The curse of the ‘Purse Puppy’

There are currently seven Chihuahua or Chihuahua mixes living at Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue.  From Taco to Annabelle, Casabella to Tacquito Patrico, these little buddies have a lot of love to give and they are patiently waiting for that someone special to come and bring them to a forever home.

My guess is the latest onslaught of Chihuahua surrenders is due to the fact that people see certain movies with cute talking Chihuahuas and automatically think that any dog of the same breed is going to be as friendly, bright and playful. Here’s the problem, if you don’t do your homework on the breed you’re considering, you may end up surprised at certain behaviors.

Take the Chihuahua. Did you know that Chihuahuas can become extremely attached to their owners and when not properly socialized can become territorial and protective. When socialized well, this little companion can be playful, lively and loving.

Because Chihuahuas are so small and cute, often times they can be coddled and babied which can lead to other behavioral problems, such as dominance. But when trained and treated in a firm, but loving way, can be wonderful family pets and companions.

Their slight size can also make for challenges around young children who must be taught early on to treat these little guys with gentleness and respect. They can be easily injured and can become skittish when found in uncertain situations such as being lifted up over and over again.

And while Chihuahuas have been called “purse puppies” it’s important to note that these energetic pups need daily exercise. Not only will walks provide mental and physical stimulation, they can help curb behavior issues stemming from boredom and lack of exercise.

Chihuahuas are intelligent, learn quickly and can respond well to firm, consistent positive reinforcement training. When raised well, these little dogs are loving, sweet and amazing lifelong companions.

If I could stand on my soapbox for just a minute, I would like to say that celebrities that carry their Chihuahuas around in sparkly purses are doing their dogs, and other dogs of the same breed, a sad disservice.  Ordinary people see Chihuahuas portrayed this way, go out and (hopefully) adopt one and then are disappointed when they run into behavioral issues. The result, hundreds of Chihuahuas sent to shelters across the country every day.

While movies like Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the Taco Bell dog provide a humorous and often sweet portrayal of this lively breed, remember to rely on experts for actual breed information and do your homework before you make your decision. It’s only fair. Any Chihuahua is a shelter today would tell you that.

He Puts the ‘Pee’ in Potty Training

Well, Stevie has been with us now for three weeks. He’s wonderful. So sweet and gentle. He’s a cuddler and loves nothing more than to be near us. He is an exceptional playmate for Toby and they have become good friends. We’ve noticed that Toby’s previous puppy-like behaviors have ceased. He hasn’t chewed up a glove, sock or any of the kids’ homework since Stevie arrived. He corrects Stevie when he is out of line and sits high on the couch overseeing his younger brother’s precocious activities.

Unfortunately, we’re still struggling with house training. Stevie seems to have an extremely small bladder with the inability to hold anything for more than an hour. While we’ve been adhering to a tight training schedule, he still manages several accidents a day. We’ll take him out and he’ll pee. We’ll bring him back in and within 20 minutes, he’ll pee again. We still can’t figure out his cues – he may be walking through the living room on the way to his bed and he’ll just squat. No circling. No sniffing. Just a quick squat and he moves on. He’s doing well through the night and he’s fine in his kennel for the most part. We are just struggling with getting him to do all of his business outside.

We’ve received several recommendations and we’re going to start with a couple of them. First, I need to scent the front door. Since Stevie can’t see where the front door is, we think he may not be able to find his way there in time. Second, a friend of mine recommended a belly band in between our outdoor potty breaks. We’re going to give those a try and I’ll keep you posted on our success.

We couldn’t have asked for a better addition to our family, so we’ll do everything we can to get him on the right track.

Trouble

I love this commercial. Love it! Right now, at Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue, there’s a Schnauzer mix up for adoption that looks like a smaller version of the dog in this commercial. Hi name is Tyler and he’s an absolute sweetheart!

