Hi all! I haven't been around much lately! Holidays and Birthdays and Graduations all for me in this month.. The weather hasn't helped lately either. I am in Highland, and I am sure you all have heard the news about the flooding. Luckily we are not in that area, but just a few miles from it. I sure feel for all those people!! Just wanted to chime in on where dose your chi sleep? I have all three in bed with me! When I 1st got smidge I tried for a week to crate train her, but she was having nothing too do with it! She cried for a week and I didn't get any sleep. I gave in, and that was 8 years ago.. When Chassis was born Smidgen did not want to stay in her whelping bed with them, so had to modify a bed for her to be in while in bed with us.. LOL. @ 3 weeks old Chassis started crawling out of the bed and I worried that I would lay on her, so put the pups in the whelping bed next to the bed, and then would put smidge in there to feed every two hours. When I got Dani I didn't even try and crate train her to sleep, she is my snuggler!! Years ago I went to look at a male for breeding purpose, these people had over 20 Chihuahuas, the husband slept in one room with 10 of them and then the wife had the rest in her bed!! Now that is crazy! I don't know how they got any sleep.. I also like my girls close to me at night for protection. 8years ago my husband and I were sleeping, it was a summer night, we had the slider open for cool air to come in. We lived in a very nice neighborhood. Someone was outside our slider, and the dogs barked and I heard the guy say "There are dogs in there" They took off, but two days later they hit our neighbor that didn't have dogs. They went in there home while they were sleeping and stole things. Ate food in there refrigerator all while they slept in bed.. The wife woke up to see someone in her bathroom. She screamed and they took off. They found out it was some older teenage boys, but one had a hatched, he cut the screen with. So I will always have my 4 legged alarm close snuggled in bed with me. Hope all of you have a wonderful & safe Happy New Year! From, Beth, Smidgen, Chassis & Dani.
From: Deanna Corey <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Where does your Chi sleep? To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, December 30, 2010, 9:28 AM Hi Sarah, First off I really think all dogs are pack dogs...they need both kinds of relationships...that's just my opinion though. Mine are all a pack...I have 2 chis, a Boston, a shih tzu, and poodle named Nugget, a giant rott/chow mix named Caleb and soon to add a yorkie. All of them are bonded to me but enjoy each other as well and each have a certain role to play in our house. Because we would get no sleep with 5 in bed we do combo sleeping lol! I have a night stand that I converted into a side-car dog bed for a couple. I used a piece of non slip rug material, then a same sized piece of ironing board reflective material, then a heating pad on top of the night stand in that order. Then I placed a rectangular dog bed on top. It does not move and they are right by my face at eye level...4-5 inches away. Usually the smallest Chi, Myrtle and the Boston, Mable sleep together in that...facing me...with their soft fleece blankets on top of them. They love to be covered up each night...that's how they know it is time to sleep. The Shih tzu, Shuai-Li, the poodle, Nugget all sleep on top of the bed in the valley. Caleb is on the floor on my husbands side in his own dog bed. Mouse the other chi sleeps with my daughter as they are pretty much a package deal. Sometimes when it gets extra cold Myrtle and Mable will just sneak over and snuggle under my chin or arm but usually they stay in their bed. Little Myrtle is 3.5 lbs and she does just fine sleeping with us when she sneaks over. They both know to wait for mama to be asleep to make the move lol. I do have crates...and I use them...but for short periods if we are having a lot of people over or an occasional nap and at grooming time. My guys have to be use to the crates on some level because we live in the mountains and get evacuated a lot...and I want that event to be as stress free as possible. If you are worried about rolling over on Charlie, you could always place his crate up level with your mattress and facing you. That way he could see you and be part of your sleep routine. Eventually you might even be able to take the door off and he would just sleep there as his bed. I really believe that sleeping with you will not bond him to the pack but more to you...at least that is how it has always worked here. Have you posted pics of Charlie yet? I can't remember seeing him...love the name! I would be singing that "good and plenty" song to him all the time...Charlie says... Hugs from the Dog Park, Deanna Sent from my iPad On Dec 30, 2010, at 7:16 AM, s p <[email protected]> wrote: Heya everyone, So Charlie, my first chihuahua and the smallest dog I've ever been owned by, is now months old and a whopping 3 lbs.He's a coby applehead and about 10 inches long so he's wee. Anyway, we've been having him sleep in his crate at night and he's doing fine with that but I was wondering where your chis sleep. We have dachshunds and they sleep in the bed. Charlie gets along with them wonderfully but he isn't a 'pack' dog. Dachshunds are pack dogs, they need that pack system to be happy and Charlie plays with them but he goes to work with me and shopping and such when they don't. So far we haven't let him in the bed at night. Mainly because, well, he's wee tiny small, but I've been worried he'll bond too much with the pack and lose that "Mommy is the bestest thing in the whole wide world I want to be with her' mentality. I've never had a chi. We've had bulldogs in the past and they couldn't be allowed to be in the bed because they got possessive of it. The dachshunds do fine, they borrow in and snuggle and there's no personalty changes but they do it as a pack. Where do yours sleep? Has it changed them at all? Should I keep Charlie in his crate? Would occasionally being allowed in the bed, say on the days I don't take him to work, be okay? The husband and I are split on this. Charlie slept with us last night, today is our day off, and he curled up under my chin, on my pillow, next to a dachshund just fine. He slept the whole night, didn't fuss, didn't mess on the bed...but well, we're not sure it's safe or a good idea or whatever. Chihuahuas are so different than dachshunds or bulldogs that I'd thought I'd ask you all and see what you think... It was nice to wake up to a chi tail over my nose this morning...lol Sarah "If you do not change your beliefs...Your life will always be like this." ~ Lazyboy "Some will say there is safety in numbers, tell that myth to the edge of the herd." ~ "Blood" by Gaia Consort
