To you blugger lady pups who have those pain in the tail bowees in your house - you may understand what I am complaining about. I am not in my "special lady time" right now but mum says it should be in another month or something like that. But sometimes these bowees just don't use their right brains! I thought I had it bad when it was just Maxie. Mum says he has been newt turd since he was 7 months old (that's not very nice to say if you ask me but mum is the boss so I just let her say whatever she wants) but he still has those annoying bowee hormones...whatever those are.
Everyone thinks it's cute when Maxie "flirts" with me & I guess they could be a little bit right. I think he would do anything I tell him to do when he's in the "MOOD". But it doesn't ever stop there. Sometimes I have to really tell him off & that doesn't even work most of the time because quite frankly I'll go & lead him back on until he starts again. This is Maxie flirting with me - waiting for me to give him the "OK" or something...like that would ever happen Maxie...
NOW....mum brought his broffer Marley home & she says they both must have their daddies hormones (they have different birth mums but the same daddy) because now they both are in luff with me! See what I mean? This short video is not for the weak of heart (or for puppies or childrens eyes) so please know this will prubly be TMA **too much action** for some.
See what I have to put up with on the nights when the bowees are feeling their kibble?! It's really crazy! But from one lady pup to another - I quite like feeling like I'm all that & a bag of jerky because HULLO - I IS!!
Mum wanted me to tell all her blugger friends (since I is the smart one after all) that where the new year is almost here and she is berry busy - us five "MChi's" as she puts it - will be taking over this thing called a blug.
Anyway, mum tells me that since it is winter now that my nose is getting some pink on it. Can you believe it? She said some darker Chihuahuas noses change color in the cold weather sometimes but I think she is full of dingle berries or sumthin. As you can see from this pawfect picture she took of me today - I am as handsome as ever. And if I hear mum say one more time that pink is my color (can you believe THAT?) I think I will throw up down the back of her pants...again.
Ahhh, Maine happened to be blessed on this 28th day of December with 40 some odd degree weather! Seeing as it has been too cold/snowy for taking the Chi's out walking for some time now, we jumped at the opportunity good ole Mother Nature provided us with. Considering it has been so long the Chi's really did a fantistic job at staying somewhat in order...especially being walked by 9yo Ivy. Marley, seeing as he has only had a handful of chances to walk since we've had him because of weather was a little focused on me when Ivy walked him but otherwise he did fantastic!
It is a long video so watch at your own leisure & I hope you enjoy! :o)
I'd like to say my Chi's are kitty friendly. I do think the possibility is there. However, one of our two cats (Flower) has taken it upon herself to hiss & scratch at the Chi's every time they get close to sniff. I think it is a case of jealousy at the highest as far as Flower goes. Flower never had a problem with our big dog - maybe she lets the lack of size of the Chi's get to her head, I don't know.
Her sister, Shoe (yes, that is her name!) is a bit more friendly. She'll allow them to sniff & if the mood strikes her she'll put her head down in hopes of being massaged by the sniffing of the pups. Being as they are sisters & look a LOT alike - I think the pups sometimes get confused with what cat they chase out the doggy door. Yes, they chase them out the doggy door & force the cats up & over the 6' high door...or to squeeze in between the siding of the house & the wall of the enclosure - I haven't quite figured out which yet. Poor Shoe I think takes the blame for Flowers unpleasantness. But if Matilda see's either by "her" potty area she takes it upon herself to chase & SCREAM at them until they leave. It's quite the noise to say the least.
We've been in the single digits the past few days so the cats, who normally spend 99% of their time outside, have been hanging out inside. Today Shoe decided to try to get a bit "comfortable" with Maxwell & Maribelle who were napping on the back of the chair. As you may notice, Maxwell is not in the following photos. Once he realized there was a **gasp** cat next to him he slowly & quietly crept away stopping & glaring at the cat every couple steps with a VERY disgusted look on his face. It was pretty funny.
Baby M has had his first 2 nights at "work" visiting with residents of the Assisted Living Facility where I work. I thought I'd start Marley early bringing him in & introducing him to staff & residents. Continue on the socialization I don't have much time for these day...so it's a win/win!
