When I come home from being out, Dolly has a little routine that hardly ever changes. First when she sees me her little ears go back like little pig tails, then she turns a little on her side and both of her front paws look like she is digging in her bed. That digging/scratching motion is her way of saying that she wants me to scratch her belly. So, I scratch her belly, then I have to pick her up and give her a little kiss; then immediately after that she wants to get down and she picks up the cookie that she saved from when I left. She will either take the cookie outside in the back yard, or she will run to one of the dog beds and eat it.
Desi has been really surprising me. He is in the master bathroom, so I open the gate for him and he runs up the stairs to the bed and wants me to pick him up and give him a kiss. I put him down and he runs down the stairs out to the living room and around the kitchen island. He looks in Dolly's area for her, and then he will look in the living room. Today she was already outside, so I opened the door. This is where I was very amazed. Dolly was on the patio and had her cookie chewed into a bunch of little pieces. Desi was already out of the door, so I said 'Desi, Stop! Dolly's cookie.' He stopped about a foot in front of her and watched as she so gently chewed all of the cookie pieces and then when she was done they both ran out to go potty. That is one of the things that amazes me about his behavior since he has been eating out of the treat toys. He knows he is getting food and that Dolly isn't a threat. And.today was something that I should put on the calendar. So proud of my little man! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Peggy & The Girls Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 1:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: Princess & Gigi's Pawing Actually I was thinking of training her for therapy work when I first got her, but Eskies shed all the time, no matter how great a diet and supplements, brushing, etc. you give them. Not many people like that, least of all hospitals etc. She is in a way a therapy dog for a lot of the seniors in my apartment complex. They all know what times I walk her and when they see me, they always call for Princess and have a treat ready at their door. It was because of the seniors here that I trained her to sit in front of them and not jump up. Princess was under 2 yrs old when I got her and acted very much like a puppy in a lot of ways. Now she sits and puts out her paw for a shake and gives a little "woof" bark as a hello to them, wagging her tail a mile a minute because she knows they have that treat for her. I'll tell you a secret, I have been trying to train Gigi for it. She has the drawback that when she sits on your lap, she demands that you pet her. She does this by putting her front leg straight out and paws at you. Once, as gentle as she is, that paw scratched my face, and another time, it knocked my eyeglasses off. So I have been trying to get her over that and learn just to be content sitting a persons lap and not demanding to be constantly petted at the same time. She is getting better at it, but it seems to be deeply rooted in her. While I am on the subject of the pawing like that, Does anyone else's Chi do this? Is it a Chi thing, or something that just Gigi does? It's like she instinctively extends her leg and paw out like that. I tried to turn it into a game of 'high five' so that she would only do it when I ask her, but that backfired and made it worse. So now I am trying the 'Ignore' and only pet her when her paw is down, which seems to be working, but it is a slow process, because she apparently has been doing it for 6+ years. -------Original Message------- From: [email protected] Date: 5/11/2011 3:38:48 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: Re-homing is official That's very interesting how Princess used that position only to communicate what she was feeling at that moment be understood and thank goodness, you are you and you got it....Gee, Peggy, couldn't you get her some police work somewhere, or therapy work. Just teasing, but it seems she is so very smart AND and a very beautiful girl. In a message dated 5/11/2011 3:28:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Thanks Lynn. I forgot to mention that Princess has never taken that position again. I had even tried to have her sit on my lap and put her paws on my shoulders like she did that day, and she wants no part of it.
