The Weekend Did It's Job

Another successful camping trip - On that allowed us all - Humans and Dogs - The chance to totally chillax. Even with the Chicatoo detour mixed in! A lot of bonding time napping on the couch and so many leisurely walks, taking on the beauty of Lake Louisa State Park.

And I finally got to read the every page in one of my most favorite books! It is one I recommend to my new puppy families - How to Afford Veterinary Care without Mortgaging the Kids. I have read pages that pertained to me several times but to read from cover to cover was awesome. I TOTALLY agree with the author 300%. If you one one dog or 20, this book is a must read!

Looky Here

I have told all my puppy families about the  amazing deal on doggy steps from Walgreens but they have become very, VERY hard to find. I know my local Walgreens hasn't carried them for over a year now.  I swore once I found them, I would buy them out!

I stopped in at the CVS on University Blvd. today to get me a water and happened to need to go down the dog aisle to get to the coolers. Voila! They had their very own doggy steps for $9.99!!! I BOUGHT FIVE!!!

So all my ChiChi loving friends - run to CVS - I mean RUN and get at least two sets.  They make couch cuddles and bedtime siestas a breeze and are what I consider a must-have in all Chihuahua homes. You will thank me when your Chi gets older - These steps will help ease their joints and hips for sure!

Gotta Love Benadryl

While the girls were out on one of their play sessions in the backyard this afternoon, Colada came back in the house with a swollen lip! Chihuahuas love to dig in the dirt to get to dead lizards and any found kitty poops. They also are often fascinated with moving bugs, many times using them as a toy! I think a combination of the both resulted in Colada getting bit by something. She was such a sweet girl while we tended to her boo-boo and patiently dealt with the uncomfortableness of the swelling. (It couldn't have been that bad - She chowed no problem on a piece of the kid's lunch that fell on the floor)

Now here is your head's up on allergic reactions in your Chihuahua. Children's Benadryl is the wonder drug for insect bite reactions, runny eyes, scratchy, barky throats and goobery noses that we humans often see with allergies and even vaccine reactions! If the reactions are mild and not life threatening, 1 mL of Benadryl per pound will do the trick!!! And for our sweet Colada, it totally did the trick! She was back to her beautiful self within 30 minutes.

The Dog Food Wars

I have been feeding my little pack Royal Canin and Natural Balance for  forever. They started to show a preference for the Royal Canin over the Natural Balance and have been on the hunt for a natural and healthy replacement since February. I gave the advised Purina Pro Plan a try - they devoured it but I didn't care for the resulting stools. I realize that many experienced breeders use this food without issue and swear by it, but my Chi's simply didn't transition well. So I tried another breeder's suggestion - Bil-Jac. The Chi's LOVE IT!!! So much so that I transitioned to Bil-Jac Select Adult only!

They devour Bil-Jac and I have seen a huge difference. Their coats are so silky and soft and interestingly, I have noticed that their watery eyes when the pollen counts are high aren't as frequent. (unlike myself!!!) I elected the Select Adult because the Small Breed doesn't have enough calcium for my liking and to my pleasant surprise, the kibble is small and very easy for the Chihuahuas to chew. Also, due to the calcium levels, it is fine for our puppies to eat when they snack on their mommy's food :)

Another Crafty Project

We are gearing up for our 2010 camping trips and need to get the dog's gear organized as well. The one thing on the top of that list was a new set of I.D tags. Our last batch was ordered from LoveYourPets.com. I loved the tags and the price was awesome! Problem was, the plastic was easily chewed by our more active Chihuahuas. About half of the tags are still legible. The sound of clinking brass or stainless tags was far more of an issues than the chewing. Any time they hear the clinking they bark - I am stuck with plastic.

Then I found the slide on tags. BRILLIANT! PetTags4Less.com even charged less than for my original batch! Since I am creating custom collars to match their new harness vests, the slide-on concept can be used and made "permanent" once I stitch on the clasps.  These will be PERFECT!!!

But this got me thinking - I still need a tag of some sort for their vests! Identification while camping is a must and since they will be sporting BOTH restraints, double I.D.ing is a fantabulous idea. So the crafty side of me emerged and the following is the result...

I created these adorable tags with shrink film, a black Sharpie marker, a box of colored pencils, split rings, jump rings, glittery nail polish and crystal glaze. VOILA!

I love how my prototypes turned out. (Btw, the blurred text is intentional - it's private contact information ;)  Working out the shrink to size ratio and what mediums work the best took the longest (it takes a MINIMUM of 24 hours for the glaze to dry completely) but  I feel it was well worth the effort. Now I just need to test the durability of the tags! I have a few test subjects on hand  - tee hee - and will share the results once they are in.

