Good Dog: Small Dog, Big Heart

Illustration by John Cuneo

by Wells Tower – June/July 2014  –  Garden &  Gun  –  Cross-Posted at Just One More Pet

The nervous work of owning—and finally loving—a Chihuahua

For many years, I thought that owners of small dogs harbored stunted souls. Parents of infant beauty queens. Weird bachelors with pet stairs by their beds. Adult hoarders of dolls and teddy bears. People deranged by an obsession with the adorable.

Then, in my late twenties, when I was living in  New Orleans, a good friend of mine found a bedraggled Chihuahua in a ditch and brought her home. It was a comical, toothless animal with a bullfrog’s tongue that would slap her in the eye on the recoil. That dog had a lot of ditch trauma to work through. She needed to sit on somebody at all times or she got the shakes. I was home most days, so I let the dog make use of my lap during business hours. When I moved back to North Carolina, I was surprised to discover a Chihuahua-size hole in my life.

So I started looking for a dog. I knew I wanted a pound animal, though not for any lofty moral reasons. I wanted a desperate dog, one without high expectations of whoever took it in. My family had dogs when I was a kid. The bunch of us should be arrested for how we let those animals down. They were outdoor dogs too disgusting to pet. We let ticks get on them and grow as big as minié balls. When the family went out of town, we’d leave the dog on the porch with a bag of cheap food. Eventually, they’d get sick of us and wander off. So my track record with dogs wasn’t the greatest, but I figured one otherwise bound for the gas chamber couldn’t really gripe about winding up in my care.

I spent long hours at the keyboard, browsing head shots at an online clearinghouse for discarded dogs. A Chihuahua was what I was after, but I didn’t want it to be too grotesque: too bug-eyed or hog-snouted or bat-eared or obviously rodentlike. Looking for an ungrotesque Chihuahua is like trying to find a dignified clown. It took a good bit of time.

At last, I found a candidate. The head shot showed a creature with a long, aristocratic nose and smart, Dobermanly ears. Her eyes were large but not hyperthyroidal. They seemed to reflect intelligence but also the right measure of desperation. She was waiting on death row at the dog pound in Winston-Salem, ninety minutes from my home. I gave them a call to see if the dog had yet been gassed. “Nope, she’s still here!” an exhaustingly jolly Southern voice exclaimed.

“Oh, you will just love this crazy little creature. We call her Tinsy, but you could call her Teensy-Meensy-Weensy-Eensy! She is that small! She’s one of them little reindeer dogs, you know. She’s just always bouncing all around on them little teensy reindeer legs. She is kinda licky and kinda barky but she’s a funny little ball of fun.”

I was in the market for a lap sleeper, a hot-water bottle in canine form. From the sound of it, this reindeer dog embodied much that is dislikable in the miniature breeds. But I had committed to paying the dog a visit, and I make it a point never to betray a promise to the incarcerated. I went and had a look. The lady I talked to on the phone dragged Tinsy out from where she’d been hiding behind a file cabinet. Tinsy, who was maybe a year old, had been found walking the streets of Winston-Salem naked. Like most women found in this condition, she was not in the greatest shape. She resembled a dog the way those caiman-head back scratchers resemble an alligator. Her face was okay, but the rest of her body was a bony rod upholstered in bald gray skin. I had seen rats with prettier tails. Hers was without a whisker and looked as though it had been set afire and extinguished under the needle of a sewing machine.

“You wanna hold her?” the shelter lady asked me, wagging Tinsy at me like a dishrag. I did not want to hold Tinsy. I wanted to leave the room. But Tinsy was thrust into my arms. This dog had long, scraggly talons, and she clung to my sweater like a bat to a screen door. I grimaced. The dog grimaced. “That’s a wrap!” cried the shelter lady. “That is your dog. She is absolutely your dog.”

I wanted to tell this woman that I wanted Tinsy like I wanted a case of shingles, but courage failed me. I wrote a check for the adoption fee. Then I carried the dog to my car and began calling every softhearted person I knew to see if they would take this creature off my hands.

At home, I took to my couch and fretted. What business did I have with a dog? I traveled for work eight months out of the year. And this dog? I didn’t want to look at her much less look after her for the twenty years Chihuahuas can expect to live. (The oldest living Chihuahua is 32+). Then the dog, who had been busy peeing on my bedroom floor, wandered over. She tilted her head at a sympathetic angle, then she jumped onto the sofa and clambered onto my shoulder, where she pulled herself into a sphere and went snortingly to sleep.

