her for about two weeks, I'm loving dressing her up. So much so that I've even started making her dresses. I just got this pattern from http://petitepuppypatterns.com/Site/Home-1.html. So great! The pattern is just adorable and fairly easy. Check out the first dress that I've made so far:

It's hard to get good photos of a bouncing puppy. Especially when her brothers get involved:

(Sorry for the sideways-ness, it wouldn't load strait)

On the whole, things are going well. Vixen is finally sleeping through the night, and, aside from a few snarling matches, the boys seem to have accepted her.

The bad news? Potty training is slow going, and she seems to be dragging the boys down with her. Luckily it's warming up and we can start going outside more regularly. Keep your fingers crossed.

Also? She very nippy. We've been yelping to show her it hurts, and putting her on the floor when she gets too rough in her play. We've also been shoving chew toys at her.

So all in all, she's a puppy :) We adore her and she's been wonderful. Now only if she'd stop leaving little puddles everywhere....

She's He-ere!

2009-03-18T10:41:00.001-07:00

Our little Vixen has officially been home for about a week now- and I'm exhausted! I forgot how much work a new puppy is, from cleaning up after them (already earning her the nickname "puddles"), to training, to getting your face bounced on at 2 a.m.

But, she's more than worth it. Her energy is upbeat and sweet, and she already loves laps. Oh, and did I mention that she's insanely adorable? I mean, how could you ever get upset with a little puppy face like this:

After some initial snarling and general stand offish-ness, the boys finally seem to be accepting her. They are even letting her cuddle up with them, and romping around with her. Here's a snippet of her playing around with Ares with the occasional glimpse of Loki poking around for good measure:

We all just adore her, and are so glad she's part of our fabulous pack.

I've updated Loki and Ares' photos and added Vixen on my sidebar to better reflect our new gang. It's a chi party!

And The Waiting's Almost Over......

2009-03-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday. Thursday out little Vixen will be home with us.

These next few days are going to be made very long with anticipation......

HELP ME!

2009-03-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

All right, now that I have your attention, it's really not a dire emergency. Promise.

You see, for a while now, I've been subscribing to Chihuahua Connection magazine. Every two months, I look forward to my issue- and every two months I find myself a bit disappointed. I won't go in to details, I'll just say that I've been wishing it was better, and thinking up ways to make it that way.

Well, after mulling it over for ages, I decided to try to put together a mock up of my own chihuahua magazine. I"m not really sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but I do know I want to at least send out copies to chihuahua lovers and get their feedback.

And this is where I need help. In order to do a good mock up, I need some great chihuahua photos and articles. The articles can even be generally relating to small dog issues, such as health concerns, etc. There are so many great dog bloggers out there, that I just know you guys can help me.

So please, let people know that I'm looking for help on a project I hope will take off. Please send any photos or articles (they can even be converted blog posts) you'd like to lend to my project at chihuahuapages@gmail.com. Thanks in advance!!!

Preparing

2009-03-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

Soon, our new little girl will be here. Next Thursday to be precise. Here's one of the latest photos I've received:

Isn't she darling?

We're eagerly re-puppy proofing the house and getting the rest of the necessary supplies for our new little girl, such as a new crate, blankets and toys.

As we prepare, I can't help but worry about how the boys will feel about the new addition. I mean, will she be able to be a part of this?:

Will our boys allow her to be a part of their cuddle puddle? Will they exclude her because she's a girl? Becasue she's just a baby?

Since she's coming from a litter of 9, I'm hoping she's picked up a lot of rough and tumble skills from her litter mates. She'll need them to keep up with our super active boys.

On the whole though, I'm excited. She's going to be so tiny and sweet. After all, she'll be the youngest puppy we've ever had, since Loki came to us at 14 weeks, and Ares at 19 weeks. I was looking at old photos of Loki and found this:

He was such a cute mischievous little guy, even then.

And so we'll keep getting ready, and hope everything goes smoothly when our new puppy arrives home.

Handmade Chihuahua Items!

