Rane Passed With Flying Colors!

First off, HAPPY EASTER!!! We have had out of town family here for the holiday, keeping us all, human and dog alike, very busy. A lot of activity for our anxious little Rane, and a lot of new people. She barked at our guests the first two days but that quickly subsided on the third. Then today, with so many coming and going and the front door being left open multiple times, I just HAD to snap a photo of Rane's major accomplishment.

She is in the Dewey Door Darting Club. Chicatoo, Rane, Ace and Dewey can all squeeze their bodies through the bars on our baby gates to run out and greet guests that come to our door. But with the front door left open as guests were being walked out to their cars, I stood from the street and watched as Rane stopped at the door-frame and just watched. The other three will run right out to the driveway to greet visitors. They do stop and and come on command once outside, but never have they been able to resist walking out the door. Not Rane! I yelled STAY and that's just what she did! Can't tell you how proud I am :)

Ice - It's The Hot Thing Around Here

Not all - About half of our pack actually - Are totally addicted to ice. I recall the days of my youth when my mom would tell me to stop chewing on ice because I would ruin my teeth. Now how do you tell a Chihuahua that?

They stand in-front of the ice dispenser on our refrigerator, waiting anxiously for a a piece to fall to the floor. If and when that does happen, they grab it and take the ice under the couch to claim it. Yes! We have had ice attach to lips and tongues. Our ice lovers have learned their lessons and now use their teeth to grasp. Today's catch was by Ace and for the first time, they shared! Well, Ace did at least. He share his ice with Colada - but SHE grabbed it to hide under the couch.

My Leash Buddy Today

Ace has always been our quiet, go-with-the-flow guy that never really made a stink about anything. Perhaps his two conquests this month have made him more brazen - or Dewey whispered in his ear the good stuff in outside the camper - Because today while we were at the picnic table sipping on our final weekend cup o' joe, Ace begged to be at my side. this need of his remained as we were packing up to head home and even for the ride! On my lap he insisted to be.

Bakin' Um Inside & Out

My plan has worked (my Ace and Blue plan that is) and they have tied several times now. Ace is walking tall and proud - Full of the confidence he needs.  Blue on the other hand is an experienced mommy. She jumped up onto the back of the chair this afternoon to soaked up the sun and even without the rays, she seems to glow! She is such an amazing mommy and we are all looking forward to see what she will produce with Ace. We are expecting to see chocolate, black and hopefully blue!

A Party Of Our Own!

This camping trip is one I personally have been beyond looking forward to. I haven't seemed to be able to catch up since Thanksgiving - Running nonstop with a never-ending to-do list containing items that seem to have multiplied like rabbits. No, this trip wasn't going to help me with my list - It was going to allow me to completely unplug and NAP!

I never get to catch up on my sleep at home and after we unpacked and settled in, I actually turned in early and retired to my mobile master bedroom. Chicatoo finally caught onto the "way of the camper" and jumped on up to nap with me. My shadows, Dewey and Ace were right behind. (Buddy joined in too). For Dewey and Ace, they appreciated the change of pace. For the first time in months we went to bed in the PM hours!

Whooooops!

So we get to the football game and in the parking lot, look what I found! Dagnabit! We couldn't go out on the field with the dogs but it actually worked out in our favor. The concession stand had benches we could sit at that was the perfect vantage point to watch the game and not many people even noticed these two tiny cuties (Dewey and Ace) in my jacket. Those that did took were tickled to see such tiny dogs and the the boys - they just beamed from all of the attention they got. Oh, and the harnesses were a huge hit - Even to the "Seminole" fans. I did get a couple requests for custom Noles vests  ;)

Ready To Ring In 2011

We humans have had a rather quiet night thus far. We have been cuddled up on the couch, watching movies and eating popcorn. All of which the Chihuahuas have joined in on too. It's what we do every year. Nice and calm and relaxing.

The change for this year was pleasantly surprising! The kids got beanbag chairs for Christmas and they have remained in the living room ever since. The kids have turned them into their very own private seating for movie time. While up filling the popcorn bowl as we get ready to watch the ball drop, I came back to find that Ace likes the new arrangements so much he kinda took my son's over. He totally has the right idea!

