That is just so cute about Gigi "asking" for a shirt :) And wow, thanks for the recommendation, petedge is the best website I have seen for doggie clothes!! I actually just now bought a TON of stuff from there and didn't even spend that much!!
I visited Merit this morning but didn't see your message until after so I didn't think to take a picture. But I got the chance to talk to a shelter volunteer who has worked with him a lot and she was able to tell me quite a bit about what he was like when he came in to the shelter and what he has learned since then! Apparently he was a stray :( But now he's happy and confident :) We worked on "sit" today!! He really loves pieces of a hot dog as a treat (which is what they have at the shelter) and will try his best for one of those :) It turns out that the spay and neuter clinic at the shelter is very full right now, so I am not going to be able to bring him home until next week. He will get home the same day my housemate will get home from being abroad!! They are really excited to meet each other :) This just gives me more of a chance to be ready and sufficiently dog-proofed, I guess. Maybe his new clothes will be here by then, too!! :) --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@...> wrote: > > Well I only have the two girls so buying clothes is easy. OH winters are a > lot like NY, and for the most part I don't take Gigi out in it, because it > is way to cold for a chi. When I do take her out she wears a sweater and a > coat, and if it is really freezing and I have to put her in the car, she > gets wrap in a blanket as well. She likes the winters, but last year when it > dropped down to 50 degrees a coat wasn't enough, she was still shivering, so > I brought her back inside and added a sweater and she was fine. Each chi is > different as to how they handle temperatures. > > Boots aren't necessary unless you are going to walk him a lot and there is > snow and or salt on sidewalks. Gigi also likes a t-shirt on in the house in > the winter, in fact when she feels chilled she will ask for one to be put on > her. She goes to the closet where she knows her clothes are and scratches at > it or will stand there starring at the door, and then look at me. She only > does that in the winter, and gets all jumpy and happy when I open the door. > > Petedge.com has good stuff. I like going to the pet shops at the end of the > season and get great sales that way when they discount them. Then I have > enough clothes for the following season. Walmart and Target use to have a > very nice dog clothes, but both seem to have drop the line of clothes for > the summer, hopefully they will start again for the winter. So yes, t-shirts > sweaters, and a coat is what he will need. > > Peggy > > Hey when you visit him tomorrow, you can always take a pic of him. > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: michaela_and_merit > Date: 9/3/2012 10:27:17 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: New adoptive chi parent :) > > > That's so funny-- I guess she really didn't know the perch wasn't her toy :) > Bird perches probably taste great to dogs... dirty bird feet plus wood, > score! (dogs can be so gross, haha). And you are so right about shopping-- I > went on Saturday to get his crate, bowls, harness, leash, nail clippers, > brush, toothbrush, food, treats, etc. and it was SO MUCH FUN!! Today I got > pretty distracted from my work by shopping online for dog sweaters. Do you > have any favorite places/ websites to buy clothing? I am looking for > something masculine for Merit :) He is about 1 yr old and I don't know how > much he weighs... and since I am new to chis I can't even really estimate! I > am visiting him tomorrow so maybe I can find out :) And here's the million > dollar question-- what items of clothing are "essential" for a chihuahua > living in a midwestern climate? I actually live in the South but will be > spending December in Ohio. Will he need boots? Coat or sweater?? I'm lost-- > so many options. Please advise :) > > --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@> wrote: > > > > Gigi isn't normally a chewer, but last week I was cleaning the parrot cage > > and laid a large thick perch on the floor. I walked into another room for > a > > moment and when I came back, Gigi must have decided that the perch was her > > new toy, cause she was chewing the corner off of it. She didn't act guilty > > either, she was happy as a lark wagging her tail and looking at me. Now > that > > she knows it is not a toy for her I doubt that she will do it again. > > > > I can understand your anxiety waiting to bring Merit home. I felt the same > > thing when I adopted Princess from the shelter. But I lifted my spirits > > one day by going out shopping for her. I have to say, I still remember how > > happy I felt and how much I enjoyed that day. I felt like I was shopping > for > > a new grandchild again! I bought her everything that