2009-02-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was poking around my favorite site, Etsy. For those of you not familiar with Etsy, it's a site for independent artists and crafters to sell their work. It's an incredible place to find unique, one-of-a-kind items and support artists.

Well, on a whim, I decided to enter "chihuahua" into the search bar, and found TONS of amazing items. I want so many of them it's ridiculous! So, I decided to share a few of my top favs:

This incredibly detailed chihuahua bead was handcrafted by Nanjo Dogs. I've admired her work via her blog for a long time. She does all kinds of great creature art, including a lot of different dog breeds. You can read her blog here.

Another blogger and Etsy-er is Kay's K9's. She makes the most amazing needle felted sculptures of dogs. Her custom pieces are incredible, and you can see a lot of them on her blog here.

This gorgeous necklace is from Caja Jewelry, and she does them in several different breeds.I just love how simple and elegant the silhouette is.

This pendant from Wild Wild Things is just a tiny sample of all of the wonderful things Dottie has in her shop. She does fantastic art featuring a wide variety of dog breeds, which you can have turned into a pendant or a magnet, or as an art print. She also does custom work. I think everything in her shop is killer.

This grey fleece sweatshirt from No More Nekkid Dogs (great name) features a cute little embroidered dog and the words "This is my other child, dressed in Fur". I'm going to have to get one for my doggies. The lovely Jolene has even offered 10% off any item in her shop to anyone who mentions my blog :)

This stained glass work comes from Trickett Glass and is stunning. I hope I can afford this piece someday soon.

As I said, these are only a few of the great Chihuahua art featured on Etsy. Be sure to go over and check it out for yourself!

Puppy Play Time

2009-02-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

Lately we've been working hard on socializing the boys with other dogs. Lately Loki has been barking at every strange dog we come across, and both Ares and Loki show no interest in playing with any dogs that aren't chihuahuas. So, every Saturday we've been taking them to a puppy socialization group at our local PetCo. The boys have been doing better, but are still hesitant to play with any dogs who aren't chihuahuas.

So, we were thrilled when yesterday Sheila, from Silver Spoon Chihuahuas, where we got our boys, asked if she could bring over their litter mate Tequila, and their new brother, B.C. All of the dogs had a blast!

Loki Ares and Tequila all had to give my husband some love

Ares did a great job sharing with the new puppy, B.C.

Even though it was brief, the boys had a great time visiting and playing with their siblings. Rarely do we see them frolicking as happily as they do with other chis.

The New Addition

2009-02-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

So, it's official- We're getting another chihuahua baby!

I've been thinking about it for a while now, and really decided we could handle it. We have more than enough love and resources to care for another sweet chihuahua.

I knew I wanted a female, since we already have two boys, and another male could make things dicey. Besides, I need another girl in the house- the boys need a queen bee to help rule the roost. I knew that it would be another long haired chi, as that's what we like the best. I was also set on having a tri-colored girl, as I LOVE the black, white and tan combination.

And so I searched. Unfortunately the breeder we got the boys from would never likely produce the girl we were looking for- they breed for the fawn and white colors, no black in their breeding pairs. Due to that, I began to follow litters from other breeders, trying to look at the parents and see if they might have the dog I wanted.

Finally I received word from Mary at Pristine Chihuahuas telling me her girl Sandy had just birthed an incredible litter of 9 puppies! Three of those puppies were female, and all had black in their coats. I was thrilled!

And then I had to wait a few weeks to see how their coats would develop. It turned out the female I liked the best was long haired and I put a deposit on her immediately. Here is our soon-to-be baby at almost 4 weeks now:

Isn't she just the sweetest little thing you've ever seen? We get to go pick her up in a month, and I'm just counting down the days. Mary has been great about responding to my emails with photos and puppy updates. It will be great to finally be able to meet her in person when we go to get our girl.

So for now we count the days and buy pink sweaters :)

Picture Perfect Chi

2009-02-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

While I was grocery shopping the other day, I happened to pass by the magazines, scanning the covers without really looking. Imagine my surprise when I spotted a long haired Chihuahua on the cover of Down East Magazine, a lovely magazine about all things Maine.

