Hello and welcome to the group!! WE have members from all over...many different countries, so you should fit right in!! I am Marsha in KY (USA) and I am a breeder. I am currently owned by 6 chis and just placed my latest litter last week. I had a chow when I was a child. MY uncle bred AKC chows and he gave me a pup in case he ever wanted to use it as a stud. Fritoes (Hanes Fritoes Salmain) was a beautiful blue chow who lived to be 14 years old. I understand that is pretty old for a chow! I have great memories of him and a few scars to remember him by as well! lol. BUT I will be the first to admit that my scars were my fault!! It was summer and my mom was weedeating inside his kennel and he was terrified of the weedeater and tried to go out the door so I grabbed his tail...when I did he turned around and snapped, getting my arm....so I hit him with the other arm, which he returned the favor and bit it!! lol. I looked cute in bandages on both arms up to the elbows, lol. But nonetheless, I deserved it and it is the only time he ever showed any aggression. Chows get a bad rap that is undeserved I think. Well, anyways, best of luck to you in finding the right chi and welcome to the group! Marsha
----- Original Message ----- From: Denise To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 9:20 AM Subject: [Chihuahuas] Hi from the UK Hi there from the UK. Hope you don't mind me joining in. Can't seem to find a UK based Chihuahua group. I don't have a chi at the moment - We currently have two mutts which we rescued whilst we were in Spain. (We lived there for 12 years until 1994) Sam who is a cross lab was abandoned on the beach 15 years ago and Jack, a sort of very fat Cairn (!) was abandoned it he countryside. However we came back from Spain we also had Lucky - a long hair Chihuahua who had been thrown into the sea and was in the sea for 36 hours before we managed to rescue her. In the following years she developed diabetes which also caused cataracts which were in turn operated on, but she still lost one eye. Eventually she succumbed last year to liver and kidney failure due to the diabetes. Although she was only small she had a HUGE personality and was definitely Alpha dog despite being so much smaller than the others Before I went to Spain, I bred and showed Chow Chows for some years and I miss that. I love Chows but we only live in a very small house now and there's no way I could have half a dozen or more (at one point I had 16 chows) and Lucky left such an impression on us that I immediately thought of Chihuahuas. However, of course here in the UK at least, they are the "designer" dog of the moment so are very difficult to get. There are plenty of unregistered ones around but I want a fully KC registered bitch, that conforms to all the points of the standard. I'd never breed from a dog that had any faults that could be passed on. I've been in touch with a few breeders and there are about three now that I think I've convinced of my experience and knowledge of breeding but I've had to jump through rings to do it! I've provided references from other breeders who know me. References from owners of my previous puppies, been quizzed about the standard, my vet, my home circumstances etc. I don't mind - I do the same with prospective new owners of my pups I'd PREFER a smooth but to be honest will take whichever is the best dog. Lucky was long hair but I'd like a smooth because at least smooth to smooth CAN result in a longhair whereas smooth to smooth never would. One of the breeders has got three bitches hopefully in whelp at the moment, a smooth and two long hair so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for one of those. It will be around April / May at the earliest before the pups could go, even if everything goes ok and the litters are successful - just in time for my birthday!! When we eventually get our new pup, I'll post a photo!