How easily we are gentled. The plan to ditch her got ditched. I started calling her Edie, whose vowel sounds she hearkened to as she had her prison name. I loaded her up on ludicrously expensive foods: Alaskan salmon, mutton jerky from New Zealand. She doubled her weight, from two pounds to four. I put her through expensive mange treatments, fed her fish oil, greased her in vitamin E to regrow her hair. After a couple of seasons, she fluffed out and the knobs of her spine receded. She began to look less like a back scratcher and more, as a friend described her, “like a cross between a wolf and a flea.”

“No man should have a dog like that,” my cousin once said to me. “We’re not careful enough. You could drop the Sunday paper on her and break her back. It’s like getting a crystal set. No guy should have a thing that fragile in the house.”

And it’s true. Owning Edie is nervous work. A few years back, I nearly lost her. Summoned from the house by the sound of raving crows, I went out to check on Edie in the yard. She was absent from her usual sunbathing spot. In the lower corner of the lawn, I saw a barred owl, spreading its wings over a small, still gray form. Edie was too heavy a piece of live cargo for the owl, so the bird was patiently trying to murder her. I nearly had to kick the bird off of her. A talon had made three bloody divots in Edie’s head, but no lasting damage was done.

At nearly twelve, Edie is deep in middle age and, repairwise, is not much less expensive than a ’55 Studebaker. I’ve put far more money into her mouth than I’ve put into my own. Before I got Edie, I’d have said that a fair definition of an insane person is somebody who takes out a thirty-three-hundred-dollar cash advance to pay for exploratory liver surgery for a dog. I did that three years ago. But when you get accustomed, every night, to a warm gentle presence stretching herself across your clavicle and easing you into sleep, it becomes as dire a habit as barbiturate abuse. Addicts do crazy things to keep withdrawal at bay.

It’s weird. One day, you’re a twenty-eight-year-old man of traditional tastes and accoutrements and the next, you’re a forty-year-old bachelor with a four-pound, big-eyed, molting pussy willow of a dog.

Still, I do what I can to keep the grotesquerie contained. When people ask what kind of dog I have, I tell them, “I don’t know, I got her from the pound.” I do not carry Edie around in a Snugli. I have never bought the dog shoes or a hat. I would like to tell you that my home contains no doggie sweaters, and that there are not dog stairs by my bed, but this would not be true.

For those of us who love small dogs… Chihuahuas, Chihuahua Mixes, and miniatures of any type, we know that they are great pets and are always happy when just one more person discovers how special they are or another person or family adopts must one more small dog… just one more pet of any kind.  Every pet deserves a good home! (JOMP)

“For the Love of a Pet”

Our gang of Chihuahuas and Chiweenies (JOMP)

Photo by The UCLA Shutterbug

Angel… Our Mama Turns 10-Years-Old Today

Our Angel, a half-long-haired, half short-haired, light red and white, fawn-face Chihuahua stole our hearts and literally saved my life, or at least my sanity, during a very dark time for me.  Angel is the mama and the alpha dog at our house and of our little pack of Chihuahuas and Chiweenies.

According to her papers, Angel was born in Oklahoma on May 3rd and ten weeks later had made her way to our home and into our hearts.

Baby Angel

My husband was allergic to everything with fur and feathers.   But when our daughter was young we gave in starting with hamsters, mice, rats, geckos, lizards, fish, turtles… and then birds.  Then our daughter came home with a dog, Angel, while she was working part-time at a pet store, the summer after her first year of college.  She was supposed to be earning a little pocket money for the next year. Instead she pretty much spent all she earned and came home with a papered Chihuahua at the height of the Chihuahua craze… who became our Angel.

My husband said, “no way… absolutely not!” Our daughter was going back to the dorms and he was allergic, so he took Angel right back to the store.  They wouldn’t take her back because our daughter had signed the contract and they had given up a full paying customer to let her buy Angel at the employee discount, less than half of what they had had an actual customer for.  And of course, our daughter went back to school and the dorms about a month later with Angel in tow insisting she could sneak her in and keep her there. Less than an hour after her arrival at school with her 4-legged roommate, we were on our way to pick Angel up.  My husband went through 18-months of allergy shots after that so we could keep her.

