Lost Island Chihuahuas

This week New York will host the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.  One of the most exciting events in the show dog world with some of the most beautiful dogs showing off their stuff:)  I will however be at an even more exciting show right here in Indiana!! Every year in February there is a 4 day show at the Indianapolis State Fair Grounds and considering it competes with Westminster there is a huge turnout!  Traveling to New York can be quite expensive so many make the choice to stay a little closer to home where there is some pretty stiff competition for a much more reasonable price:)  Luckily for me I only live 45 minutes from the show so I get to attend every day!!  Right now I have a beautiful long coat chocolate and tan little girl from Laurie Dodge with our handler, Jim Lehman and she will be here all 4 days! For those of you that think dog shows look stuffy or cant see the point I thought I would share some of the reasons I enjoy spending my days at them!  ...

#1 reason for going to dog shows - Where else can you spend a day or a weekend with your dogs without anyone getting annoyed with you and them:)!!!  You can eat with your dogs, walk everywhere with your dogs and have all of your dog friends hang out with you for the day shopping for dog stuff!! LOL  And if you show far away you can camp at the show with your dogs or stay at a hotel with your dogs!!

#2 reason for going to dog shows - Its all subjective!!  Every judge is coming from a different perspective when they judge the dogs so you never know who will win.  Now you would think this could be frustrating if you are really competitive but for me it takes all the pressure off!! I just love seeing my dogs happy and having something to do with them so if they dont win I dont have to take it personally:)

#3 reason for going to dog shows - When you see your dog having fun and proud of themselves and know they are happy it is amazing!!  The occasional ribbon is also fun but its really not about the competition because there are a lot of very nice dogs out there.  If mine win its exciting but its definitely not the most important thing in my life:)

I hope this gives you some insight as to why some of us enjoy dogs shows and maybe inspires you to check them out as well!!  Its a lot of fun and you meet a lot of really nice people along the way!!

Maybe I have written about this before but feel like I need to truly express how much I cant stand winter.  I dont like snow, I dont like dark skies and I hate being cold!!!  So lets see... the lack of sunshine always puts me in a lazy mood (I'm blaming Vitamin D deficiency:)) add to that the bulky clothes you have to wear and shoes!! I have to actually wear shoes!! UGHHHHH   Not only do I have to wear shoes...when it snows or (God forbid) rains to make a slushy grey mess I have to wear real shoes not just slip on crocs with fleecy comfort on my toes...

Now...take into consideration that if I could find two palm trees on a desserted island in the caribean to strap a hammock to I would be in HEAVEN!!  and you will have a little compassion for the fact that I am so whiny in the winter!! LOL  And to top it all off I am trying to housetrain a small herd of chi puppies!  Dont get me wrong...as you can see in their little video, they LOVE the snow and the cold weather doesnt bother them at all!!!... they just dont want to go the bathroom out there!! LOL  And honestly, I cant blame them!  Would you want to have to expose those parts to do your business?? I THINK NOT!!:)

I'm not sure what part of my mind I lost when I chose to hold so many show hopefuls in the middle of winter but I fear I will never find that tiny piece of brain matter again... It is forever gone along with the Walmart bags of "gifts" they have left me all winter and the buckets of dirty bleach water I have dumped down the sink:)!!!

On the bright side....this too shall pass and before long it will be sunny again so we can all play outside together!! But not before the snow and ice melts to expose the lovely fossils that my furry babies have left me all winter long....

2010 is behind us and a new year is sitting here looking us in the face:)!!!  In 2010 I got to see my baby Elmo win his champion title, was blessed with some amazing dogs from my friend Laurie in Canada, had way to many litters at the same time!! (LOL) and met some wonderful new friends because of all of them... The last few months were filled with the craziness of having puppies, careing for puppies, vet visits on a weekly basis and the depletion of my bank account!!:) 

I'm looking forward to more of the same in 2011!! LOL  Only this time around I think I will alternate who I breed so I dont have so many puppies at the same time!!!:)  Right now everyone is getting a rest so we wont have any litters until spring.  Our handler Jim Lehman will be in town in February so we are going to take some of our puppies to him for evaluation to see who he would like to take out for us this year.  He currently has our beautiful chocolate/tan long coat girl E'Claire from Laurie Dodge who will be making her show debut this month!!  Hopefully we will have a couple more champions this year with his help and the help of some wonderful friends who have decided to show some of our current puppies! I may have to show one of my babies myself so that I can hang out with all of my friends at the shows:) 

I have a feeling that 2011 will  have its ups and downs just like every other year so my goal is to stay focused on the positive and look forward to the new friends I'm sure it will bring!! 

Breeding dogs comes with so many extreme highs and lows...One day you are filled with joy looking at the new babies your girl worked so hard to bring into this world and the next you are weeping because of the heartbreak of losing a tiny baby no matter how hard you worked to keep him alive...  Most times are rewarding and filled with the excitement of planning a litter, being there when they are born and seeing their little faces for the first time, watching them as they grow up and change every day and cuddling with the rest:)  But on those days, weeks or months you find yourself filled with the disappointment of a litter that didnt turn out the way you had hoped or the heartache of a puppy that is struggling you ask yourself if it is really worth it??  And while my perspective may change a week, month or year from now there is one thing I sincerely believe...every heartache, every minute of stress and worry, every moment of disappointment is an opportunity to learn something that may help you, a future puppy or a friend... I wouldnt trade any of it if it meant missing out on the unconditional love these babies give or being able to see the faces of a new family when they have fallen in love with a baby and see it in person for the first time!!:)  The important things in life are usually accompanied by some pain and if it means learning somthing important that will help someone else or increase the odds of another puppy surviving then I dont mind "learning the hard way"!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Its that time of year again, when the craziness of finding the perfect gift, holiday parties, school programs and maniac drivers in snow consume our every thought...  