I was so taken by this great photo that I just had to buy the magazine to read the article about this little guy.

Turns out the piece was all about a gorgeous long haired Chihuahua named Napoleon and his journey from his home in Harpswell, Maine to the Westminster dog show. It's a great read, and you can access it right from their website at http://www.downeast.com/Down-East-Magazine/February-2009/Small-Dog-Big-Show/

It's a cute read and touches on the issues facing merle patterned Chihuahuas. Check it out.

Keeping Warm

2009-02-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

The days have been cold and sedate around the house with heavy snows keeping us all indoors and doing our best to stay warm and not go stir crazy. It's days like these that I'm glad the boys have each other to keep each other busy and well entertained.

Loki's favorite position these days is in front of the space heater. Usually when he's lounging there his ears actually perk up. I think a lot of his floppy eared-ness lately is due to the cold. Poor puppy.

So, having nothing more interesting to report at this time, I bring you some silly chihuahuas

see more puppies

see more puppies

see more puppies

see more puppies

Snuggly Jammies

2009-01-25T15:58:00.000-08:00

A while back I custom ordered a pair of adorable doggy pajamas from Caties Critters after seeing them on Etsy. When they arrived I thought they were absolutely perfect, and totally well constructed out of a soft fleece.

Tonight, It's freezing, and the puppies have been chilly, so I pulled the pajamas out and put them on. I'd forgotten just how awesome they were. Easy to put on, with no snaps or zippers, the bottom is also totally open so the boys can pee without getting their jammies all gross. Plus, they're soooooo darn cute:

So thank you Caties Critters for making my doggies adorable, warm pajamas that they don't take off and can do everything they need to comfortably.

New Treats

2009-01-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

Our boys are spoiled absolutely rotten. There's no use denying it. Their wardrobe is far better than mine, and they have so many treats and toys that it borders on ludicrous.

Despite all of the things they have at home, there is one treat the boys have always craved- beef bones. Our neighbor's golden retriever always has beef bones, and several times when Loki was just a tiny puppy, we;d go visit in their yard, and Loki would desperately try to drag off the bones which weighed more than he did. When we visit our mother-in-law, her dogs have the same giant beef bones, and both the boys try their darnedest to drag them all over the house.

For the longest time I've looked for beef bones in their size, but it's been a no go. Then, last weekend we went to a local high-end pet store called Fetch. We were poking around at all of the neat stuff, when, low and behold, in the freezer section, I saw them- small bison bones!!!! I was so excited! Unfortunately the only package of the small ones they had was reserved for another lady. But, the lovely people there said that they got a delivery every Friday. So, on Friday I went down on my lunch break and picked up two packages of the all organic bison bones.

When I got home, I gave them to the boys. To say they were a hit would be an understatement:

Now, we know we can't give these as treats often, but that just makes them more special, and more enjoyable. Plus, we hope the chewing will help with the last of their stubborn baby teeth. Here's to hoping!

Little BC

2009-01-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

The breeders over at Silver Spoon Chihuahuas, where we got Loki and Ares, have had a new arrival, little BC!

BC stands for Bob Crowley, the name of this year's winner of Survivor, and who happens to be a co-worker of Shelia, one of the owner's. They gave the little guy this name because he was the only puppy from this litter, and he struggled a bit at the beginning.However, he is a true survivor, and is now fat and happy and truly thriving. He's a full brother to Loki and Ares, as he has the same damn and sire as them.

Here's BC with his mom Cashmere. Isn't that a great photo? Can you tell where Loki gets his muzzle freckles from? lol.

And here's BC with his sister, Tequila, who is Loki and Ares little sister from their litter. Shelia reports that she's been very attentive to little BC, and it's adorable!

And here's a sleepy little BC all on his own. Isn't he precious??

I hope I can go over to visit soon. There's nothing like holding a teeny tiny puppy.

