I personally commend you for taking the time to research the breed and making a decision that is best for you and your family. A chi is not for everyone. If more people put this kind of consideration into a pet before they got one, we wouldn't have some of the problems we have today. Best of luck for whatever breed you decide to go for! Marsha
----- Original Message ----- From: Leslie Cowan To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 12:52 PM Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] another question...i'm just full of them That is some VERY good advice. We just got a 6 mo old pit pup given to us yesterday, she and her brother were dumped at a mans house and they had been fed antifreeze. Her brother died, and the man nursed her back to health, but she's stunted i think...The man who gave her to me is retired, and they're not home much, so he thought she needed a better home.... Anyway, she weighs about 25 pounds, so she's small. And her playmate next door at her old house was a chi. Well, now i don't have to worry about at least one of my dogs not getting along with a chi. I've been showing my husband the messages that i have gotten from you all. I think me might be reconsidering our decision on a chi now. Which is probably best. I don't think our family is suitable for a chi, just because they are so small, and my kids are more used to larger dogs, expecially larger dogs like my pit bulls who don't care what the kids do to them. Also, I am not the type of person who can deal with "messes" all over the house. Messes drive me NUTS! We had a german shep once who wouldn't house break, so after a month he found a new home..especially after he peed on our christmas tree. Also, I'm used to dealing with pits, and pit bulls have a different standard of everything compaired to other dogs. I don't think we're ready for a chi. Every breed has is pro's and con's. But for ME, RIGHT NOW, the con's of having a chi outweigh the pro's. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Leslie I am going to offer some very opinionated advice which is definitely not meant to offend anyone but here it is... Some Chihuahuas CANNOT be housebroken. Which is to say that they cannot be allowed to have the run of your home with the expectation that they will not potty somewhere other than outside. I believe by nature larger dogs are easier to housebreak. Instinct tells a dog NOT to potty where they sleep, for a larger dog that requires more room the off limits potty area will likely be the entire house. But for a tiny Chihuhaua, they only need a small area to sleep, meaning the rest of the house is fair game. I have learned through experience that even if a chihuahua KNOWS not to potty inside, often they will still do it. Behind a chair, on the carpet, someplace hidden. This is because they KNOW they aren't supposed to do it. Now the advice part is that you really need to think LONG and HARD about wether this is something you are prepared to deal with. I feel if it is EXTREMELY important for you to have a dog that has the run of the house and is completely housebroken, the Chihuahua is probably not the right breed for you. I am not saying this is true for all Chihuahuas but I think you need to ask yourself if you bought one that turned out to be difficult to housebreak, what would you do? If you cannot answer that you are prepared to pull up carpeting, give up on your lovely decorative rugs throughout the house, and have a mop handy at all times, maybe the pits are the best choice for your family. Given your situation, I also think perhaps you need to look into a Chihuahua on the larger end of the size spectrum, perhaps a longcoat. In my experience the larger LC are a little better with children, not to mention you have Pit Bulls in the house. If you do decide to get one, please be sure the breeder is willing to take the puppy back if it does not work out. Amber All Soigne Chihuahuas www.soigne.moonfruit.com Need a website? www.soignewebdesign.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- See what's free at AOL.com.