A year later our daughter was off sailing around the world with the Semester at Sea program.  When she got back mid-year, she was assigned a lulu-bell for a roommate and bargained with us to get an off-campus apartment a semester early. She wasn’t there a month… when she brought home a Chiweenie puppy, Apachi, who was being given away outside the pet store, near school, where she had just gotten a part-time job after returning from her sail.  A pet store job is never a good idea for her.  Major Problem… it was a no pet apartment and we had signed a year’s lease.

Not long after getting Apachi, our daughter’s colitis flared up to an extreme level (I tend to think some vaccines that they got overseas might have exacerbated her condition adding to some stress in her life at the time and too much partying during that period and trip). After a stint at an alternative care facility, in an attempt to avoid radical surgery, she unfortunately ended up having to have 2 major surgeries and I spent a total of 54-days (24/7) in the hospital sleeping on a cot in her room, with her.  My husband, who was home with Angel and Apachi, visited daily.  With all that was going on we really didn’t think about the fact that neither 6 month old Apachi nor Angel had been fixed.  Angel was the best tempered Chihuahua with a really easy going disposition and everyone had said, if we could breed her with a like-type male, they’d love to have a puppy.  So I was looking for a mate for her and Apachi was just a baby,  and taking him in to be neutered just got lost in all the goings on.

Next thing we knew… we had 4 puppies: Goji Angelina, Magnum, and Princess (As Pictured Below)

Angel was a natural and terrific Mom who took great care of her little brood and Apachi watched over them from somewhat of a distance… until they were weaned, at which point he took over.

Angel Has Always Loved Riding in the Car and Going for Walks… Before and After the Rest of the Family Arrived.

Heading to Dana Point, CA for a Walk

Walks in Wyoming

Traveling From Texas to CA

Walking in Texas

The boy pups (Magnum and Goji) and Angelina went to new homes at 10-weeks of age and we decided to keep Princess, our ADHD girl…  Then a few weeks later Angelina came back to us, because her new family couldn’t keep her and we had requested that if anyone who took a puppy had problems that we would get them back.  Long story short… we kept Angelina too and that is how we went from birds, turtles and rats, at the time, to 4-dogs and a fish who survived being fed to our turtles.

Angel at Age 8

Angel (9) and Neighbor MaryAnn Playing

Angel’s 2nd Birthday

Angel’s 5th Birthday… USC Party

Our pups are now 7, 8 and 10-years old… We have always had separate birthday parties for everybody, but this year we are going to have a combined party next week, including for Rocky, our in-laws’ aging Cocker Spaniel.  But we had a mini-celebration today, on Angel’s actual 10th B-day.

Our Christmas Card the Past Couple of Years (Below)… Featuring our Furkids Singing.  The Rule Within the Pack Appears to be That Nobody Can Start Singing Until Angel Starts.

Related:

Apachi – Happy 7th Birthday

‘Until One Has Loved an Animal, Part of Their Soul Remains Unawakened’

Pet Parties – The Latest Craze

For these moms, a dog-day afternoon

The New Breed of Baker 

Travel Fun With Dogs

Photos By: UCLA Shutterbug

Some Fun Christmas Pet Photos From 2013 and Years Past

 

Getting To The "Root" of Bad Breath In Dogs And Cats

By Donna Spector  -  HaloPets: Periodontal disease is one of the most common and serious pet health problems, affecting approximately 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by age 3. At-home prevention is as important as regular teeth cleaning by veterinarians. In fact, unless pet owners provide teeth cleaning for dogs and cats at home, periodontal disease will progress regardless of the care provided by veterinarians. Periodontal disease often results in tooth and gum infections, pain, loss of teeth and even organ damage in pets. Studies have shown that dogs with severe periodontal disease have more damage in their kidneys, heart muscle and liver than dogs without periodontal disease. This organ damage occurs when bacteria from the infected tooth roots and gums gain access to the blood stream (a condition called bacteremia). The key to management of gum disease (for humans or pets!) is prevention. As long as the surfaces of the teeth are cleaned frequently, the gums will stay healthy

Some dogs are more susceptible than others to build up of plaque. Factors that affect the risk of a dog getting periodontal disease include

• Breed and genetics
• Dog size
• Flattened face (brachycephalic)
• Age
• Frequent mouth breathing

Breed, genetic and tooth alignment can all affect how easily a dog gets plaque.

Small breeds tend to have crowded teeth and are at a higher risk of building up plaque and having dental problems.