New Doggy Pen

2009-01-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

So, PetCo has been having a great sale online, and I took advantage of it for a doggie item I've been coveting for some time- a collapsible pen that we can put outdoors for the dogs to run around in. I've been putting off buying any, as they're outrageously expensive in the stores I've looked in, and to order the, online, the shipping makes them even more expensive due to their weight.

And then came PetCo's fabulous online, after holidays sale. This entailed both a price reduction on the pens, and free shipping over $60! This also happened to fall on a week where I had the money to make this purchase. I ordered two of 30" high pens so we could put them together outside to form a really good area for the puppies to play leash-free.

I placed the order on Tuesday, and received the pens last night, just two days later. I was totally impressed. After taking the pens out of the box, we were very pleased at the construction and ease of set up. They're everything we hoped for!

Today my husband took an extra shift and has to work all day, a rare event for the puppies. So, instead of crating them for a cruel amount of time, we set up one of the pens in bedroom, where they can have their food and water, doggie bed, pee pad and all of their toys, plus plenty of room to romp around and tackle each other. Suffice to say, the pens arrived just in time.

Pottie Progress- Pt. 1

2009-01-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

So here's the pottie update: So far, a whole lotta nothing.

We put the pottie box in our bedroom in where we have the pee pad. We haven't put any litter in yet, but just lined it with a pee pad, as suggested on the litter box. After that, we put both of the boys in the box to show them they could go in it, and there was a pee pad in there.

The next day on of the boys pooped in the bedroom. We moved the poop to the box and showed both of the boys the poop in the box. Later that day, one of the boys pooped in the box! We were super excited, and thought we were totally on the right track.

Then the bubble burst. Two pee spots were found right next to the box. I put down another pad in front of the box so they would at least have a familiar place to still pee. They've peed on that, but not in the box. Yesterday, as it was well below freezing, it was hard to take the boys out. I picked up several poops from downstairs, and not one made it in the box.So far- Epic Fail.

I know not all things come quickly, especially when dealing with very stubborn little dogs. We're not giving up, so I'll keep posting on our journey with the dog pottie. And please, if anyone has any tips or ideas, please feel free to share them.

Pottie Ho!

2008-12-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

All right, so building the pottie box just ended up being to much work at this time. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually, but now is just not the time. Probably when the weather gets better, because sawing wood and coating things with polyurethane is not a good indoor activity.

So, to tide us through the difficult winter months and my stubborn dogs, this weekend my husband and I went to PetCo to pick up a doggie litter box and some dog litter.

I checked around at all of the local pet supply stores, and PetCo was the only place that had a box made especially for dogs. I checked the reviews online and it seems that the opinions are very mixed as to how well the dog uses it, how the litter smells, etc. Which means, of course, that only time will truly tell.

Tonight I'm going to set up the box with a pee pad on the bottom to get them used to it before I introduce the litter. I really hope the dogs will use it. Otherwise, it's going to be a VERY long winter.....

Random Silliness

2008-12-22T13:23:00.001-08:00

see more puppies

The Potty Box

2008-12-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

Due to the frustration Loki is experiencing going out in the cold (Ares apparently loves it!)and the frustration I'm experiencing by cleaning up the dog messes on the floor, I recently did a random Internet search for some indoor doggy bathroom solutions.

At first I was a bit overwhelmed. I didn't realize that there so many options, from regular litter boxes with special doggie litter to crazy fancy self-watering indoor lawns. I just couldn't believe there were so many options out there that I'd never even heard of.

Of course, when you look into a product that's not exactly used much, price becomes an issue. Most of the options I like were well over $300. Now, that may not seem like much to most people, but that's a big chunk of change to me. I love my dogs, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on something they're going to be peeing all over.

The one system I liked the best is the Pet Patio Potty To me, this seemed like the most reasonable and attractive solution. However, once again, this potty system once again prices out at over $300 with shipping.

After studying this particular potty however, I came to the realization that I could probably make one of these myself. As I looked at it more, I I decided, yes, I could indeed make this.