I could use this moment to remind you that finding those quiet moments with family and tradition are what is truly important...

Or ask you to focus on the real reason for Christmas, the birth of the person that would ultimately choose to give up his life so that we could have peace knowing that there is someone that is there for us regardless of what we have gotten ourselves into if we choose to turn to Him...

I could use this space to post my Christmas list:)...

Or to say something profound and inspiring to get us all throught the season!!....

But I think instead of all of that I will just say... 

Merry Christmas my friends...

I hope that everyone that reads this smiles  and knows that even though my days are filled with little "gifts" from my puppies!:) I am blessed every day by the amazing people I meet because of these little furballs!!! Thank you to all of  my new family members and dear friends for giving my babies wonderful homes.

Have you ever tried to take pictures of a herd of squirrels dressed up in holiday costumes?? Me either, until yesterday:) hehe!!  What a group of goobers!!  Exhausting and yet hilarious all at the same time:) LOL A few of them were a little intimidated by antlers and hats so they pretty much froze in really cute positions like I had put tiny little mind control helmets on them!!  A couple were trying to commit hairy cairy off the edge of the chair the entire time, Ozzy decided that climbing up the back of the blanket was cool (kind of like spiderman I suppose??) and at one point someone was eating elf feet!! hehe  

I normally try to update pictures atleast once a week but these babies are getting so wiggly that it is almost impossible to do by myself.  Every time I plop them down they run for my face!! LOL Sooooooooooooooo now...if you would like pix of a particular baby please let me know:)  I would be more than happy to provide you with pictures and/or videos of ONE!! But to take photos of a herd I'm not so sure its happening as often as I would like anymore or I may be the one jumping off the edge of my chair!!! LOL;)

Some of my best doggy friends are performance dog people:)  I love when they visit because it means my dogs get attention from other people, are exposed to other dogs and we get some free training on agility!!   I also have a wonderful friend, Denise, that is really handy and has made me some fun equipment to work with the dogs!  She visited this week and surprised me with a tiny little tippy board for my puppies!!  Then I found a crunchy cat tunnel for the babies so they can get used to lots of sounds and different objects!!  Thank you Denise and I cant wait to get some pics of the babies on their new toys!!!

Just some random thoughts for today:)

1.     Next time someone tells me they dont health test because the results can change over time I'm going to make sure and tell them not to get a yearly exam or a mammogram because things could change and you dont want to waste your time or money...

2.     Seriously...there is no such thing as a teacup...NO...I mean seriously...people still actually lie and scam on the internet..  I know hard to believe, huh?? There is no way to estimate how big your puppy will be with 100% accuracy...PERIOD...  We can only guess based on the dogs we have and past history...

3.     If I made money breeding dogs I would have an inground pool and hire a pool boy:)  Let you know if that ever happens... LOL

4.     The price of a puppy does  not guarantee ANYTHING...  You can spend thousands and never know you are buying from a puppy mill and you can get a free dog because the same puppy mill needs to make room for more dogs... Both price ranges can give you health problems, parasites, emotional issues and heartbreak. If you need a cheap dog contact a reputable breeder and work with them or go to the shelter.

5.     People actually put up fake pictures on their sites...Wow, hard to believe, huh???  Dont believe everything you see or read...get PROOF and establish a relationship with the person you are buying a dog from...

6.     Protect yourself and all the puppies out there in bad living conditions by not supporting them financially.  Unfortunately when you buy a puppy because you feel bad for it you are making room for those places to breed more puppies.  When my daughter realized the tank of mice at the petstore were feeder mice she wanted to "rescue" them.  I told her that as sad as it is if we bought them the people that bred them would just more to sell even faster... Sometimes doing the right thing hurts....

If you have children then you know the feeling of exhaustion due to sleep depravation and worry about them from the moment they are born until.....well... does it ever end?? LOL!!  I have two amazing girls!  A 14 year old and a 19 year old, now in college.  I thought when they reached the age that required less maintenance things would get a little lonely here for me (a stay at home mom) so I decided that it would be nice to have a companion!!  I didnt miss the up till all hours, sleeping on the couch with them because they were sick or utter exhaustion from not being able to balance housework, the kids, and life!!

A little dog to spend time with and nurture sounded like the perfect solution!! And it is a lot easier than raising kids because you dont have to worry about character development and making sure they have healthy values!  And since I decided to breed its ok if they date lots of boys and get pregnant!! NOT ok for my daughters!! LOL  In any way!!! eeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkk

What I didnt realize that having puppies and raising them is just as emotionally and physically draining as having babies! YEP>>>  I am back at square one in my life, up all night with them, going into debt to pay doctor bills, sleeping on the couch listening for them to make a tiny peep of discomfort, listening to them squabble for no good reason over toys!!! ... and on and on...  But inspite of all of this I LOVE IT!!  They are amazing and give unconditionally to those who care for them:)  And except for maybe my girl Nadia, they dont talk back!!   So for today I am just going to sit back and look at the piles of laundry, dirty dishes and dusty house because I have babies to play with!!!

Such a fun day today!!  Our dear friends Amy & Riley came for a visit with our grandpooches Django and AddyClaire!:)  This is what I love the most about finding new families for our babies...every time a baby goes to a new home we have added members to our family.   Its been a tough couple of weeks with the loss of a family member and caring for a sick puppy so the fact that this wonderful couple took time to share their day with me makes all of the heartache and worry worth it.  Plus I love seeing my babies so well taken care of and loved:)  What a wonderful way to spend a beautiful fall day!!!  Love you Amy and Riley!!