New Chihuahua Owners

Here's my list of the top 10 things every new Chihuahua owner should know:

10. Chihuahuas will have you wrapped around their little finger, or should I say, paw.

9. Chihuahuas like the best seat in the house.

8. Chihuahuas will let you know who's boss, and it won't be you.

7. Chihuahuas are very good when it comes to training - training you that is.

6. Chihuahuas are very opinionated, and they let you know it - loudly.

5. Chihuahuas like to keep warm so make sure you buy a sweater fit for two - you and your chi.

4. Chihuahuas think they are big dogs - REAL BIG

3. Chihuahuas are eager to please - as long as they get something out of it.

2. Chihuahuas like to stay close to you, so watch your step.

1. Chihuahuas are the best dogs ever, and that's no joke.

Trimming Dog Nails

Clipping my dog's nails has become a real battle. I have no idea what happened, in the past I was able to get her nails cut by distracting her with food, but that's not working anymore. She now bites - hard, whenever the clippers are out. The mere sight of the clippers turns her into a mean fighting machine! The dog groomer couldn't handle her either, she bit the groomer twice.

Determined not to let the 4 1/2 lb. weasel have her way, I put on a pair of ski gloves and held her paws firmly as I tried to trim those nails. Unable to bite me she resorted to screaming at the top of her lungs. By the sound of it you'd think her legs were being twisted inside out. I thought animal control would be at my door any minute.

My plan is to have short sessions in which I cut a couple of nails everyday and hopefully in time she will put up less of a struggle. It seems to be working, her screaming stopped, her resistance is fading. Maybe, just maybe one day she will sit still while her pedicure is being done. Anyone know of a place to buy ski gloves wholesale?

Dog Socialization

Wow, it's been so long since I posted here! I didn't think keeping a blog going would be so difficult. Little Shannon is 4 years old now, the socialization problem still continues. I was hoping as she got older she would be more accepting of people but to my disappointment that has not happened. In fact it has gotten worse. I don't understand why she doesn't get it, she's been exposed to people since she was a puppy, people have treated her nicely, but she still feels threatened by them.

I keep hearing that you need to socialize puppies from an early age, get them used to being around people if they are to grow into well adjusted dogs. Well sometimes it just does not work. I have come to the conclusion that socialization will keep a friendly, easy going dog from becoming anti-social but a very timid shy puppy will continue to have behavioral problems as an adult dog.

That being said, I haven't given up on my Little Shannon, I still hope that one day she will at least come to tolerate people and keep her yapper shut.

Loving The Outdoors

Shannon just loves to spend days outside, as I'm sure you can see by the smile on her in the photo, lol. Her favorite outdoor activity must be searching for fallen apples in the backyard and munching on them, even if they aren't ripe.

She chases after squirrels and tries to climb a tree to get to them, it looks so funny, she is so determined, it's like she actually thinks she can climb up the tree.

Shannon has discovered the existence of raccoons, she will go into a barking frenzy whenever she sees one, we can't even say the word "raccoon" because that sets her off. We refer to them as the "R" word.

As much as she likes the outdoors, she is just as eager to come inside when I tell her to. I guess that's the positive side of having a clingy dog that always wants to be around someone.

Dog Toys

Shannon got a new dog toy, it's a plush Woodstock, from the Peanuts cartoon. I call it Woody and she already knows the name and goes looking for it when I say "where's your woody?"

My brother thought that the woodstock dog toy was well made and that Shannon would not be able to tear it, well there's already a rip in the seam. Shannon just loves to tear apart her toys. The only thing she hasn't wrecked yet is a nylabone.

Playing together with your dog and its toys is a great way to practice commands and teach new things. I taught my dog to sit pretty and to give me her paw just by playing with her.

Under Cover

Shannon loves to sleep covered up, even in the summer. She "builds" a tent out of her blankie and crawls in and out of the opening. At times she's completely covered up and sticks her nose out a wee bit,it looks so cute.

This morning she was with my Mom outside in the backyard, I came to the glass door, Shannon was way in the back sniffing around but when she saw me she just stood there looking at me. I looked back to see what she would do but she just stood there with her eyes fixed on me. I said her name and she came running straight to me. That gave me a happy feeling, she would rather be with me than have the freedom of being outside.

She seemed so eager to see me, I gave her a hug and scratch and I gave her a chewy rawhide strip to show her how pleased I was with her. I know she didn't come running to me because she thought she was going to get a reward, she ran to me because she likes me, she really does.

Outside At Last

Spring is here and Shannon is spending the warm days outside. She's likes to sniff the grass (don't all dogs?) and sit on the veranda (on my lap of course). Today she spent the afternoon watching me plant flowers in the front yard. See the photos?

She also gave me a surprise today, the patio door was open just a wee bit and there's a small rip at the bottom of the screen (Shannon didn't do it, it was already there), without anyone knowing she was able to get through it. Twenty minutes or so must have past by until I noticed that she was no where in the house. I finally found her in the backyard munching on crumbs my Mom left out for the birds. You should of seen Shannon's reaction when I came out to get her, she knew she had done something wrong, her ears went all the way back, she got down really low to the ground and started to walk away. I called her to come to me and she was apprehensive but crawled on her belly to me. I picked her up, patted her on the head and brought her inside.