Issues

Things are going well with Stevie. So well, in fact, that we often forget that he’s blind. He hasn’t run into anything in quite a few days and he plays like every other puppy I know. He and Toby are buddies – even though Toby runs to higher ground when Stevie becomes relentless in play (he likes to jump up onto the couch and sit next to us, all while pawing at Stevie’s head). We do, however, have two issues:

1. House training – Stevie has grasped piddling outside, but pooping remains a mystery. He hasn’t made the connection. He doesn’t give any cues either. He poops randomly and in no one particular place. So, intensive house training continues. Any recommendations are welcome and very much appreciated!

2. Bad breath. Stevie’s breath is horrible! We’ve switched his food to the same organic dog food that Toby eats and he’s loving it. He gets his daily DentaStix. Yet, he’s stinky. No sweet puppy breath here. The vet has checked him out, said his teeth look great, and believes that it will correct itself now that his diet has changed and we’re providing dental care. I sure hope so because his breath can wrinkle your nose.

So, that’s about all in terms of issues. We’re fortunate and, like I keep saying, blessed. We’ve been rescued by two dogs now. Two dogs that have wonderful lessons to teach us.

Related Articles

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What the eyes can’t see…

There’s a dog lover’s saying that goes “Blind Dogs See with Their Hearts.” In our case, our hearts were captured by a blind and partially deaf West Highland White Terrier Poodle mix named Stevie who was living at Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue. I posted a while back about Stevie and since that time, my family and I have fallen head over heals in love with him. That being said, we officially adopted Stevie and will be bringing him home tomorrow!

We’ve been educating ourselves about the precautions we need to take to prepare our home for his safety and we’re good to go. We’ve put a baby gate at the top of the stairs, raised all exposed cords, created a ‘safe spot’ for him and even put a low fence in an area of the yard that will give him a frame of reference when he’s doing his business outside. We’ve hung jingle bells by the front door so he can tell when we open it, and we’ve hung a small bell on Toby’s collar so Stevie can hear him coming. He’s been added to our pet insurance, a vet visit has been scheduled and we’ve booked our first grooming appointment (our groomer has a blind dog as well). He’s got his own bed set up, a new set of toys and treats, a smart little collar, a tag telling others that he’s blind and a comfy harness for walks. We even bought a classical music CD to play for him at night because that’s what he’s used to hearing at the shelter.

I’ve joined several online groups for owners of blind dogs, downloaded multiple articles, bought several books and talked to everyone I know that has any experience with blind dogs.

We’re so excited to have Stevie as a member of our family. He is a very special little dog with a huge heart and a lot of love to give. And we have a ton of love waiting for him. I know he has quite a bit to teach us and we’re so blessed to have found him.

Soon you’ll be reading much more about Stevie, Toby and all of our wonderful adventures together!

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A Special Sunday

Today was a great day. I normally don’t volunteer at the shelter on Sundays, but they needed someone to do warm compresses on a couple of the dogs that had surgery. It was just me with more than 15 dogs and I loved every minute of it.

After doing a little bit of clean up and saying hello to all of the dogs, I took Cupid, a super sweet Shih Tzu mix, onto my lap for her warm compresses. She settled in quick and dozed while I held her. The shelter’s radio was playing classical music and all of the dogs were quiet. It was so peaceful. Next came Mickey, a Bichon Frise. He sat on my lap for a few minutes, but was anxious with the other dogs close by so I brought him back to his crate and finished the compresses there. He was relaxed even though he still has some pain from his surgery.

After that was done, I spent some time with Stella. The special, one-eyed Silky Terrier that I mentioned a few posts back. She was excited to see me and we cuddled on the couch for a little while. All she wanted was some tummy rubs and a few good scratches behind her ears.

After a couple of hours, I headed out. The drive home was quiet as well. I haven’t been that relaxed in a long time. I’ll have to plan more visits on Sundays – it’s the perfect way to end a week.

The Little Shelters That Could

There are several large, well-funded animal welfare, shelter and rescue organizations across the United States. They do amazing work and are very successful in the adoption of pets, spay/neuter initiatives, public education, and advocacy in general. They bring much needed attention to the plight of animals in need and it’s through their efforts that many millions of animals find forever homes every year. They are masters at generating awareness for a cause and their work benefits everyone.

