Well my very quiet, low energy girl is turning into quite the little diva. Remember that mischievous glint I mentioned yesterday?
At this point, she will definitely end up being a foster unless I can solve some of the issues we're currently dealing with. On one hand, I guess it's a good thing she likes me - I seem to increasingly have that effect on people and animals. Weird...However, the high pitched yelping every time I step away from her will not go over well in an apartment complex. This is one of the big issues being worked on. As I mentioned - my primary incentive was to get her out of the shelter and get her healthy. She is a very sweet dog. She just might not be my ideal fit, and I refuse to take her back to the shelter. Okay, I was hoping to find myself a dog as well. The good news - she is definitely house broken and either waits to go outside or uses a piddle pad. The bad news - she's a lot more high energy than I thought - granted she's very young - estimated at one year old. Once she's better and a bit more trained, she'll be able to run around the house. For now, I've got her in the bathroom with huge doors up. She used to have the full hallway, but she was either knocking over the doors or jumping the lower barrier. Thankfully there are other facilities in the house that I can use. ::sigh:: She's also found her voice, and there's been a fair bit of crying, whining and yes...barking. At the moment, she's busy being rather annoyed about being closed up in the bathroom. I can hear her scraping at the doors - half doors, not the close bathroom door. She's knocked them over once. At the moment, I'm ignoring the behavior. I don't want to reinforce bad behavior with positive reinforcement. Eg. going over and giving her attention. At least not when she's crying and generally exhibiting unwanted behavior. I am concerned that she and I won't be a forever pair for the following reasons: 1. Right now, I mostly work from home. But when I have to go out for work purposes, the days are long. This Sunday I will be gone from about 9am - 5/6pm at the earliest. There is a chance that I will be gone until 11pm or so at night. Possibly later. This doesn't happen often. But...there are days. And as I don't currently have a flatmate, I have no 'back up plan' on the occasional long day. I had originally just planned to get a litter box of some sort and pair it with newspaper or a piddle pad. Cat litter is great for controlling odor. And with a piddle pad on top, that's familiar to the pup. But I think she'll be very unhappy on her own for that long - I don't know if she's the destructive anxiety sort or not yet. And she's much too tiny to be an outdoor dog like the other dog on the property. Sylvie and the Cat (just Cat) are best friends. They were out hunting together this morning. 2. I think Pia would do much better with a doggy companion to keep her company. But I really don't have the resources to take on another chihuahua. Especially another shelter rescue. This one's been more than enough. At least there's some time to get her properly socialized. By the time mid-June comes around, there will be a third dog (Corgi), a second cat, four more big people, and a small child in this household. It is conceivable one of them will fall in love with her. This isn't an issue of shirking responsibility. It's a potential compatibility issue. She needs the best possible home she can get. I'm just not entirely sure I'm going to be the right owner for her. Short term, yes. Absolutely. Long term? Maybe not. For now, it's an adventure - discovering each other's personalities. And trying to adjust. We'll see how things go once she's better and I feel more comfortable letting her wander around the house. Are there any Los Angeles or better yet Antelope Valley based chihuahua people that might be willing to meet her and offer some pointers on dealing with this particular personality? And...if it comes down to placing her, I know I'll be able to find her a fabulous home. Actually...any advice at this point is welcome. I'm kind of still wondering what I'm going to do with this little one. She was supposed to be mine. But I increasingly doubt my ability to provide this specific little girl with the right sort of home in the long run. -Autumn --- In [email protected], Joan Croft <joan_croft@...> wrote: > > Oh and I want to add. > > I used to feel very guilty leaving Dolly. I think that she picked up on my > emotions. Then each time got a little better. Desi, I used to have to > quarantine him every day for a little nap so that me and Dolly could get a > rest. He was the perfect little puppy. But, I would put him in there and > tell him to have a Happy Nappy, and then go out of the bedroom and close the > door so that he couldn't hear me. When I would come to release him from > jail, I would give him kisses. > > I am sure you probably read this before, but I will give the very short > version: > > Because I often do not go out, Desi devised in his little cogs and gears in > his head that if I was putting on makeup that it meant that I was going out. > Later when I had been sick and hospitalized together spanning about 1 ½ > months, I didn't get