Archive for the ‘Chi Behavior’ Category

Lucy and her toy.

Chihuahuas, like most dogs, love to chew. It’s what we live for. Because we don’t have thumbs, it’s hard for us to use our “hands” to do things with, such as typing this blog, knitting or playing video games.

So most things are done using our mouths. As puppies it is the way we explore the world. We see, we grab, we taste and we chew. It is best to give your Chihuahua an appropriate toy or chewy substance. This helps relieve boredom and it’s fun.

But if you don’t give us a “dog-friendly” bone or stuffed squeaky toy, we will take what we can get. This includes every piece of paper, material, rug, wall, sock, shoe and most things non-editable.

Please make sure if you must leave your dog home alone that there is nothing he/she can get a hold of that may cause damage to their insides. I’m lucky. My daddy works from home and is almost always around. This makes it difficult to get away with things.

Here’s an excerpt from an article called Why Good Dogs Eat Bad Things… Should You Worry? by Dr. Jon at PetPlace.com:

Chewing on things is a normal part of “puppyhood”, and many times the things our dogs eat are not dangerous. Still, you can expect to see some vomiting and maybe even a little diarrhea when your dog eats something that is not “food”.

So, before you rush your pooch to the vet, check out this list of non-toxic items that dogs often eat.

If your dog eats any of the items on this list, you do NOT have to worry unless the object becomes lodged in the stomach or intestines, causing an obstruction.

Acrylic paint
Ballpoint pens
Bath oil
Bubble bath soaps
Candles
Chalk
Citronella candles
Cosmetics
Crayons
Deodorants
Elmer’s glue
Fabric softeners
Glow jewelry
Hair conditioner
Hand lotion
Incense
Indelible markers
Ink
Lipstick
Magic markers
Mineral oil
Modeling clay
Newspaper – (non-colored/black ink only)
Pencils (nontoxic since they are no longer made of lead)
Petroleum jelly
Play-Doh
Putty
Rubber cement
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Silica gel packets
Soap
Spackle
Suntan lotion
Superglue
Teething rings
Thermometers
Toothpaste
Water colors

If you have any doubt, always call your vet or local emergency clinic.

Anticipating my medicine.

This actually applies to all dogs but since I am a Chihuahua I tend to be self-centered. Medicine is not tasty. Therefore, trying to give your Chi a pill is going to be a problem, unless, of course, your Chihuahua (or dog) loves pills.

So the trick is to hide the pill in something your pet loves. Here are some great ideas I recommend.

1. Peanut Butter (just enough to disguise the pill, not half a jar)
2. A piece of meat (chicken or turkey). Make sure the pill doesn’t fall out.
3. Cheese. Not too much, just enough to hide the pill so it isn’t visible. If it’s too big your dog may decide to chew the cheese and potentially spit out the pill.
4. Mashed potatoes (or a bit of unmashed potato). Make sure it’s cooked.
5. Canned dog food. If your dog is picky this might not work.

Liquid medicine is also a challenge. I absolutely hate having a dropper full of yucky medicine forced into my mouth. So I bite. Daddy tried gloves. I fought back. Two daddies tried holding me and opening my mouth at the same time. I won.

Then came a brilliant idea. Hide the liquid medicine in ice cream. Just a bit of lactose free vanilla. I loved this. Now I look forward to my medicine every day. Ice cream is probably not the best choice for your dog, but it works great. You might want to consider vanilla yogurt or natural apple sauce.

So don’t get stressed over giving your Chi medication. Make it a game of hide and go treat.

Here I am recovering in my plush bed.

I am recovering from my surgery but food is still very important to me. Thus I find the controversial debate of canned vs. dry dog food fascinating.

My daddy generally mixes my dry dog food with some canned dog food. They are both high quality Turducken from Merrick. I find this to be my favorite brand. I actually prefer the canned because it has chunks and gravy and lots of other tasty goodies. When the two are mixed together I usually eat the dry as well as the canned but I don’t chew it, I just swallow the pieces whole. So any benefit of crunchiness is not happening.