I was actually pleased with her reaction, it showed that she was submissive and that she knows she's not the boss. She also seemed to understand that what she did was not okay for her to do. I'm glad she didn't take off anywhere, that screen needs to get fixed.

Dogs and Apples

My chihuahua Shannon spent the second half of the summer munching on fallen apples in the backyard. She's like a squirrel, nibbles on one a bit and then goes looking for another one. And she was really helpful with the yard work, I would gather the apples into a bucket and she would pick them out. (see photo). It took me twice as long to gather the apples into the bucket but it was so funny watching her try to pick them out. Apples are actually a good treat to give your dog.

Shannon likes being in the backyard, I have to keep a careful eye on her because she always finds some spot in the fence to crawl through and ends up snooping in the neighbour's yard, but she returns when I call her. She's pretty good at coming when called, well sometimes I need to repeat myself but overall coming when called is not too bad. Small dogs such as chihuahuas shouldn't be left alone in the backyard, even if it's fenced in. Depending on where you live, they can become easy prey for birds such as hawks, and even a cat could pose a danger for a chihuahua.

Dog Training In Progress

Wow, time really flies by, Shannon is going to be 1 year old in a couple of months. She weighs about 4 lbs now but she's on the skinny side, I'd say she should probably weigh close to 5 lbs. I think that Chihuahuas reach their full growth by around 7 months so she's pretty much done growing. her favorite toy is the "sqeaky" (see photo), when I tell her to go get her sqeaky she searches the whole house and brings it to me.

Shannon now knows the basic commands such as sit, stay, lie down and come here. I'm working on increasing the amount of time she will stay. She also knows how to "dance" for a treat by standing up on her 2 back legs and twirling around a couple of times. Once puppies understand a command it's important to use it often to reinforce it. I find opportunites throughout the day for this. For instance if she wants to go outside, sometimes I tell her first to sit and stay and when I give the okay she come's out and this becomes her reward for obeying. Playing is also a good time for practicing commands, before your dog gets the toy have him do something for you such as lie down. Once he does what you say, reward him with play and the toy.

Guess that's it for now.

Small Dog Clothes For Chihuahuas

If you're having a tough time finding dog clothes that will fit your Chihuahua why not try making some yourself. It's really easy with the simple FREE pattern that the Circle of Crafters website offers. The pattern is resizeable so no matter what size your chi is, large or small, you're sure to be able to make a dog coat that will fit your poochie.

"Aw but I don't know how to sew" you're saying. Hey, if I was able to make it then you can too, just check out my puppy Little Shannon in the photo wearing the dog coat I made for her. It was really easy and fun. I used a fleece blanket to make it. Does she look cute in it or what. I can't wait for the weather to warm up a bit so I can take her outside in her new doggie outfit.

FREE Dog Clothes Pattern

A Day In The Life Of A Puppy

Little Shannon spends her days eating, sleeping and playing. She now responds to her name and knows how to sit, come here ( this command still needs some working ) and get her teddy bear when told.

She's getting a little better about being alone, for the first time she spent the whole night by herself, I hope there's more nights like this. Usually she sleeps crated in my mom's room. I use an overturned laundry basket as a crate but it only works for very small young puppies, older bigger pups are able to lift the bottom and get out from underneath, Shannon was able to get out twice, but for the most part it's working fine, she now sleeps quitely in it at night. This is the only time I use it, during the day she's confined to the kitchen.

Thumbs Up For Puppy Housebreaking

It's four weeks since my new puppy, Little Shannon, became part of our household. The housebreaking is going well, she knows that she's suppose to pee pee and poo poo on the newspaper so I'm very happy with that. Of course I still have to keep a close eye on her, she's 12 weeks old and still developing bladder control. But she rarely has an accident so I'm pleased, I know that housebreaking puppies can be one of the most frustrating things in training puppies.

We do however have a problem with her, she doesn't want to be alone. The first couple of weeks she would scream the moment I would leave the room. And I don't mean whining, whimpering or crying, but screaming at the top of her lungs. She has settled down somewhat, the screaming has fizzled into whining and sometimes she will even stay quite for a couple of hours when left alone so I guess that's a small improvement.

My New Puppy

This is my new Chihuahua puppy "Little Shannon". She bacame part of the household Friday Oct. 28. She's 8 weeks old, weighs 1 lb. and very cute (but I guess you can already tell by the picture). I'll be writing in this blog my experiences with training my new puppy and how she's coming along in her new home. You're welcome to comment with any tips, suggestions and critiques about what I'm doing wrong and what's the better way.

So far Little Shannon knows that the newspaper is where she's to go pee-pee, she will go on the paper by herself and if I place her on the paper and say "go pee-pee" she seems to understand. But going poo-poo is something she still needs to learn. I'm keeping her on a feeding schedule and trying to keep her routine the same so that the housebreaking will go more easily.

That's all for now, I hope to be posting more on puppy's progress and antics but she is keeping me so busy I don't how I'll get the time, she already knows how to run up the stairs which scares me, I keep thinking she might fall down or fall through the railing.