If someone would have told me years ago that I'd "...own five little dogs..." I'd had said you're nuts. Time, however, would have proven them right.... :whistling:
A little over 12 years ago, we lost a beloved dog named Chelsea. The day we buried her is the day we went out, tears still in our eyes, and brought home Rosie (recent picture):
Now, at the time, she was about the smallest little dog I'd ever seen. For some reason, the AC/DC song "Whole lotta Rosie" kept popping up in my head and it made me chuckle; this was NOT a whole lot of anything...!! The name Rosie stuck on the little girl and that was that. About two weeks later, we got a phone call from a breeder we'd been in touch with and they told us that they had a little girl who'd been promised to someone else, who backed out. Did we want a little black female poodle? My wife wanted her really badly, and given that we both worked, I thought it would be a very good idea to have another dog in the house so they could keep each other company. Natasha is what my wife was calling her, even before she got here, so now we had two (recent picture):
Two dogs seemed like a reasonable number, even more so given their extra small size. About ten years ago, we moved into the house we live in today, which gave us lots more room. Not long after that, the wife showed up with a little hairball Pom / American Eskimo mix puppy which she'd named Isis. My wife collects Egyptian art, and Isis is a goddess in Egyptian mythology (recent picture):
Isis isn't the smartest or fastest but how she stands out is with how sweet this dog is. She'll be the first one to hop on the couch with you and put her head on your lap / shoulder. She's a wonderful lady and a real addition to the family.
Holy cow....three dogs! "Three dogs...!!" I'd say out loud to my wife. I should have known better.
We love all our girls, but the little chihuahua really made us smile. Chi's think they weigh 250 lbs and are always ready to kick ass. Something very endearing about a three pound "tough guy". Yet, they are sweet as can be to their owners and "regulars" in the house; not nippy or yappy at all. Very protective of the house, though. Anytime the lawn guys would come through the gate, Rosie was the first one to head for the back door, barking.
So, I didn't fight too hard about seven years ago when the wife said she'd found a good deal on another Chihuahua (puppy picture):
Looks like trouble, doesn't she? My wife would hurry home from work to play with the new puppy. We were struggling a bit trying to find a name for her. One day, I said "...we should name her Lucy. That way, when you or I arrive, we could say; Lucy..!! I'm home...!!...." The name stuck, and Lucy it was. Rosie is what's called an "apple head" chihuahua, as she's got a very small almost apple shaped head. She's about 3.2 lbs fully grown. Lucy, on the other hand, is what is called a "deer head" chihuahua and looks almost like a mini Doberman. We didn't realize she'd get as big as she did (almost 12 pounds). Deer head chi's were for a long time considered the "bastard step cousin" to the breed, with the apple head dogs the "pure breed" or "real" chihuahuas. That has changed, largely due to the fact that they are fantastic dogs. Some breeders now specialize in nothing else. I do know this; Lucy quickly became the "alpha" dog and is an absolutely wonderful, very smart, very loving, very playful dog that we feel really blessed to have. Here's how she looks now, all "grown up":
Four dogs. ......four dogs! I couldn't believe it when I'd say it out loud so you can imagine how hard my jaw hit the table when my wife said she wanted another puppy. I asked my wife over and over "...are you sure? Don't we have enough dogs with FOUR dogs in the house??..." She was steadfast in her request, so I finally agreed to buy her a puppy for her birthday if that was what she really wanted. I suggested she'd really rather have a nice new Glock 23 with a laser, but for some reason she didn't see it that way.... :laugh: OK, fine, whatever.....let's LOOK at dogs. Just look, I told her.....right.
Well, to make a long story a little shorter, she found a breeder who offered to bring over some puppies for us to look at. She said she'd prefer to see us and our dogs in our home, etc. Hmm.....I'd never "tried out" as a dog owner, but the truth is we really spoil our little girls. Good food, private fenced yard, run of the house....it's a pretty good life for a little dog, I think. So the day came and the breeder showed up. She brought in a teeny little kennel, with FOUR of the smallest little dogs I have ever seen which came bounding out! These were LITTLE chihuahuas..!! My god, hamster size..!! She snagged one, and said "...I know you wanted a female, but this one is really special, so I brought him along anyway....". Special didn't cover it. That little guy was full of piss and vinegar from the get go. Everything we'd always loved in chihuahuas seemed to be at full force with this tiny little boy. Well, the writing was on the wall, or checkbook, actually, and a month later he came to live with us. Never a question on a name for this one; he is Tutankhamen, or Tut, the boy King...!! You saw the picture I posted earlier but that does not give you a good reference as to how tiny he really is. Here he is, facing off with one of the stuffed Taco Bell dogs:
So, that's the story on how we came to have five little dogs in our home. I don't have to tell you dog owners how much entertainment they provide, how much unconditional love they give back, and how much of an addition to the family they are. Our "fantastic five" help make our house a home, and we love them all a ton.
Best Regards - B.B.S.
Edited for schpelling......
