We volunteered to man the booth at the purebred dog tent for the Tampa Bay Chihuahua Club today – An event we have been planning for for over a month now. Remember that dog stroller I picked up? Well, today was the day to really put it to the test. It worked wonders for reasons I never even thought of.

The drive out to Tampa was in dreary weather, but the excitement was still in the air. More socialization for Sugar but I also brought Quik and the kids! A full day at the fair would require rotations of humans and of dogs. That I DID plan for.

Once we arrived and unpacked the car, the booth was ready and waiting. Almost immediately, we had visitors to see our sweet Chihuahuas. The stream of people never seemed to slow and the dogs really seemed to enjoy every ounce of attention they received. In addition to the strange hands and voices approaching them while on the table in front of us we asked that they feed the dogs a tiny piece of chicken jerky. Do you see where I am going here? This is PERFECT training for the show ring! It got to the point where Quik and Sugar’s bellies were full, but their desire to greet and wag for visitors was not.

It was around lunch time when we could hear the rain drops hit the top of the tent. Clearly, the gray clouds had finally released and the storm was upon us. Not nasty per-say, but steady. When I got back to the booth with our deep fried fair food, I noticed the large puddle of water behind my seat. By the time I scarfed down my last curly fry, the puddle had grown into a lake, seeping out from the wall behind us, under our table and straight through to the walkway in front of us. In less than two hours, the water was 5″ deep and the Superintendent was telling us to head home. Clearly, the water was not going to stop rising any time soon. A mad dash to try to keep what we could dry and the stroller was used to get the dogs, our gear and supplies back into car. It was what saved us a lot of pain and suffering.

All in all, Sugar and Quik did fantastic and I really wish we were able to stay longer. The kids didn’t get a chance to explore, but still had fun time talking to other kids about Chihuahuas. I will be sure to sign up for the fair next year. Hopefully it will be in a sunny day though!

Quik is two months and a lush coat shy of being ready for the show today. Then of course there is Sugar. Sandy and I didn’t get our act together in time for her to make her debut in the ring, but perfect time to get her into the social side. The plan was to bring her to the show for the socialization – Strange hands and voices and smells and sounds. That and of course, to check out all of the other wonderful Chihuahuas being shown at the first Speciality of the year and to vote for new officers!

This years’s winter Speciality was at the Sun & Fun property in Lakeland – a very interesting experience since the event was held in a hangar right beside the runway. I suppose it’s a good thing we personally live so close to the International Airport and have so many planes flying over head.

The costume contest may not have had a lot of entries (only six) but hands down, Pat Pittore’s costumed cutie was the best. Her friend made it the night before, just for the speciality. So precious!

After seven hours, I can report that Sugar is fantastic! She greeted everyone that approached, let complete strangers walk her on the lead and even met several other canine friends with a wag. An exhausting but very successful day for both of us.

In recognition of Valentines Day, I thought I would share a little doggy love. Or should I say, a way a dogs shows love. When you have more than one Chihuahua in your home, you will be entertained in many ways by their wrestling and playing. In addition to all of the fun, there is also the cuddling and the grooming. I always tell people you will never have a dirty ear issue with two Chihuahuas in your house!

I have been asked many times why Chihuahuas will appear to be nibbling on the back of each others ears. This is nothing to be concerned about when it is part of their grooming routing. Yes, with targets as large as a Chihuahua’s ears they can be part of a rough housing session. But when it is a bunch of gentle nibbles and licks, it’s all about love. Grooming each other is how they show they care about each other. I have a few in my bunch that will do the same to me when given the chance!

With so much going on, I haven’t had my normal keen eye watching our sweet Colada. Her halfway mark came and went but today – ohhhh yeah! She has popped! A lot more grooming and a lot more resting. The bulges seem to be from either two nice sized pups or four little ones.

It seems like only yesterday that I fell upon my Target bowl find. I love my green little bowls. They are durable, sturdy, match my kitchen colors are are a great size for feeding our Chihuahuas. I wasn’t looking to replace my perfect feeding find. It while at Target another end-cap caught my eye and this time I believe I found my PERFECT, perfect dog food bowls.

They are the same tapered, square design made from durable plastic but are a tad bit smaller and even cheaper in price! Four for $1.99 and they come in a wide variety of different colors! Run, don’t walk – These are fabulous bowls to help anyone try to switch from free feeding to scheduled feelings.

Another day in Lady Lake – Another set of vaccines for our tweenagers – Another eval day on the progress of said tweenagers and another passenger in the backseat on the ride home. Now, here are the deets!

We had an appointment set up for Maui and Quik to get their rabies vaccines today. Since the drive is so long, we also scheduled another visit with Sandy at Serenity Chihuahuas. As the perfect mentor to help me get into the show ring, another check on the growth of Quik was planned. Until a pup reaches 8 months old – at a minimum – they go through a lot of changes. Since Quik is my first bred-by proposition, watching and evaluating his progress is a must.

One of the first lessons a show breeder must learn is that there is NO perfect dog. But accentuating the positives is a must! With that being said, Quik’s structure is maturing as perfect as we expected, his bite is remaining correct, he head is showing signs of additional pop. The one thing that isn’t is his coat. Since birth it has been slow to grow. Our concern is that it will not be as lush as we would like by the show in the summer. My itchin’ to get in the ring has not been squashed though!

Sandy was so amazing and wonderful by allowing me to bring her adorable bred-by female Sugar home for me to show. Not only is she eager to please (perfect for the show ring) but also structurally perfect! I do not believe there is any other Chihuahua in the world that can help build my show ring confidence. I am beyond honored and thankful for Sandy and her faith in me. I can’t wait to make her AND Sugar proud.

Leaves can play a very interesting role in the life of a Chihuahua. When they are laying on the ground, they become cherished chew things that they will defend and chase after others to obtain. But when they are blowing around the yard, they become eye catching visitor to their territory. You know, the yard they must defend?

Today’s winds brought many flying leaves, creating several on guard Chihuahuas, ready to defend. Couldn’t help but notice the only two that remained strong and steady as guards to our yard were Cosmo and Dewey – Our smallest and largest Chi’s in the bunch.

Be sure to check out your local Target’s clearance end caps! They had these adorable food platter themed dog toy sets back in December that are now on clearance. When one dog toy alone can run in the $6.00 to $8.00 range, finding five in one package for a price of $4.99 is the true find!

It’s been a long time coming and an event that I am so happy has finally come to be. Jaime has had his eye on Schnappster, who would make the perfect addition to his family for over a month. Today was the day to finally have Schnappster go home to his new forever family. I don’t know who is more thrilled – Jaime or the Schnapps! Congrats to you both – and the family that is about to get a huge surprise.

It’s as if for the first time in what seems forever, all of the dogs in our house have bonded, play, sleep and eat together and things are calm. With litters on the ground since May, we no longer have youngin’s running around. Our youngest dogs are closing in on the 5 month mark showing signs of their maturing. This photo captures my new calm – And the kitchen is where they generally gather to show me the calm. They love it there and I love that they do!