Dogs with flattened faces having compressed upper jaws (such as pugs, boxers, etc.) also tend to have crowded teeth.

Older dogs are more likely to have dental problems.

When a dog breathes frequently through its mouth the drying of the teeth tends to harden plaque.

*Example: Chihuahuas are very lucky in that the fact that this breed has few health problems overall… but teeth issues is periodontal disease is one!  There is an old joke…”What do you call a room full of Chihuahuas?”…  “One full set of teeth.”

Brushing your pets’ teeth at home

The gold standard for keeping gums healthy and plaque controlled in pets is twice daily tooth brushing. Each pet should have their own toothbrush and proper pet toothbrushes should have bristles to reach under the gum line. There are numerous cat and dog toothbrush sizes available to best fit your pets’ mouth. Human toothpaste contains detergents and should not be used in pets as they will swallow the paste. There are many cat and dog toothpaste flavors available and most pets seem to prefer the poultry-flavored types.

Proper brushing technique involves placing the toothbrush bristles at a 45 degree angle where the gum and teeth meet. Using a gentle oval pattern and covering three to four teeth at a time, the bristles should be moved around the teeth. Ten short oval motions should be completed before moving the toothbrush to a new location in the mouth. The outside upper teeth do the most chewing and should get more attention.

For best results, tooth-brushing should start when pets are young and will easily adjust to teeth cleaning at home. As pets age and develop tooth and gum disease, there may be pain associated with brushing and pets may be less willing to allow brushing. If your pet is completely unwilling to allow brushing, there are dental wipes that can help control plaque when rubbed twice daily against the teeth and gums.

Veterinary teeth cleaning

In addition to daily tooth brushing, pets will intermittently require dental cleanings by their veterinarian to prevent periodontal disease from occurring. Veterinarians often perform fluoride treatments or apply plaque prevention gels that have a long-lasting plaque-fighting advantage. The frequency of these cleanings will depend on the success of the at-home dental care. They may be as frequent as every four to six months in a pet with severe periodontal disease or only every two to three years if a pet owner has been dedicated to maintaining their pets’ dental health at home.

Frequently asked questions:

• Is anesthesia always required for teeth cleaning?

  Yes, anesthesia is required for a thorough teeth cleaning that will help prevent periodontal disease. As pet owners are often reluctant about procedures requiring anesthesia for their pet, some groomers and veterinarians are offering "anesthesia-free" dental cleanings. Anesthesia-free cleanings are not recommended by the American Veterinary Dental College, as these procedures always result in suboptimal examination and cleaning and also increase the risk of injury to the pet’s mouth.

• Is dry food better for pets’ teeth?

  No. It is a myth that dry kibble helps remove plaque and that canned foods cause more plaque. Most dry food crumbles without much resistance, offering little to no abrasive action from chewing. Pets eating dry foods can (and do) develop heavy plaque buildup.

• Does my pet need a special dental diet?

  Probably not. If your pet has particularly bad plaque problems, despite proper at-home teeth brushing and veterinary dental care, you should talk to your veterinarian about an appropriate dental diet. Approved dental diets contain chemicals that bind and facilitate breakdown of plaque. There is a list of approved foods and dental treats published by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC).

  Digestive problems can also contribute to bad breath in dogs and cats. If you haven’t already, consider switching to a natural pet food which promotes excellent gastrointestinal health.

• Are there treats that can help reduce plaque buildup?

  Yes. There are many treat products on the market that claim efficacy against plaque and tartar. The VOHC Seal of Acceptance can help pet owners distinguish which products are actually scientifically proven to reduce plaque and tartar buildup.

  Bad breath is just a minor symptom of the more severe periodontal disease occurring in your pet’s mouth. Work with your veterinarian to create a cat or dog dental care plan that will keep the bad breath away and maintain your pets’ health for years to come.

Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM ,is a renowned, board-certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist who has practiced at the Animal Medical Center in New York City and other leading institutions. She is an active member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Donna has written and lectured extensively on topics including nutrition, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, kidney failure and respiratory disease. She is widely recognized for her role as consulting veterinarian to HALO, Purely for Pets, her TV appearances with Ellen DeGeneres and her widely-quoted pet health advice in print and on radio. Dr. Donna performs medical, nutrition and weight loss consultations for dogs and cats through her web-based veterinary consulting service, www.SpectorDVM.com.