Crate Cover Frenzy

We have a family outing scheduled for Saturday that will keep us from the house for over 6 hours. We have a few males that go through a bit of separation anxiety when we leave and their crate is the only way to calm their nerves. Since I created the first few cover sets, these same boys fight for the comfy crates every chance they can get.  This put me on the fast track to crate cover set completion so they all could have their own comfy spot for our full day outing.

I have gotten several emails asking for more information on the sets so as I created today, I took photos of the different pieces. The first step is the pillow and bumper-pads.  Using the Simplicity 4713 Pattern for Pet Crate Covers, I created the pads in two formats. One for the door opening on the side and once opening for the front. I have two-door crates and stack them so that the side door is used mostly. Instead of using the foam per the instructions for the mattress, I made a pillow, using a lot of fiberfill. Chihuahua's love to nest and dig - Foam doesn't allow for that.

The second step is to create the cover. As much as the bumper-pad and pillow create comfy seclusion, the cover is the final piece providing security and solitude. Using the rolled window shade format from the pattern, I made a door for the front and side. The pattern sizes didn't fit my crates for I sued their pieces as a guide and then customized per my needs. I also lined them in with a solid black backing, doubling the yardage per the patten, but the look is much more crisp and finished.

As of this evening, I finished all nine sets! Once you have one down, the rest are easy-breezy. If anyone is interested in creating them for their own Chi friends, contact me and I will share my hints in more detail :)

Expanding The Brain Muscle

Puppies LOVE to have their brain muscle's built. Learning skills that all puppies need is one thing but puzzles they need to figure out build those muscles even more and a cat tunnel can do the trick!

Figuring out how to walk through it, especially while it rolls, how to maneuver the different holes in different sections, and how to move it - all thinking skills that this litter has master this week.

For those interested, I bought these tunnels at Ikea for like 2.00!!!

My Latest Find

I am frugal and often times get frustrated when the cost of an item is increased because the word "dog" is on the packaging. Since we free feed the dogs, little chi foot prints are usually found around the food and water bowls. To keep things a bit more tidy, I have been on the lookout for a mat to place under the bowls. I simply cannot justify paying over $5.00 for a "placemat" for dogs!!!!

Today I found this adorable placemat at TARGET - in the HOME department - for $0.99!!! It matches my KITCHEN, isn't tacky doggy themed - and for that price, I bought FIVE to allow me to replace them as needed. Get creative with your doggy needs and you will surly save some mula!

A Corralling Tip For Ya

As with all homes, ours is a constant work in progress. On our list of things to do was to create a way to keep the dogs on the deck that runs the full length of our house. We have a few that will jump between the banisters to get down and chase squirrels and such. The original thought was to attach chicken wire around the railings to keep them contained. Chicken wire is our savior when it comes to keeping our adventurers from digging holes under our wooden fencing that surrounds the back yard. But it is so bendable! Our dogs are way too smart to not find a way to work the wire in their favor.

When I saw the Garden Fencing in the aisles at Home Depot, I thought it may do the trick! It's made of a much thicker gauge of wire and comes in a roll. If you can believe it, it was about half the price too!  About a hundred staples and 30 minutes later - VOILA! The dogs are contained and the deck still looks pretty good!

The Dog's Big Gift This Year

I found this lounger at Tuesday Morning during my holiday shopping adventures and knew at first sight it was a must have for my pack of Chis.  Originally I thought of our many camping trips and how this would be ideal for out in the campsite - keeping them up off the ground. Plus the zipper feature makes it easy to wash and keep clean.

Now that I have it beside the tree in the living room I think I may need to pick up another. They all love it and try to pile in all at once. Then they take turns napping is raised comfort. For 24.00, this was a great find!!

Another Great Find

While at Big Lots last week, I happened upon a wall filled with these toy breed chew toys. I like to pick up chewies when we have new litters for the teething stage and these are the perfect size!  Since our dogs take over the toys after the pups are gone, I figured I would buy them some too.

Well, they have become the new fav for the whole bunch - And you can even hide little treats in the ends! For a buck a piece - TOTAL DEAL! Chi lovers - run to your local Big Lots and check them out..

And while you are there, they had a RACK full of the packs of Pee Pads I tell every one about when they pick up their pups - They are normally at Walgreens - 50 for 10.00 - But they sell out quick!