What can I say other than he has melted EVERYONE'S hearts that has met him! He is so mellow & kissy. Granted, when I leave him with anyone to go tend to my residents he looks for me & gives the occassional cry but that is something that needs working on anyway.
I would LOVE to have one of my pups as a therapy dog & so far Mr Marleys temperment has shown this goal to be well within reach - YAY!! Here are a couple cell pics from last nights visit.
"I don't know what you are talking about but I think you're a nice lady"
This morning called for a run to a preschool I do photos for & I thought it would be a good opportunity of socialization for Mr. Marley. I fully understand how important socialization is for puppies & while M #5 has been out several times we've been so crazy busy I've not gotten him out as much as I'd like. I was pleasantly surprised at how receptive he was to the children (2-4 year olds) and how many kisses he offered to them! He stayed in my lap & as the kids bent down to see him he'd lap them all over their nose & lips. They thought it was hysterical but I couldn't help but ask the kids, "what would mom say if they saw him kissing you on the lips??". hehe
I'm so happy he has so far kept the happy go lucky personality that his mom has & I hope he continues to do so. At over 13 week he has surpassed the age when my 11 week old Matilda began showing her teeth & nipping at people who tried to touch her. Even with extensive socialization, especially after she began to display that behavior (she was taken out several times a week for months), she has never completely gotten over her fear of stranger contact but as I've blogged about in the recent months, it has gotten a bit better for her.
I did not have my camera with me at the preschool but I leave you with 2 cell phone snaps of Marley's preschool experience. I hope to take him back again so he can continue to see the smaller children & see they will not, in fact, eat him....as I undestand many Chi's believe. ;o)
As I was going to upload yet another play time video for todays Monday at the movies, I notice a video I didn't recognize. Upon watching it I realized that while I was sleeping after work yesterday (and dad & big sis went to a handbell concert), Ivy had taken it upon herself to have a "puppy photo day" down in my studio. Rather than take still pictures she video taped a few movies. Here is the first one...
For all the people who wonder how I get the pups to all sit still together - this will prove how easy they make it for me! LOL They're happy just sitting there, looking around & waiting to see what comes next. hehe Enjoy!
(please excuse my messy photo studio! note to self: must better organize my props LOL)
...and it was the first time the pups seemed to enjoy it! Maybe because it was warm out in the afternoon (even though then the snow was melting) - even Matilda disappeared for 5 minutes out back sniffing around. The other 4 pups stayed close to me & close to the only grass showing due to the snowman that was made.
"What is this stuff? Lets just pee all over it..."
"I'm really not sure about this..."
"Think we can make it to that black stuff over there?"
"I don't know but I'm gonna make a run for it!!!"
"Me too!! Wa-hooooooooooo!!"
"Nope, too cold for my sensitive toes."
"Maybe it will be safe to go this way..."
"This is really fun!"
"Yeah, but I'm coming back so I can go warm up inside."
Marley went on a little outting with us today. We went to the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse to watch Santa Claus ride in on the helicoptor! There were loads of people there & a couple other dogs. Marley, with the exception of when we first got there (when he sniffed around in the grass a bit), stayed in my carrier all bundled up & wrapped in a fluffy blanket. He was so content & comfy & gave the occassional kiss to passer byers that happened to notice him in his camouflage of blanket. We also got stopped by the local press who snapped a picture of us & took down our names & such - wonderful!
At any rate - here are a few cell pics we managed to snap through out the event.
Marley looks huge in this pic...I swear he is 3lbs of HEAD! hehe
The ears that is. At least...I think! They're going up so gradually sometimes I think I'm just imagining it. With all the folds in his ears I'm still skeptical they'll go completely up. (though he IS only 12 weeks & I know of pups taking up to 7-8 months before their ears go completely up) I've even considered taping those crazy ears. LOL Yes, I'm a crazy "perky ear" fanatic. Plus Milo is our special floppy eared guy & I'd really like to keep it that way. Of course, if Marley ends up the same I'll love him just as much. I just really like perkies!! (yeah yeah, picky picky picky!!)
"Come on mum, stop waking me up - I'm trying to sleep!"