Here we have two laughing Chiweenie Sisters, Angelina and Princess, laughing as they wait for their Halloween Photos (2008)

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Frenchie Dad Plays with His Pups

Video: Frenchie Dad Plays with His Pups

So cute!!  This reminds me so much of our Apachi playing with his pups after they were weaned. Mama Angel was the best Mommy and Apachi watched over them dutifully, but from a distance, until they were weaned and then he took over.

Grandpa Tim With Tired Daddy Apachi; 7-Week Old Pups (In Semi-Circle Front to Back) Princess, Goji, Angelina and Magnum After Too Much Playing; and Mama Angel in the Foreground.

Technorati Tags: French Bull dog,Frenchi,Apachi,Angel,Chihuahuas,Chiweenies,Princessa,Goji,Angelina,Magnum,JOMP.,Just One More Pet

Marion’s Pet Sitting Services – Best in Temecula CA

Marion’s Pet Sitting and Dog Walkers are Your pets‘ best friend when work, play or other events force you to be absent from your precious loved ones. Whether you select a package or ala carte services, our numerous options we will ensure your pets get the care they deserve. A friend that your pet can count on:

• Trusted caretakers who are professional and reliable, all with available references and background checks.
• Communication is provided by daily diaries, text messaging, email and twitter updates.
• We provide peace of mind, knowing that your furry little ones are in a safe, homey environment and that they are loved.

Marion’s Pet Sitting and Dog Walkers has built our reputation one client and one pet at a time first in Southern California then in North Austin, Texas and now back in SoCal (Temecula and surrounding areas): one pet and animal event at a time, and one blog post at a time here at Just One More Pet. We are animal lovers and will treat your pets like family.

Check out our services, testimonials and services at: http://www.marionspetsitting.com/

By Gina and Paul S. – May 10, 2010 (Corona, CA)
Our boys (Lhasas), Snoop and Gizzie, as well as our son, have always loved Marion and were so excited to see her back.  She was great with them from when they were puppies and they were always better behaved with Marion than with us. We are so excited that she is back and now that we have moved to Corona, she is closer to pet (and maybe baby) sit for vacations and special occasions

If you need a sitter or are close enough to use her service as a walker, you couldn’t ask for a better walker, dog or house sitter!!

Jan 11, 2013 – Welcome home Marion… We missed you!  We will be calling you soon!!

Marion’s Pet Sitting and Dog Walkers also offers pet products that we use ourselves for our own pets to keep them healthy and fit. You will love them.

• View All
• StemEquine Advanced Formula
• StemEquine Single USA
• StemPets Advanced Formula
• StemPets: For Dogs Single

StemPets® is a natural stem cell enhancer for dogs and other house pets. It is the specially formulated pet equivalent of our patented stem cell enhancer (AFA Concentrate) for humans, documented to support the natural release of adult stem cells from bone marrow. Also see StemEquine.

“Within two weeks of using StemPets my German Shepherd’s hips were not as stiff and she started running like a puppy.” – Jan A., IN

Our little Chiweenie suffers from pancreatitis and whenever she has a flare-up, a double dose of StemPets: For Dogs Single helps her get back to her normal self better than anything we have found, prescription or natural. – Marion A., TX

In a clinical study, AFA Concentrate naturally increased the number of circulating stem cells in the body.

Available in tasty chewable tablets, this high-quality nutritional supplement has been designed to meet the needs of dogs and other house pets.

Also see StemEquine®, an all-natural stem cell enhancer for horses. The supplement is the specially formulated equine equivalent of our patented stem cell enhancer (AFA Concentrate) for humans, documented to support the natural release of adult stem cells from bone marrow.

A clinical study revealed that this extraordinary supplement increased the number of circulating adult stem cells by approximately 3-4 million. Simply add StemEquine granules to your horses feed.

Natural Renewal StemPets supports the natural release of adult stem cells from your pet’s bone marrow. Adult stem cells play a key role in the natural renewal process. Their primary role is to maintain and repair tissue. Scientific studies have shown that increasing the number of circulating adult stem cells in the body is an important aspect of maintaining optimal health.

Service Areas

• Temecula CA and surrounding areas

Contact Us At:

Marion’s Pet Sitting: 41911 Avenida Vista Ladera, Temecula, CA 92591-5336

Ph: 512.810.7888 or 7881 -  Email: JustOneMorePet@gmail.com

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Summer Fun With the Dogs

Summer is here… and so is the fun!