The Autumn Sun Spots

As the season changes so do the sun spots in our house. The dogs follow the spots throughout the day to their afternoon siestas.

Today, Ace was soaking up the rays as the sun shown in through the blinds. Instead of napping, he danced and sprawled between the shadows. And of course, it made for a fun and beautiful photo.

Our Last Spot Before We Head Home

Tomoka was AWESOME! The park itself, the fishing, the river view, the perfect weather and yes - Did I mention the river?

We took the dogs out in pairs for the last potty walk before we drive home and for the last walk, I took the little boys out to take in the Indian River. The bank was covered with tiny blue crabs hopping about. It was so funny to watch Dewey and Ace try to figure out what was happening and how to deal with in. Makes me wish I had a video camera handy! Tooooo funny!

West Volusia Kennel Club Dog Show

Karen and I headed out to Deland to attend the dog show and of course, root for friends and fellow breeders. I realize the entire weekend was filled with a plethora of different breeds but the Chihuahuas were our main attraction. With 27 entries, there were a lot to see and ogle over. Of course, we had our favs and became the cheer squad. It's not necessarily appropriate to make your opinions loudly known, but a "hoot-hoot" from time to time was tolerable.

For me personally, I took in all of the confirmation steps, watching for techniques and tips. Stacking Ace has been my weakest and I learned a few things to help us both! I really hope to get Ace in the ring before the end of the year. Realistically - It probably wont happen until next spring though.

Oh Yeah! He Is Lovin' It!

Buddy is hormonally thrilled to the twelfth power right now! With two females as ripe as possible and three others closing in, he is at the door to the kitchen as much as he can to let the girls know, "I AM HERE LADIES!!" He is simply beside himself!

And I have said it before, I am always amazed at how related dogs (Ace and Dewey) don't show the interest in their blood relatives. Neither are as nuts as Buddy when they get a whiff of their mommy Ginny. The same thing for CC. She is Dewey's daughter and Ace's niece.  But they both have noticed Colada and Capri for sure! Just too interesting to not note.

Came To A Decision

My training sessions with Ace to get him into the show ring have been going great here at the house and our goal was to enter the Toy Dog Club Of Central Florida and Tampa Bay Chihuahua Club shows in August. Many of you know that I homeschool my children and my son is entering the 7th grade this year. The lesson plans and scope for his middle school lessons require a lot more of my attention than the last couple years so the goal was to complete the training for Ace before the school year kicked off. Unfortunately I haven't been able to bring him to the Conformation Classes all summer. I decided to bring him to a class this evening to see how he would do.

Unfortunately, the class was canceled. but the night wasn't a total wash! A very experienced handler was there and he did a bit of one-on-one work with him. He did great on the lead and fabo with his stack - it was when a "stranger" approached that it ALL became very apparent. I failed my lil man by not bringing him to these classes. He simply is not ready just yet. With the school year about to kick off, family comes first and that is where I need to put the majority of my focus. In the meantime, I will work with Ace on the weekends and shoot for more ring time around the first of the year.

A Family Portrait

Of all the beds and all the spots in this house, these three have picked the one bed in the kitchen and it was too sweet of a moment to not capture. Ginny with her sweet daughter MiMi and son Ace - They each piled in, one after another. Yet another example of how they just know - And how they keep it all in the family!

Acer Baser

This little man has truly come into his own. He has found his way into our little pack and fits in perfectly. I realize his time spent away from us was going to take it's toll on getting him readjusted but looking at him today, I realize the adjustment was rather fast.

He used to be shy and timid - now he is feisty and friendly. I know the obedience and handling classes have worked wonders on his confidence but the fact that he feels so "part of the family" makes me so uber proud. He is my pride and joy - a testament to all of the hard work we do with each dog here.

Our Slow Pokes

With all of our puppies in their new forever homes and the girls out of their heats, we are all back to normal around here. Basically, no real news and all is good. And now that we are back to our regular schedule, we can do our scheduled feedings with the whole crew again. That I must say is REALLY nice! And with the whole group together, it is hard to miss our three amigos and their antics.