Today is Milo's 2nd birthday. I can't believe my oldest Chi is 2 already. It seems like we just got him yet it seems like he's always been apart of our family. We love this little guy & his funny, "hard to get" attitude that he has toward dad. We love how lazy he is & how he has what we lovingly call a "chunky butt". We love how loving & protective he is of our human kids. We just love him to pieces!!
Milo has been on a "diet" for some time so today we let him splurge a little from his usual EVO kibble. I made up some rice, hamburger, green beans & added a little kibble. He was right in his glory! We gave the other pups a little as well & they were all out of sorts trying to steal from one another & everything. Usually they know to eat from their bowls & their bowls only but tonight they couldn't resist! hehe
Here is my sweet little Milo on his 2nd bithday - just as cute as ever!
I feel that I must explain these 2 photos in order for them to have any significance. If you know Matilda or have been following my blog for a while you will know she is a very "flighty" Chi. Despite my extensive socialization, puppy kindergarten class, etc when she was young she has always had an aversion to strangers. She won't attack or bark at them (unless they come into "her" home in which case she will bark as if to alarm us there are "intruders" but quickly quiets) but she will not allow but a couple close family members touch her. Even some people she see's often she will not allow to touch her. She just jumps right away at any sign of them showing interest in her. She will sometimes want to play with people & play "keep away" with a toy or "fetch" with them if they have been here for a while. But still won't let them touch her. It tells me she likes being around people but is just very untrusting of the physical contact.
Anyway, one of my human daughters had a friend over who has never been here before & within an hour Matilda was allowing the friend to pat her! I was so proud of Matilda & had to capture it on "film". hehe
LOL...that's going a bit far with the day of the week "themes". I really have no theme for Tuesday but I did "torture" the pups today with their holiday photo shoot so it was appropriate for today anyhow. Well saying that, they were actually not too unhappy about it because as they know, camera time equals treat time! They even put up with a little holiday wear to top it off. They're such good pups to entertain their mum even going to great lengths to do so! :oD I do love these guys!!
Okay, it's not Monday but my Mondays are filled with class these days so I didn't have time to post my movie last night! I'd been wanting to blog about this video for a bit just because I thought little Marley was so cute playing with his food. This video was taken when he was 8 1/2 weeks old. So innocent - I think the other pups thought he was nuts for not inhaling the scrambled egg like they do. hehe
BTW, I will try to catch up on reading blogs & moderating my comments tomorrow! Sorry for slacking fellow bloggers!! :o)
I like blogs that have a "theme" for some or all days & thought I'd give it a go. On Fridays I will try to give a little update (or FILL IN ;o) of the week that I may have missed with any other posts.
I did post about our walk the other day. Yesterday I thought about our walking & what could make it more relaxing. I thought yesterday afternoon I would try to walk the boys alone. It was the same scenario as the day before with Zander out on the front lawn but wouldn't you know that there was NO barking at all? The walk was much more relaxed & they did great. Marley even kept up for almost an entire mile! When we came back we spent some time sitting in the grass with Zander. Marleys "meeting" with him the day before had been a little too stressful for a first meeting of a new dog so I wanted to try to make up for that & hopefully will help any future meetings go a bit more smoothly w/o as much stress. Zander finally calmed down enough, even though he was happy to see the Chi's. He lay down & they were able to mingle a bit & Maxwell was his happy playful self with Zander. It was such a nice visit!
Now the task....working with the girls I'm thinking one on one with the walking. Maribelle is just so yap happy - that is something we've always worked on & I need to take the time to work with only her on this. Matilda needs some one on one as well. She has become increasingly more anxious & "flighty" (which has gradually been increasing for months now). It is unhealthy for her & I've talked with hubby about it since I'm sure it's because her "special treatment" she gets from him. She used to be FANTASTIC with letting me clip her nails - she'd always just sleep through the whole thing & I made the mistake of one day, doing it while hubby was home. She was a complete drama queen & yelped & all (I'm always very careful & know I didn't do anything to hurt her). If I try to correct her for anything she immediately runs to hubby and on walks she walks ahead of me & if I stop & walk toward her with my hand up (what I have always done to get them to sit) she acts like I'm going to eat her or something. It's very frustrating for me & makes me feel bad, even though I'm not being mean or doing anything differently. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT for EVERYONE in the family to treat all dogs the same & ALL be pack leaders!! So point being, I think I will focus on walking the boys together since they do great but the girls are going to need a little special treatment. Should be interesting!