Another ChiChi Find

Ok all of you ChiChi lovers - Look what I found! I have what some might call a brown thumb but I just HAD to get me one! Maybe I will put a silk plant in it ;) Either way - it is SO stinkin cute!

It's only $20.00 from In The Company of Dogs. They do have a lot of other canine eclectic things you can add to your shopping cart too. Place an order to get on their mailing list for sure!

Our New Gate

Easy to install (very easy actually) and the perfect height to keep our jumpers contained, our new baby gate arrived today and we all love it! The dogs are still a bit perplexed but I am sure they will get accustom soon enough. I totally recommend the unit to all dog owners - and for $40.00 it's a fantastic deal!

Da Steps

I always tell my new puppy parents to pick up a set of the doggy steps from Walgreens. IF you can find them, they sell them for $10.00!!! Awesome deal I must say.

They make things much easier in your ChiChi world - Allowing your Chihuahua to get up and down off of furniture with ease. Jumping is a no-no for this tiny breed.

We train all of our pups to use the steps during their play sessions, making an easier transition into their new forever homes easier.

Another Ikea Find

Giving puppies new and exciting adventures is all part of breeding and raising Chihuahuas - or any breed of dog. Socialization is key and always will be. We expose our pups to many different experiences and environments and today we discovered a fun and entertaining one for both dogs and humans!

I found these cat tunnels at IKEA for 4.99 and thought what fun! It took only seconds for Ace to take it over. Running through it with no fear, he claimed it as his own. The dogs were a bit standoffish at first but soon they too found it exciting. I totally recommend adding one to the toy box.

A New Favorite

Natural Balance foods are a true fav in this house, and when I saw these new canned foods I thought I would give them a try. I do not feed soft foods often - usually as a treat from time to time - and also for my nursing moms and of course, young pups. These foods looks so human food like, I thoughts these could be the ultimate it treats!

The moment I opened the first can, the dogs went nuts. They gobbled it down as quickly as I could dish it out. They loved the Chinese Take-Out the best - and I will warn you, the Hobo Chili leaves a red sauce stain - Ginny sported a sauce mustache for a while!

Got Carpet?

We do. And since many of our puppy parents do too, I thought it would be a good idea to share my experiences on how to deal with puppies and carpeting.

We took down the puppy playpen this afternoon - the next step is to clean the carpets. Puppies WILL have accidents. Never would I try to imply that our pups or my dogs don't soil because It DOES happen! So the the best way to remove the stains would be the best thing I can do!

First - Nature's Miracle. I totally believe in the product and recommend it to any dog owner. It removes the stains, smells and it does stop other dogs from remarking!!!! Purty kewl aye? (They have laundry detergent that I also recommend for washing doggy beds too btw).

Next - the cleaning unit! We have tried MANY different units. We started by renting steam cleaners. It is SO much more economical to just buy your own machine. I totally recommend the Bissell ProHeat 2X Select. If you watch you can pick one up at Kohls for less than 200.00! And, it has a barefloor attachment! But do NOT use the heat feature on your puppy potty stains!!!! I REPEAT - DO NOT USE HEAT!!!! That just sets the stain and the smell! You can use Nature's Miracle as the cleaner in the machine and voila - fresh and beautiful carpets!

What Ya Up To?

Tell me these two don't look they got caught doing sumpin' they wasn't suppose to be doin'

Actually, J.B. was cleaning Baby's ear - a rather regular occurrence in our house. A true sign of our dogs being very comfortable in their pack. So when your chichi licks in your ear (or nose) that is what they are showing you too. They are showing you the ultimate in love!

Such Awesome News!!!

Dr. Mario has been working on this for a while but now that it is official, I am SO geeked to announce that he has opened a Discount Pet Vaccine clinic here in Altamonte Springs. It's located on SR 436 between 17-92 and Ronald Regan - perfect spot! And the clinic will only be open on weekends - how perfect is THAT? So convenient - no need to take off work - and they sell heartworm and flea & tick meds too!

I will surly send all our new puppy families there - 50.00 each for their remaining booster shots is a fantastic value - plus Doc has a history with our pups. Win-Win-Win!

The grand opening is Mother's Day weekend - Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10. Be sure to check him out.

Crammed

I see this time and time again. We have a total of six dog beds in the kitchen. That is PLENTY for 10 dogs to find ample napping space. WHY they insist on cramming into one bed is beyond me. Their bodies hang out the side, heads wrap onto each other and the weight limit is far exceeded.

Needless to say, for anyone out there with multiple ChiChis - don't waste your money on individual beds - Just one will do fine!