I think we have officially lost our minds....aka Gracie's Tale

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Gracie has been my more or less constant companion today. For an hour or so before I put all of the babies up for the night, I left Gracie out in the guest bathroom, so that she could eat, drink and go potty on the pad before I had to close her crate door at bedtime. For the first time ever, she gave me a tail up in the air socially "I'm happy to see you" tail wag! I had opened the door to put her up for the night and she stood up inside the crate and wagged at me. She is working really hard on learning to trust me. She still won't come when called...except for that one time in the car yesterday. She wouldn't eat or drink in my presence today, except for treats after her meds.

I am just glad that she wagged her tail at me. That was the first time that I ever have seen her tail up. Maybe, just maybe, I am getting through to her.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Baby steps....
Gracie took all of her medicine and over the past couple of days has seemed to be feeling much better. Her energy is up and she has been showing interest in exploring. She is still on again off again terrified of me and/or my voice. She has gotten used to the noises of the house and I think she has figured out that she misses being around other dogs. She perked up whenever she heard them barking downstairs. She was doing very well on a diet of wet mixed with dry food, but didn't seem too interested in dog treats.

I had been thinking about it and whenever some pup came home in the past, they always spent at least one night in the crate with our boy. He is the leader of the pack for sure. He barks when anyone needs to go out to go potty or if someone is in trouble. He is such a good boy....I wish they all were as good as he is, but I digress. So, since Gracie was feeling so much better and seemed to be longing for the sight of another Chihuahua, I took her downstairs when it was time for their last walk of the night.

She was so excited to see the other dogs, but was very submissive around all of them. She willingly went into the crate and the boy dutifully followed with that "dang Mom, does this mean she's staying?" look. I gave them all treats and came upstairs. Our hyper girl went nuts barking at about 7:40am, which is usually the latest time that I can wake up on a "good day" and still make it to work. I grumbled a bit, but got up and went downstairs knowing that Chihuahua bladders are tiny and it's now or nasty blankets later. I was greeted with 4 dogs all with wagging tails ready to face the day, but both girls were barking like crazy at Gracie. So, we went for the morning walk and then I sat in the floor and played with them all. Gracie was very interested in watching how I related to the dogs. She coward when I would correct one of the others with a Cesar Milan "Chhee" sound, but she did seem interested in our chunky little girl, but went submissive whenever she approached.

So, after awhile, I needed more sleep and put them up. I came upstairs and crashed on the love seat during a Lifetime Chic-Flik. I woke up and went back down. More time outside with all of them and then back inside. Gracie barked at me when I filled the water jug for them. That was the first time I have heard a bark out of her. She has a cute little bark....not too high pitched....it sounds a little bigger than she is though.

Since chunky girl was still barking some at Gracie, I decided to put both of them into the bigger crate that hyper girl usually stays in. They both went in ok and they had about 3 hours of "getting to know you" time together. I had to run out to the store for some groceries for the week along with a few other errands. When I returned, everyone was all wags again.

It's raining now, but they are all playing downstairs and there doesn't seem to be anything unusual happening, just the usual yips at each other as they play. I think Gracie is going to fit in, but I am thinking that I am going to need to put her into some behavioral training classes after her teeth are extracted and life is as normal as it's going to get, so that she will learn to follow commands a little better.

So, there ya' have it....baby steps towards being a real, socialized, well-behaved, and very spoiled Chihuahua.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER!!!!​

 

[OH 6]

Great update! Sounds like Gracie is adjusting.

 

[DVCajun]

While I'm a huge animal lover, when it comes to dogs I'm a large breed girl, so bear with my question: are chihuahua's always so timid and have such a difficult time adjusting? It seems that a more mature dog would be a little more well-adjusted. Her reaction seems to be more appropriate for a dog coming from an abusive situation. But perhaps my prejudice against her breeder is influencing my opinion. Still not convinced the breeder shouldn't be reported.

BUT that being said -- I'm very happy you're making progress with sweet Gracie. She has found her forever home, and I'm sure it will be a "happily ever after" for her. And you!

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

I am waiting for Corey to come home and see her progress before I make any reports. I am going to make a report, but I am wanting to wait for Gracie to have the extra time to adapt and for Corey to "talk me down" as far as to how much of a witch I am going to need to be in regards to what I report about the breeder. FYI: the breeder has not called me to ask how she is doing at all.

Gracie today is starting to associate going in and out of the door with "let's go outside to go potty" and "let's go back inside". She's not 100% yet, but she is making progress. She will potty on the pads on the floor, even though her aim needs some improvement.

And to answer the question, no as a breed, Chihuahuas are not like this. I have adopted pups and rescued dogs before this as old as 2 years old that warmed up to us and the other dogs much more quickly. She has a HUGE fear of humans...it's not just me. Usually, a Chihuahua will attach to at least one human that is their human to love and guard. I didn't mention in my other reports, but she was adopted for about 2 months by some college aged girl and she dumped her back on the breeder about 6 months ago. The girl couldn't get her to come out of her shell and it frustrated her to the point of having to let her go. So, Gracie has had issues of being bounced around. God only knows what her perception of people really is, I know what she shows in her behavior. My hope is that as she continues to see that we treat our dogs with respect and love that she will begin to trust us more.