However, this post is dedicated to all of the small, privately funded rescues and shelters across the country that do their very best every day of every year to save and protect animals from neglect and abuse. They work hard to place these animals with the right owners so that they can live the rest of their lives in loving homes. They implement successful foster programs, training initiatives and adoption programs with little to no funds and a slew of volunteers. They use their own paychecks or organize grass-roots efforts to raise the money to provide much needed medical care, supplies and facility maintenance. They are intensely passionate, committed and know each of their animals by name. They open their doors to animals other shelters don’t want. They push their capacity limitations so that every animal can be given a chance at a better life. They cry when they’ve made a perfect match and their hearts hurt when an abused or neglected animal is turned over to them. They are every day people who have used their own money and means to make a difference.

So, here’s to all the little shelters who have shown us that when the passion is strong enough the impossible is possible.

You’re formally invited

Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue in Mukwonago, Wisconsin is requesting the public’s presence at the joining of paws for two very special rescue dogs. Stevie, a special West Highland White Terrier/Poodle mix will wed his mystery bride on Saturday, February 19^th at 6:00 p.m. at For Pet’s Sake Dog Training at 828 Perkins Drive in Mukwonago.  

Families and their canine friends are invited to witness the exchange of the dogs’ wedding vows and tags. An Elvis impersonator will serenade the couple and a dog and a human wedding cake will be served. An open Muttini bar will be available for all canine attendees and a secured dance floor will be provided for those four-legged friends who want to kick up their paws. A silent auction, interactive games, raffles, pet portraits, food, drinks and music, as well as animal communicator, Tresa Laferty ($25 for a 20-minute session), will be provided for everyone’s entertainment.

Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue is requesting a $10 donation at the door and/or a selection from the couple’s gift registry at End of the Leash in Mukwonago. They are registered for items such as Diamond dry puppy food, canned Pedigree® puppy or adult food, Kuranda dog beds and Martingale Collars in petite, small, or medium sizes. An RSVP is appreciated, but not necessary, to 414-750-0152.

Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue is committed to the rescue, care and adoption of Bichon Frises, Shelties and other small breeds and mixes. Primarily serving Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois, Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue takes in dogs surrendered by their owners, dogs found as strays and those rescued from puppy mills.

What’s in a name?

One of the things I really like about the shelter where I volunteer is how the owner names the dogs that come in. Those being surrendered keep their given names, but dogs coming from puppy mills or the streets need to be given an identity. She names the dogs after current events, holidays, celebrities, etc., so that she can remember when the dogs came in or things about their personalities. For instance, Tinsel, a senior Dachshund, came in around Christmas time. Bucky the Yorkie and T.C. and R.B. the Bichons came in during the Rose Bowl so they were named accordingly – Bucky Badger, Texas Christian and Rose Bowl. Curly Lambeau, the Standard Schnauzer/Lhasa Apso mix, came in after the Green Bay Packers won the National Championship. Streaker, the speedy terrier mix. When I first started, there were even some small Chihuahuas named after the Beatles.

While this is a clever technique, I’m more impressed that she takes the time to carefully and thoughtfully name them. She gives them an identity after they’ve come from a place where they were just one of hundreds or lost and alone on the streets.

What’s in a name? Sometimes it’s the difference between a lifetime of abuse and neglect or a lifetime of unconditional love and affection.

Update on Stella the Silky Terrier

Stella, the 8-year-old Silky Terrier I mentioned in my last post, has been recovering well from having her eye surgically removed. She’s looking much better and, most importantly, she’s no longer in pain. She’s even been able to go for lengths of time without her cone on and eat on her own.  She really just wants to sit on someone’s lap and get some love. 

Even though she favors one of her back legs, she doesn’t let it slow her down. She still runs around and gets up on furniture to take a nap.  As a terrier, she does bark in alert when she hears unfamiliar noises.  She can also be reactive to other dogs.  Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue is going to recommend that Stella be adopted by a family with no children and she would have to meet any other dogs in the family. 

 

Stella touched my heart the moment I met her. She was as sweet as can be – even so soon after surgery. I really hope she finds a forever home where she can spend the rest of her days being showered in love.

If you’re interested in Stella, click here.