Happy Birthday to Our Sweet Boy Apachi

Our sweet little guy, Apachi… a Chiweenie (half-Chihuahua/half-wiener dog or Dachshund), turned 6-years-old on March 28th.  Happy Birthday Apachi.  He is the sweetest guy, worries about everyone and makes us smile everyday.

Our daughter, who was working at a pet store at the time, rescued him from a box outside the store, where he and his siblings were being given away.

He was quite the character from day one and the total opposite of our papered Chihuahua, Angel, who our daughter also brought home when she was working part-time for another pet store.  She spent the bulk of her summer earnings on Angel, whereas Apachi was free. 

Apachi was a sweet dog from day one, easy going, patient he and Angel hit it off.

Very long story but through a chain of events before we knew it… puppies were on their way… and then there were six.

Male dogs are not always good with their offspring (some even kill and/or eat them), but Apachi was a concerned dad who wanted to be part of the process, watched over Angel and their pups from a distance (because she wouldn’t let him get any closer in the beginning) and then took over once Angel weaned them and was done.  (Angel was a great mom… nursed them for 9-weeks, but when she was done… she was done!)

Apachi with his boys… Goji and Magnum their last night with us.  Both went to their forever homes the next day.  He spent time with both of them that night, like he knew they were leaving and he needed to give them his fatherly advice. They both went to great homes and we still hear from them now and again.

Although we found one of the girls a home as well… she came back to us because they couldn’t keep her and we asked all the pups’ new parents to bring them back if for some reason they couldn’t keep them… and they did.

Apachi loves his girls… Princess and Angelina.  He is a great dad!

But as we all know parenting is a tough job!

These are not chocolate chip cookies.  They are doggie friendly carob cookies.

Outing to the harbor with our very pregnant niece… 6 of us and 6 furkids.  And our nieces two were in Arizona.  The following Thanksgiving we had an unusually small Thanksgiving… 6-adults, 1 baby and 8 furkids.

Apachi (the Patchman) worries and watches out for everyone… his girls, Angel and us. His favorite part of the day is playing with Dad… the only other male in the family. Apachi loves to help and be part of everything that is going on including travel… even though he suffers from severe car sickness. We do our best to keep him from getting sick (liquid ginger root or ginger cookies) and just go prepared for the often inevitable ‘in-car’ emergency. (We’ve taken him twice on a 1,600 mile trip in a U-Haul moving truck… and both times, he never got sick once. We stacked sofa cushions between the bucket seats high enough for our 4-furkids to sit on making them level with the dashboard, which seemed to help Apachi’s nausea and sickness.) Maybe we should be driving a U-Haul? (And yes…I’ve thought about it!)

‘Until One Has Loved an Animal, Part of Their Soul Remains Unawakened’

Check-in mid April and Early May for the our Happy Birthday blogs for the other 3.

‘Until One Has Loved an Animal, Part of Their Soul Remains Unawakened’

Our pups are now 3,4 and 6-years old…  Yes 4, pretty amazing for people who never had or really wanted pets.  I always liked animals, but really didn’t want one of my own.  Perhaps I just realized that I wasn’t in a place or ready to take care of them yet and my husband was allergic to everything with fur and feathers.   So when our daughter was young we gave in starting with hamsters, mice, rats, geckos, lizards, fish, turtles… and then birds.  Then our daughter came home with a dog while she was working part-time at a pet store, the summer after her first year of college.  She was supposed to be earning a little pocket money for the next year. Instead she pretty much spent all she earned and came home with a papered Chihuahua… who became our Angel.

Baby Angel

My husband said, “no way!” Our daughter was going back to the dorms and he was allergic, so took Angel right back to the store.  They wouldn’t take her back because our daughter had signed the contract and they had given up a full paid sale to let her buy Angel at the employee discount, less than half of what they had had an actual customer for.  And of course, our daughter went back to school and the dorms, with Angel in tow insisting she could sneak her in and keep her there. Less than an hour after her arrival at school with her 4-legged roommate, we were on our way to pick Angel up.  My husband went through 18-months of allergy shots after that so we could keep her.

A year later our daughter was off sailing around the world with Semester at Sea.  When she got back mid-year, she was assigned a lulu bell for a roommate and bargained with us to get an off-campus apartment a semester early. She wasn’t there a month… when she brought home a Chiweenie puppy, Apachi, who was being given away outside the pet store, near school, where she had just gotten a part-time job after returning from her sail.  A pet store job is never a good idea for her.  Major Problem… it was a no pet apartment and we had signed a year’s lease.

