New Chihuahua Friends Chicatoo?

My daughter had a few friends over and they are all still at the "sleeping with their favorite stuffed animal" stage. Ironically, they all find their Chihuahua Webkinz their favorite sleeping pals and Chicatoo clearly recognized the resemblance. The white Terrior Webkinz she barked are fiercely but the Chihuahua ones? She wagged her tail and begged them to play!  And then she seemed to thank the girls for bringing new friends for her to play with! Too funny to not capture.

Zhu Zhu Pets Make Great Fun

Forget the laser pointer! Goodness me, we have had hours of fun with those! My daughter got a Zhu Zhu Pet for her birthday and between the sounds and squeals and squeaks alone, the dogs interest was piqued. When it started to move? Oh my WORD! All bets were off and Baby was the winner. She freaked out at first but then she took control and showed the electronic raccoon who was boss! For $5.00, an entertaining dog toy!

March Madness Madness

We along with many other families we know are huge Gator fans and with March Madness in the air, I am in the process of making some custom Florida Gator harnesses for all the Chihuahuas in our extended family and our own! That's quite the pile of blue and orange aye?

When I made the first batch of Gator harnesses for my son's football games, I got several requests of onesies and twosies for Gators and even a request for a Seminoles harness, but this is, by far, the largest pile to date. Because the fabric is licensed, I cannot sell any in my ChiChi Gear section. But if you have a request for a college or NFL team, shoot me a message and I can sew it if you buy the fabric and send it to me! In the mean time....off to sewing the outer edges and Velcro on 24 Gator harnesses I go!

Rock Lobster

Anyone with Chihuahuas knows the nightmare of finding the perfect dog toy that will last longer than a week. Mine LOVE the rope bone toys but really prefer the plush stuffed toys. Problem is, they don't seem to last very long, getting gutted (or at least busting a gut and then finding fluff all over the room) and then eventually tossed. I have tried mending the injured toys but the same always results.

I have recently diminished my plush counts to the bear minimum. The one and only toy I have found to withstand the tiny teeth of twelve Chihuahuas is a plush/rope combo that I found at Target. If I could buy 100 I would because it gives them the best of both pleasure worlds and the oldest in our house is almost 2 years! That's an eternity in dog toy land! Be sure to check out the Boots and Barkley Plush Lobster.

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!

The New Favorite Toy

Cathy sent a couple of her awesome fleece toy dogs with the treats and the dogs have been claiming them every chance they can get. They are the perfect size for a Chihuahua's mouth and the ideal weight to be carried into their individual hiding spots.

I have spent the last few days digging them out from behind couch cushions and under the sofa. That's a sure sign they are voted number one in this dog filled house!

A Box Filled With Love & Yummies

Cathy at Arf! Chihuahuas also offers a fantastic variety of homemade treats, dog toys and blankets.  The peanut butter treats were sniffed out immediately after I brought the box into the house and they have been pawing to get them ever since. Our Chihuahuas just loved them - devouring every crumb! Be sure to check out Beastie Biscuits N More and pick out your dog's favorite flavor!

We Are Now 1 in 12

Listening to a story on NPR inspired my husband to pick up a gift for me that never in his wildest dreams would he have thought to buy. Mostly because we have poked fun at them for the last two years. The Snuggie is now owned by close to 25 million people – that’s 1 in 12 – so to add to the joke, he bought one for me. Little did either of us know that we would have more record breaking temperature lows.
The low 30′s last night and again tonight! It only reached the 40′s today! OUCH!!! And guess who saved my day? You guessed it! My kitschy, pink Snuggie!!! It actually kept me and six Chihuahuas cozy warm!

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!

My Latest Find

While shopping in Key West, I stopped in at Blue Cat & Red Dog Too - A  Dog & Cat Boutique in the indoor mall. This sign is what caught my eye and became a must have! at $9.99, it was the perfect addition to the camper. I plan to hang it on the back because we don't have a Toy Hauler - We have a CHIHUAHUA HAULER!!!

While exploring Key West, I did happen to find another boutique right on Duvall street. They had puppies (which based on my honest opinion, were more like 6 weeks old, not 8 weeks old) and I was a bit perplexed about the possibility of a vacationer buying a puppy away from home. I can only imagine the stress that would produce. Puppies aside, they had some adorable t-shirts and bananas.

Way Cool New Toy

I have found some amazing doggy finds at my local Walgreens in the past and have shared them with all my puppy families. The fabulous dog steps for $10.00. (The same that Target sells for $19.99) How about their bag of 50 pee-pads for $10.00? Now today while there I found SOCK MONKEY DOG TOYS!!! Holy moley! They are too stinkin' cute! And at 5 bucks a piece, I just had to buy a few for the crew.

Every time I bring home a new toy, they all go nuts to see it. This time was no different. Cosmo is our true dog toy addict and he was the first to check it out. The rest took their turns and they have shared our new sock monkey friend like a group of very well behaved children. So Proud! And now, so wondering if I need to go pick up a few of the Walgreens sock money dog beds too!

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!

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.