Dewey, Ace and Mimi are the three slow pokes and the only ones that share their bowls of food. Everyone else sticks to their bowls and systematically go to the back door to go out. Not these guys! They peruse each of their bowls in their own mini-pack and slowly pick out each morsel out one by one. We eventually have to close them in so that when the others finish their potty break and run, they don't come back in to gobble down the slow-pokes meals.

On Our Way!

As usual, we are taking two vehicles on our camping trip this weekend. Since holiday traffic is a major anxiety issue for me when towing the camper, I opted to ride in the non-towing vehicle and brought Ace and Dewey along with me for the ride. Plopping a doggy bed between the two seats in our oldest's truck was the ideal choice. They balled up for a nap and stayed that way for the entire 3 hour drive. When it comes to Chihuahuas - ALL of our chis actually - young and old - they make perfect travel companions.

Memories

I was flipping through the pictures on my cell phone and paused at this image. My heart sank as the memories flood into my mind. I snapped this photo as we drove in a mad dash to see Dr. Mario during our camping trip when 7 week old Ace crashed from hypoglycemia. He laid in my lap, wrapped in a dish towel we picked up to keep him warm. I remember that feeling of looking down at him as lay limp and how his shivers were the far and few between. But now look at him! A vibrant, happy and healthy young stud muffin!! 

Boys in Waiting

The rain is finally falling form the sky today. The dogs may not be too happy about it but we humans sure are! The boys have spent the afternoon in the living room with us while the girls have been in the kitchen. I have spent hours watching the boys parade in front the door separating them from the ladies - they must have each walked over a mile in pacing! Between the exercise and flowing testosterone they are ZONKED!!! Seeing them all ball up in the doggy bed closest to this same door spoke a thousand words!!

Three Weeks and Sitting Up!

The proof is in the photos! Look at them! They are not only walking, wrestling and over a pound in weight, but they are sitting and posing for their photos! Their eyes followed my every move and they are extremely aware of their surroundings. This is a fantastic sign when it comes to the ability to train a dog once it is older.

I expect the DNA results back this week - By Friday is my guess. Based on my own opinions, I still stick to my original assumption. I think Dixie is J.B's and Ebony is Ace's.  How you may ask? Color aside, their heads - very different from each other and more like their "father's" lines. Also, personality!! J.B. was this active at day 3 and remains that way today at AGE 3! Ebony is a bit more laid back and cuddly.

One Week Old Today

As with all Blue litters, she has a couple of porkers on her hands. Her puppies always seem to grow so fast with weight gain NEVER an issue. So much so that her 6oz birth weight puppies charted to grow to 6.5lbs but never made it to 4lbs! This litter is following suit with past pups and has doubled their birth weight in seven days.

As they grow, I cannot help but wonder something else. Another unique Blue trait is that while in heat, she accepts males WAY early in her cycle.  Normally it is day 9 or 10. For Blue, it can be as early as day 5!! This is usually a sign of dominance, helping to ensure she gets the boys FIRST! Well, in this instance, it has brought me to a perplexing conclusion.

J.B. attached to Blue on day six of her heat. I didn't anticipate the tie taking, especially since it was very short and so early.  He is our gate-jumper and really does have an unwanted mind of his own!!!! The planned breeding with Ace took place on day 10 - ideal for ovulation on day 13. We all assumed that Ace would be the daddy to this litter but I am now questioning that. J.B. could very well have some super spermies and be the daddy to these girls - or at the least, Dixie Daiquiri. Buddy and Ginny both carry the tri-color gene and the chocolate dilute gene, so I can assume that Ace does as well.  But J.B's grandpa is a a chocolate-tri, just like Dixie! To make sure we know for sure, we are doing DNA tests on all five. We should have the results in a couple weeks. Until then, we will not have them listed as available. Once the results are in we will list them accordingly. I can tell you though, there is a list built already with families wanting Dixie. Watch for updates in a few weeks, but until then, you can enjoy their growing gallery of photos!