Last night I took a trip to Lowe's and priced out materials. Last night I sat down and sketched out the dimensions. Tonight I may purchase materials and get to work. We'll see how ambitious I feel. I'll be sure to document my processes. If It comes out right, I think I should be able to put this together pretty easily for under $50. Stay tuned....

The Christmas Tree

2008-12-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

We finally got our Christmas tree and the boys have been a bit confused. I mean, there's a real tree in our living room after all.

Decorating the tree was a good time. While the kids helped to decorate the tree, Loki and Ares scampered around with their brand new Christmas bones, decked out in their little elf style collars.

As you can see, the new new rawhide chews were a smashing success.

We also put up a new ornament to commemorate our first Christmas with the boys.

We're so happy to be having our first Christmas with our new doggie additions to the family.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-12-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Well, this weekend we had our first snow that stuck to the ground, and the temperature has plummeted. The doggies are not happy. This is their first weekend, and they were first baffled, and then horrified at the white stuff covering the ground.

Even though both Loki and Ares are long haired Chihuahuas, they still don't do well with the cold. Even bundled in their jackets, they're shivering as soon as they hit the outside. Of course, so am I. I don't think anyone does well in 9 degree temperatures.

I ordered the pups some winter booties for the outside, but they're just not small enough and will have to be returned. Unfortunately, they were ordered online and will have to be returned via mail, which I hate. But, who knew the boys' paws were oh so tiny? I thought for sure xxsmall would be perfect. Ah well, you live and you learn.

For once I'm not praying for a snowy winter. The husband and I have been discussing some kind of outdoor shelter to help the dogs go outside and do their business without completely freezing their tails off. Hopefully we can come up with some options that won't break the bank. In the meantime, bathroom breaks are faster than ever, with the boys darting under blankets as soon as they get inside.

Ah, the joys of a New England winter!

The Newest Obsession

2008-12-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

As if having two Chihuahuas, two cats, two kids and a husband isn't enough to keep my hands full, I've recently brought another puppy into my life- a virtual one.

That's right, Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS has a Chihuahua edition, and I just had to have it. Now, I don't have a DS myself, I just high jack my son's at night when he goes to bed. If I had one of my own, it may be hazardous to my health.

The game actually allows you to choose from a few different breeds in each edition. This one has chihuahuas, and a few others that I haven't' paid attention to yet, including a Yorkie, Boxer, etc. But really, for me, it was all about the Chihuahua.

The game starts you off with limited funds with which to purchase your puppy and basic care supplies. I purchased a brown and white female long-haired Chihuahua and named her Isis.

Among the first things you have to do with your puppy is teach them their name and a basic command, which is done via voice. I felt pretty foolish speaking into the little gaming device, and my husband gave me a few odd looks.

So far I've been a bit dissapointed with the shopping options allowed for in the game. I'm hoping that as I earn more money more options will open up, but I'm not sure. As for earning money, you have to enter various competitions, including Agility, Obedience and Disc Throwing. It's a long and tedious process involving a LOT of training.

Overall, it simulates the experience of having a puppy well. When you take it on walks, you have to pick up poo, and the puppy will often stop to scratch its self and what not. They require feeding, bathing, love, training and all the rest. It's very time consuming, and may leave your real puppies glaring at you as they lay next to you in bed. But overall, I'd say give it a whirl, it's pretty entertaining.

Welcome!

2008-12-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Please, come on in, sit down! What? It looks a little bare in here? There aren't any chairs? Or walls? Errr, I guess you're right. It's hard to hide the fact that this blog is well and truely under construction. However, I did want to kick it off with a first post and introduce you to my blog and tell you a little bit about what I'm aiming for here.

This blog is dedicated to my love of chihuahuas, specifically my two long haired boys, Loki and Ares, but also chihuahuas in general. You see, I was never a dog person until Loki stole my heart. Now I see there are just so many facets to owning a dog, especially a small dog. Here, I want to review small dog products, share intereesting chihuahua tibits, and discuss issues surrounding small dogs. Of course, there will always be a lot about my two chihuahuas in here as well.

So kick back. I promise this place will be a lot cozier soon....