Perhaps some day my daddy will get the hint and just give me the canned food with an occasional crunchy treat.

Check out these interesting articles for more details. “Feeding Your Dog – Canned or Dry And How Often? from PetPlace.com and Professor’s House on Dry Dog Food vs. Canned.

I would write more but I need another nap.

Going through surgery is tough. I should know. And boy was I cranky. Still am.

First I was left alone with people I didn’t know. They put me in a cage like a common dog. Then they carried me to another room, put me on a metal table and stuck a needle in me. Can you blame me for trying to bite these people?!

When I woke up I was a bit groggy and sore and had a huge yellow bandage on my back leg. Plus a weird plastic cone around my neck. Daddy finally picked me up and had them remove the cone. Thank goodness for that. It was embarrasing and uncomfortable.

I ate a little and slept in my own comfy bed. I don’t feel much like doing anything today but sleep and nap. And maybe eat a little food and drink a little water. Going to the bathroom is a major effort since it’s not easy for me to get up and walk. Luckily my bathroom is located in the house on clean, white pads. I think I’ll take a nap now.

eHow has an informative article on how to care for you dog after surgery.

vetinfo4dogs.com also has a fine article on Caring for Your Dog After Surgery: A Checklist.

A note from daddy Charlie:

Lucy is resting comfortably in her bed and has come through her surgery fine. She ate a little bit of her dog food last night and this morning and got up twice to use her piddle pads. She took her medicines but was quite grumpy about the liquid one that had to be squirted in her mouth. It took both her daddies to get this one done.

I’m still in recovery. Now I get to worry about why she’s not getting up from her bed and if that’s okay. I guess having a hernia repaired, a tooth pulled and a knee repaired takes a lot out of a little girl. Not to forget the vaccinations, nail trim, anal squeeze and overall stress from being left alone with strangers.

Everyone knows dogs have emotions. An interesting article from Purina tells all about it. I bet you can tell when your little Chihuahua is happy, upset, sad, angry, hungry and has to go potty.

But do we worry? We would if we knew what that meant. The thing is that that people who care for us sometimes worry and we are very intuitive little creatures so we pick up on that emotion. For instance, I can tell that my daddy is upset about something. It’s the way he looks at me and the tone of some of the things he says.

I know that I am having surgery in a few days. I know this because I’ve heard my daddies discuss it. What I don’t know is what a surgery is. I also don’t know what a Tuesday is or what a few days from now is.

I just know that my daddies are not too happy when they discuss this topic so therefore I sense that something is going to happen that is not too fun. It has something to do with a knee, a cap, a hernia and a baby tooth. I’m not sure what these things are but I bet I am better off not knowing.

When this stuff happens I’ll let you know all about it.

According to an article from DogAge.com you should keep your dog far, far away from any food that is “sugar-free”. Most likely that “human-grade” treat contains Xylitol, a sugar-free sweetener.

You can find this very bad substance in some candies, gum, and even soft-drinks. I doubt many people give their dogs gum or diet soda but if you leave it around they might decide to try it. We dogs are curious beings.

I’m not always picky about what I put in my mouth. I may have swallowed a thing or two I’ve found in the street. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, Xylitol can cause low blood sugar, seizures and impair muscle coordination. If your dog does eat something with Xylitol please see a vet as soon as possible. Just saying.

I'm playing hard to get.

Chihuahuas and cats may get along. I for one find them interesting. I’m not sure I would ever want to live with one, though. We both like to groom ourselves, lie in laps to sleep, sun ourselves and get attention.

Chihuahuas are often smaller than most cats. That could prove dangerous if the cat decides to pounce on the Chi from above. And they have claws that scratch. I have personally found that cats like to swipe at little dogs. Luckily I was out of reach.

I often encounter several cats on my daily walks. They come up to me and stare. I stare back. This could be a sign that I’m ready to attack. Probably not a good idea for me to do. I’d probably lose.