Baby Apachi

Not long after getting Apachi, our daughter’s colitis flared up to an extreme level (I tend to think some vaccines that they got overseas might have exacerbated her condition adding to some stress in her life at the time and too much drinking and partying during that period and trip). After a week at an alternative care facility in an attempt to avoid radical surgery, she unfortunately ended up having to have 2 major surgeries and I spent a total of 54-days (24/7) in the hospital sleeping on a cot in her room, with her.  My husband was home with Angel and Apachi and visited daily.  With all that was going on we really didn’t think about the fact that neither 6 month old Apachi nor Angel had been fixed.  Angel is a half long-hair half short-hair fawn face Chihuahua with a really easy going disposition and everyone had said, if we could breed her with a like-type male, they’d love to have a puppy, so I was looking for a mate for her and Apachi was just a baby and taking him in just got lost in all the goings on.

Next thing we knew… we had 4 puppies: Angelina, Magnum, Princess and Goji

Angel was a natural and great Mom and Apachi watched over them from somewhat of a distance… until they were weaned, at which point he took over.

The boys (Magnum and Goji) and Angelina went to new homes at 10-weeks of age and we decided to keep Princess.  Then a few weeks later Angelina came back to us, because her new family couldn’t keep her and we had requested that if anyone who took a puppy had problems that we would get the puppy back.  Long story short… we kept her too and that is how we went from birds, turtles and rats, at the time, to 4-dogs and a fish who survived being fed to our turtles.

Goji and Magnum

Princess and Angelina

We have been very blessed to have found homes for Magnum and Goji with wonderful families who keep in touch and let us know how the boys are doing at least a couple times a year…

Goji and Magnum above… Angelina and Princess below at age 2

Usually at the holidays or the pups’ birthday

Our 4 Sing Happy Birthday

The puppies were about 6-months old here

And this is them now…  Angel 6, Apachi 4 and the pups 3

It has been an amazing experience to watch this little family grow and interact.  An experience that most people and even animals don’t get to have unless you live in the country.  People ask, “Wow, aren’t they a lot of work?”.  I can honestly say that the joy so out-weighs any work, that I never even notice… and I cook for our four for all their meals.

As for our daughter… she went on to get  more furkids…

Precious (a Pomeranian), Merlin (a Papillion) and Annabelle (a Chorkie)

By Marion Algier/Ask Marion – Just One More Pet

Photos by the UCLA Shutterbug

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Pet owners cut back on gifts… but not for their cuddly dogs and cats

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Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals

Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals

When: August 28, 2010 – Registration/Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. – First Races begin at 9:00 a.m. Where: Qualcomm Stadium Rugby Fields (Near Section J-5 in the Stadium Parking Lot) SIGN UP YOUR DOG TODAY! The 14th annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals kicks off in San Diego on Saturday, August 28th at Qualcomm Stadium. The top sixteen dogs from the qualifying round will advance to the San Diego final in September. The top dog from San Diego will advance to the championship at the Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade presented by the San Diego County Credit Union on December 30. This year’s finalists will receive the opportunity to march with the Wienerschnitzel float in the nationally televised parade. Any dachshund may participate! Admission to the event is free to humans and non-racing dogs. SIGN UP YOUR DOG TODAY! Entry There is a $7 pre-registration entry fee per racing dog and the entry fee includes one owner t-shirt (guaranteed for pre-registered dogs only). The pre-registration deadline is August 20. Online registration will open in July on our website. Late registrations will be accepted from 8/21 to 8/26 for a fee of $10. Day-of registration is $10. Online registration will close August 26th at noon, but we will accept walk-up registration the day of the event. Event Day entry is CASH ONLY! *This is a rain or shine event. There will be no refunds for this event. Vendor Opportunities The Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals accept vendors with animal related causes and products. In order to view the races, all dogs and their owners must walk through vendor village. This year’s event is expected to draw more than 300 dachshunds and their owners from all around Southern California. Races are free for rescue dogs. No human food vendors please. For more information on Vendor and Rescue Opportunities, please e-mail katharine@holidaybowl.com Living the Life of Riley – Wiener Nationals Northern California Wiener National Series Old World Dachshund Races