Marley - Marley, Marley, Marley! I just love this little guy and today he completely made my day by going out the doggy door ON HIS OWN not once but TWICE! The first time I was watching him in the living room & he went to the puppy room door way. So I took him down the 2 stairs (he still is a bit nervous about going down the stairs even though he comes up just fine), put him on the floor & he ran right out the doggy door & poo'ed w/o me saying anything. Then this afternoon, I took all the pups down in the puppy room with some toys, gated it off & had Marley practice going down the stairs a few times in between playing fetch with everyone. I knew he'd have to pee soon & was curious what would happen. I was in the middle of playing when I looked at the doggy door to see his little tushy going out the doggy door (to pee)!! I was SOOO happy & proud of him!
I did a little doggy supply shopping yesterday. Got a few new toys & FINALLY invested in a bed. Any beds we've ever gotten the pups they've ripped apart & eaten the stuffing in no time so I've been hesitant in putting the money into one they possibly will ruin, get sick or bound up from the stuffing & not be able to use. They do fine with blankets on the floor so we always keep a couple around. At the store they had these HUGE quilted pillow beds for $40 which I thought was a terrific price! The cover comes off & is washable so I thought we'd give it a go. The pups love it & did dig at it for the first few minutes but they seem to just lay chewing toys or sleep on it now so I'm **crossing fingers** it works out!
To close - I took a video of the pups getting their new toys. I swear these guys are just like kids. They were so excited about them. And I love how they were all squeeking away after a minute. TOO FUNNY!
The thought crossed my mind to bring a camera but reality told me I may be a bit too busy to be carrying my camera on the first walk with Marley. I was right. First off, those of you that have been following this blog will know Zander, our lab mix. Well, he's been staying next door with my dad, step mom & their Bassett Hound, Sadie for almost 2 weeks. I love Zander & always will. He's a great dog & a sweet heart. We are going to be moving (long story but we're not sure when - we're waiting for my aunt to sell her house so she can buy ours) and hubby & I had talked & we thought it would be best to rehome Zander when we moved. :o( If for nothing more than the fact that with his energy level (six years old & acts like a pup! LOL), he's never been able to be apart of the "pack" for safety reason for the Chi's. Not really fair for him to be seperated from the rest of the dogs. We'd only talked about it when my dad mentioned to me one day that my step mom just adored him & if we ever wanted a new home for him to talk with her about it. Being as I'd never just give him up to anyone - I took it as a sign.
I do feel bad because I feel in a way we traded him in which isn't true. This is something we'd talked about long before Marley was even a thought. But when my dad said that and knowing Marley was coming home soon we thought maybe rather than waiting - this would be the best time. He has however, been doing great down with Sadie & it absolutely makes me smile to look out & see him rolling around in the grass & hanging out with my dad & step mom who are very "outdoorsy" type of people (totally unlike me). He really looks happy & that makes me feel like we've done the right thing. Not to mention I think he & Sadie have been playing which is good for both of them.
Anyway, back to our walk - Zander was out on the lawn as I exited the house with the 5 Chi's. Being as the pups aren't used to seeing a dog out on the lawn they started getting all excited first thing. I sat down on the lawn waiting for them to relax, not wanting to step on Marley first thing. My step mom drove in & talked with us for a bit - little Marley so excited to see her. Finally we started down our long driveway as Zander came to greet. The dogs, seeming to have forgotten who Zander was. ??? They sniffed, barked & Matilda even got nasty with him when he got near which I wasn't expecting. However I shouldn't be surprised - she hates dogs who have high energy - they totally put her out! Zander was also going balistic trying to get to the new addition to sniff him out. I finally had to pick Marley up, not wanting him to get stepped on. Finally we were on our way.
The rest of the walk couldn't have gone any better! We did not go far because 1)it was cool & 2)I didn't want to over-do little Marleys little legs. :o) When we got home, it didn't take long for the pups to pile up & zonk out...