I was visiting some relatives recently and they have a cat. This is not the first cat I have been with in an enclosed space. Luckily nothing happened. I growled a bit and he tried to eat my food. But all in all we got along fine. Don’t I look relaxed in the photo? We do not play together, yet, but maybe in the future. As long as I’m in a good mood.

It’s best not to leave your cat and/or Chi alone together until you are absolutely sure they are okay with each other. Try not to stare at them or show anxiety because that might rub off on your Chi. Be calm and maybe all will go splendidly.

For more information check out this article from PetChiDog.

Have you decorated your home for the holidays? Have you considered how fascinated your little Chihuahua is with all things chewable? Imagine their reaction to trees, lights, ornaments, tinsel, pine needles, gifts, flocking and more.

This is my second Xmas. I don’t remember the first one as I was only a few months old. But this year Papa Lee went all out. I love that fake white flocked old tree. Lots and lots of white stuff falling all over the floor. Daddy Charlie rushed out with the vacuum but I was clever and quicker. I managed to grab a mouthful of white fluffies to play with under the safety of the coffee table.

Just so you know, though, here are some things the ASPCA wants you to keep in mind for your pet’s safety.

1. No holiday sweets, especially chocolate. Unsweetened baking chocolate is particularly toxic to your dog. It wouldn’t take much for a little Chihuahua to have tummy issues or worse.
2. Hard to believe, but dogs are better off keeping to their normal, everyday diet, assuming that consists of high quality dog food and not table scraps.
3. Never give your dog poultry bones or greasy, spicy and fatty foods. The results could be very, very bad.
4. Alcohol is a definite no no. There’s nothing worse than a drunk Chi and it could prove fatal.
5. We do love those fancy cellophane wrappers as well as aluminum foil. But keep them away from us.
6. Holiday flowers and plants could be poisonous. Lilies can cause kidney failure, mistletoe and holly berries can be toxic. Poinsettias can cause vomiting or nausea. Oh my.
7. Xmas tree water can look enticing to a little Chi. But the bacteria and fertilizers can prove to cause unpleasant stomach upsets.
8. Ornaments and other decorations look like toys. We want them. Don’t give them to us. Avoid decorating those low hanging branches. Or else use doggie treats. (That’s my idea. Yum.)

Also check out these DogAge Holiday Tips.

I absolutely hate having my toenails cut. It seems like a silly thing to do. And potentially painful, too.

Being a Chihuahua, you would think it would be easy to cut my nails and it would be, too, if I allowed it. But alas, I won’t. I put up with teeth brushing and harness wearing. I allow myself to be bathed on occasion. But I draw the line at cutting my nails. Most of them are self-filed anyway when I take my two mile daily walk. Partly because I tend to pull rather than walk like a proper lady. What can I say, my daddy apparently didn’t train me well enough… yet.

For those dogs that do enjoy getting a home manicure, there are two methods. Some people use nail clippers made for dogs. Others use some sort of grinding instrument. I dislike the nail clippers. I haven’t seen the grinder. I doubt I would like that either. For those humans who want to trim their Chi’s nails, try doing it after a bath when the nails are softer. Avoid the quick to prevent bleeding. Wrapping your Chi in a towel might help cut down on the wiggling stuff. Wrapping your hands in a towel might prevent your Chi from biting you.

For now, the answer is that my daddy is going to cop out and have the vet trim my nails when I go in for my vaccines and check up in January. We’ll see how that goes.

If you’re in the market for a nail grinder, check out these few from Amazon. I haven’t used them as yet, but they did get good reviews. And if you buy one I get a little cash back for my college fund.

From my personal experience I’d have to say NO. Chihuahuas and other small dogs with short hair especially, do not like rain, cold, snow, cold, wind and cold. We love to be warm so if you must walk your Chi in inclement weather buy them a warm sweater or coat. We may balk at first, but it’s best to be warm than cold. I have a cute little pink parka that is fastened with velcro. It’s easy on and easy off. (No Affiliation.)

For all your pet shopping needs why not try PetSmart. It’s where I first went when I was adopted by my daddies. It’s also where I went to school and graduated with honors.

Here I am on graduation day at PetSmart.