dressed so then for a while he also thought that I was > going out because I got dressed. > > But, Desi loves when I go out because I put a couple of treats in one of his > plush puzzle toys and he has to work to get it, but he does get the treat in > the end. Then I come out into the living room and Dolly runs to her area so > that she can get her treat too but she doesn't eat it until I get home most > of the time. > > I guess the moral of this story is for you to not feel guilty leaving Pia; > and if you make something good out of you having to go to work, etc. Pia > will go running to her quarantine area faster than you can walk over there. > > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Joan Croft > Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 10:07 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [Chihuahuas] Re: Pia Update > > > > > > When you go out and she is quarantined, you can either leave the TV or a > radio on for her. She will soon realize that you are going out and that you > come back. I give each of mine a little treat when I go out. But, mine > have a lot of room to move around in. > > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of freddyscribbles > Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 9:21 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Pia Update > > > > > > Day 4 > > Pia continues to improve. The cough still isn't great. But her energy levels > are up. There's a definite drop in malaise. She ate without problem this > morning. She also seems to be drinking. > > This is the first time I've actually heard her bark. And cry actually. > Because she's not enjoying being put in quarantine. In the hallway. > > She is food motivated. So we spent a few minutes working on Come and Sit. > She also seems to enjoy going for walks. > > Right now she's really unhappy about being in quarantine...But this is > another thing she has to get used to. I may throw her travel bag in there > for her to get used to. But I'm hoping to nip potential separation anxiety > problems in the bud right now. > > But at least she's definitely acting more like a dog. > > --- In [email protected] <mailto:Chihuahuas%40yahoogroups.com> , > Joan Croft <joan_croft@> wrote: > > > > I bet that before she got to you she was given a bowl of food and then it > > was picked up when they thought that eating time was over. She is probably > > like Dolly who might eat a few kibbles and then come back a couple hours > > later and devour, and then a few here and there again. The food that you > > are feeding her is probably new to her and when hungry she started to eat > > and loved it. I am so glad that she is feeling better. But, I think that I > > have heard that sometimes when a dog goes to a new place, as part of the > > stress being in a new place, take a little while to start eating. You are > > doing great.keep it up! > > > > > > > > From: [email protected] <mailto:Chihuahuas%40yahoogroups.com> > [mailto:[email protected] <mailto:Chihuahuas%40yahoogroups.com> ] > On > > Behalf Of freddyscribbles > > Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 5:18 PM > > To: [email protected] <mailto:Chihuahuas%40yahoogroups.com> > > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Pia Update > > > > > > > > > > > > Well, I reckon, or rather I hope, she's on the mend. She's been rather > > lethargic overall. But she seems to be coming around. > > > > I generally sleep during the day - weird work schedule. 3-5 hours of sleep > a > > night, 1-2 during the day. About four pm today I was woken up by the sound > > of plastic being pushed against cement. She finally decided she was hungry > > and ate quite a substantial meal of Innova kibble and Beneful wet food. > She > > also seems to be drinking more on her own. Good signs. Both very good > signs. > > > > I left her in her little hallway quarantine to run an errand, and was > > surprised to see a little tiny face looking up at me when I got home. > She'd > > knocked over the doors used to keep her in place and come to the door to > > greet me. Then she ran out the door. Thankfully the yard is fenced and > she's > > relatively easy to catch. > > > > So, judging from her energy levels, this little gal should hopefully pull > > through. I still have some concerns about underlying health issues. And > I'm > > still somewhat uncertain about my ability to keep her although, as long as > > I'm working up in Acton, it won't be a problem. Once I have to move - > things > > may get trickier. Also, once the studio work comes in. We'll see. > > > > As I've said - I will just be happy to make sure this little one gets > > healthy and ends up in a good home whether or not that is with me. > > > > She definitely has a mischievous gleam in her eye. She also really prefers > > to be snuggled up in your lap. But right now, she's spending most of her > > time in quarantine because I have to work, and she really needs to be > > resting. > > > > Fingers crossed we're really on the mend > > -Autumn > > > ------------------------------------ We are now on Facebook! Join today! http://www.facebook.com/groups/chihuahuasclubYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