day, two beds, tons > of > > toys, dishes, collars and leads, tshirts, snacks. I went to every store > that > > carried dog stuff. My dollar and discount stores here are great for dog > > items and they are made well too. Bought tons of stuff with the name > > Princess" on them. Did the same thing for Gigi the day after I got her. > > What fun! > > > > BTW, do you know how old and how much Merit weighs? > > > > Peggy & The Girls > > > > > > > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > > > From: michaela_and_merit > > Date: 9/3/2012 12:11:42 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: New adoptive chi parent :) > > > > > > Gigi sounds like a character :) I didn't buy Merit a bed yet because I > want > > to see if he chews things up and destroys them first. I have a few > blankets > > for him in his crate. Do chis usually chew things up?? Well, I'm sad > because > > the shelter's closed today for the holiday so I can't go visit him. > > Hopefully this will not mean a delay in processing the adoption!! Shelter > > staff told me 3-5 business days so I HOPE I get him by Friday!! I am > keeping > > my fingers crossed. > > > > --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@> wrote: > > > > > > LOL Michaela! I am sure that he will love your t-shirt to lay upon. A > lot > > of > > > chi's like to snuggle in those baby acrylic blankets. I found a couple > of > > > them at the dollar store. > > > > > > The strange thing with Gigi, as compared to most other chis, is that she > > > doesn't like blankets in her bed. She will go through great lengths to > > pull > > > them out. Since she was a BYB dog and was loaded with newspaper print, I > > don > > > t think that she ever had blankets and soft beds. In fact when I first > got > > > her and put newspaper on her wee tray, I found her sleeping on it > several > > > times. Now she loves her beds and has even claimed the larger beds that > > were > > > originally bought for Princess. When the winter comes in, I will put the > > > blankets out again and maybe this year she will like them. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > > > > > From: michaela_and_merit > > > Date: 9/2/2012 3:05:57 PM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: New adoptive chi parent :) > > > > > > > > > Thank you so much for your reply, Peggy! I especially appreciate your > tip > > > about taking him something that smells like me while he is still at the > > > shelter. I am going to go visit him tomorrow and take the T shirt I was > > > wearing when we first met each other yesterday (I didn't wash it). I am > so > > > glad to have all the support and tips!! Thank you very much for all your > > > advice. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi Michaela! And congratulations on your new baby! So happy that you > > > decided > > > > to adopt a shelter chi and save his life. > > > > > > > > Well, for a starter you are absolutely right about them not doing well > > in > > > a > > > > shelter. They are real people dogs and thrive on attention. Since you > > have > > > > to wait a week, I would suggest visiting him atleast once a day if > that > > is > > > > possible, so he can get use to you before you take him home. That will > > > help > > > > to relieve some of his anxiety and stress. Bring him a small blanket > and > > a > > > > cuddle toy and some treats. He will remember your scent on them. > > > > > > > > Also, chis are prone to hypoglycemia from stress, so it would be a > good > > > > thing to pick up a tube of Nutra-Cal. It is sold in most pet shops. It > > > will > > > > replenish his electrolytes and balance his sugar level, especially > after > > > his > > > > surgery. Let him lick it off the tube several times a day for the > first > > > week > > > > Use it any time in the future that you know a situation will be > > stressful > > > > for him. > > > > > > > > Try to find a good all natural dog food with the first two ingredients > > > > chicken. A good ratio would be protein 26-28%, and fat not higher then > > 14% > > > > since chis gain weight easily. Treats will be trial and error, since > > every > > > > dogs taste is different. Whatever you decide make sure the package > > > > says that all the ingredients are from the USA and made in the USA. If > > it > > > > says distributed by a US company, then the odds are it was made and > > > imported > > > > from China. Many dogs have become very sick and many deaths have > > occurred > > > > because of treats that have been imported and the FDA still hasn't > made > > it > > > > mandatory for them to be removed from stores shelves, because although > > > they > > > > know they are making the dogs sick, their test can't prove what is in > > them > > > > that is so fatal to dogs, and by law cannot have them taken off the > > market > > > > until they have scientific proof. > > > > > > > > Once you get him home and he has recovered from his neuter and it is > > time > > > to > > > > have him checked out by a private vet, my advise is to have a full > blood > > > > panel done. That will ensure that all his vital organs are functioning > > > > properly, and prevent any issues that may show up in the future. > > > > I had that done on my Gigi who I found as a free chi, and I knew that > > she > > > > needed medical attention for teeth and spaying, but only the blood > test > > > > showed that she has liver issues that was causing her to have seizures > > > I > > > > have since changed her diet several times and she has been seizure > free > > > and > > > > her liver is stabilized for some time now. If I didn't have the blood > > test > > > > done, I would never have known what was causing the seizures and she > > would > > > > have kept getting worse, because I would not have known that she > needed > > to > > > > be on a very low protein and fat diet to stabilize her liver function. > > > > > > > > You may also want to pick up a couple of t-shirts for him. Chis like > to > > be > > > > warm, and if your house has a/c and he shakes, or wants to hide curled > > up > > > in > > > > a ball, it may not be nerves but he is chilled. > > > > > > > > As far as housebreaking goes, it should start from day one. Most > shelter > > > > dogs loose their memory on that until they are directed where to go. > So > > my > > > > advise is to pretend that he is a puppy, and start training from > scratch > > > > > If > > > > you live in a warm climate and want to housebreak him outside, then > > start > > > > that way. If you live with cold winters and lots of rain, then you may > > > want > > > > to train him on wee pads, or newspaper first. When you walk a dog it > > will > > > > naturally pee outside to mark territory any way. If you work, then I > > > > strongly advise gating an area that is large enough to have a bed and > > > > food/water and toys at one end, leaving enough space in the middle for > > him > > > > to walk around in and at the other end put the pads or paper on a > large > > > tray > > > > He should stay in that area whenever you cannot monitor him, until he > is > > > > fully housebroken. It is a lot better then keeping him in a crate for > > the > > > > entire day. Crates are okay for a couple of hours, but I personally > feel > > > > that a dog should not be kept in them for 8-10 hrs while the owner is > at > > > > work all day. > > > > > > > > Well lots of luck and enjoy your new baby! Looking forward to seeing > his > > > > pics next week! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > PS: Princess was adopted from a shelter when she was under 2yrs old, > she > > > is > > > > a mini American Eskimo, and Gigi is a tri-colored Long Hair chi. > > > > she was adopted at about 6 yrs old, they are both about 8 yrs old now. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > > > > > > > From: michaela_and_merit > > > > Date: 9/1/2012 6:28:58 PM > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > Subject: [Chihuahuas] New adoptive chi parent :) > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, > > > > > > > > I joined this group because I want to be sure I provide the best care > > > > possible for my new best friend. His name is Merit, and I placed a > > deposit > > > > on him at the local APS shelter this morning. He needs the standard > > > medical > > > > procedures (neutering, immunizations, flea and tick prevention) and > then > > > he > > > > will be ready to come home to me later this week! > > > > > > > > I am so excited about him! I always had dogs growing up, but Merit > will > > be > > > > my first dog since living on my own. I am 24 years old, a graduate > > student > > > > > > > and live in a townhouse in a quiet suburban area. I have done a ton of > > > > research on chis and feel pretty prepared in terms of general > knowledge, > > > > such as nail clipping, tooth cleaning, vet visits, etc. but I would > > really > > > > value some advice from chihuahua experts like you all! > > > > > > > > Is there anything you wish someone had told you that would have made > > > > training your chihuahua much easier? Is there a particular treat or > > > activity > > > > that would be fun for Merit to try? Please share any tips and tricks > you > > > can > > > > think of that might be helpful for a new chihuahua owner. > > > > > > > > Thank you! > > > > Michaela > > > > > > > > P.S. Merit is chocolate with a short coat (I will share a picture once > > he > > > is > > > > home!). He's one year old and is fairly timid-- life in the shelter > has > > > been > > > > really hard for him to deal with because it is so loud and scary with > > all > > > > those dogs barking and howling. So I'd especially value advice on how > to > > > > make him feel comfortable in his new home :) > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! 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! 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