Gracie has found her forever home. I won't give her up, no matter how much work she is. If we can survive our boy's health needs, our hyper girl's quirks, and our chunky baby's housebreaking issues, then we most definately can handle Gracie. We have lost our minds, in taking in a 4th again, but you know, it's worth it everytime she wags her tail at me.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Lindy - I am glad she is making progress! I think you are in for a lengthy process, but I know you are up for the challenge!

We only know 1 family with chihuahuas. They are pretty friendly - they bark when we come in the door, but then they run over to greet us. The one is really friendly - she will jump in the chair with me. The other one is too fat to jump, and she is not quite as much of an attention seeker. I do think they are much more high strung than some larger breeds. Some other friends of ours have a HUGE Mastiff and she is much more mellow than the little dogs.

 

[DVCajun]

I do think they are much more high strung than some larger breeds. Some other friends of ours have a HUGE Mastiff and she is much more mellow than the little dogs.

Yeah, the larger breeds tend to be more laid back, which is part of my attraction to them. I had a smooth coat St. Bernard once, and he was SUCH a sweetheart. He'd follow me around with his heart in his eyes, his only goal in life to be in the same room with me. As soon as he saw I was in that room for a while, he'd flop on the floor with a sigh, just following me with is eyes as I moved. Such a sweetie. I still miss him.

Mastiffs are my other fave breed, along with Great Danes, for the same reason -- super laid back, great with kids, just want to be in the same room with you. I love it!

I can't believe Gracie's breeder. I'll refrain from another rant, but honestly -- doesn't her callousness come through in her total lack of concern for Gracie's condition and happiness? Ugh!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I wonder if the breeder thinks showing concern would be construed as an admission of guilt? At any rate, I do think it is rude that she hasn't phoned to inquire how Gracie's adjustment is progressing.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Corey came home Friday after being gone for almost 2 weeks. Gracie isn't so sure about trusting her yet, but she is still improved over what she was like when we first got her.

Saturday morning, I took her back to the vet and we got Dr. S, who has 2 Chihuahuas of his own. She did so good with him. He was quite impressed with her improvement considering what was documented in her chart two weeks ago. The plan now is for her to be on a 5 day course of antibiotics every month for the rest of her life. It seems that this is becoming common practice for dogs with a genetic predisposition for bad teeth. She goes back in a couple of weeks for the extractions.

Yesterday was a good day for me with Gracie. We had a dominance war break out yesterday between our other girls, so they got crated for an hour when they would usually be out. When I went downstairs to let the grumpy girls out of their timeout, I spent a minute or two loving on our boy and I invited Gracie to come over to get loved on too and she actually came over to me!

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that she is coming around. There is still a lot of work to be done in getting her to learn commands and more socialization, but the turn around so far has been nothing short of miraculous.

 

[OH 6]

So how's Gracie doing these days?

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

For the most part, she is doing really well. She still has her moments, but I am happy to report that she is adapting pretty well. She has pretty much learned the usual routine of the house. She is great about either going potty outside or on/near a pad. Corey trained her to go nigh nigh in the crate. Gracie is oh so excited to do something right, you should see that tail wag. She still doesn't care to be held much, but has learned to come up after she goes potty outside and get a praise and pat for doing good. Overall, she is where I would have expected most dogs to be after about a week.

I think one of her issues is that she doesn't see straight ahead. If you put a treat down right in front of her, she has no clue what just happened, but if you put it down to the left or the right, she will eat it. I thought that her eyes were pointing out to the sides a bit, but this sort of confirmed that she has a vision issue. This also explains her aiming issues when it comes to going on a potty pad.

I take her in early Friday morning to get her oral surgery done. I hate that we have to do this, but I know that it's what she needs. Poor baby! I just hope that her mouth heals quickly.

I still feel that there was something not quite right about how she was being treated, because of the way that she has shed so much of that severely introverted behavior, I do believe that she was neglected or possibly even abused. Luckily, dogs live in the now. She is learning how to be our dog right now and to trust that we are going to love her and take great care of her. While we may have lost our minds in getting another dog, that dog needed us. I am so glad that we added Gracie to our herd of Chihuahuas.

 

[NikkiPants]

I'm happy for you guys getting a new baby!!! I'm sorry you are going through this with the breeder, though. It's worth it for a new baby

 

[PghLybrt]

How did I miss all of this!!

Congrats on baby #4!!!!


We did the same this spring. We have a 14year old chihuahua, a13 year old beagle/pointer mix and 2 mini pugs! We are thinking getting #5. It is so hard not to! The only thing that does make me think twice about it is the cost of boarding them. Last time it was considerably more than our vacation!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Lindy, I am glad Gracie is making progress!

Our local news had the most horrible, gut-wrenching story on last night. They were talking about all of the animal surrenders due to the economy. There was a pair of chihuahuas, and they showed them being euthanized. Then there was a beautiful lab, and they euthanized him. And a big, fluffy mixed breed, and they euthanized him. One after another. That shelter is in a smaller suburb of Dallas and they average 40 euthanasia injections every day. So, so sad. I don't know why I didn't change the channel.

They said the shelter workers have nightmares, some use alcohol or drugs to try to cope. It was hideous. And it goes on every single day in thousands shelters across the nation. They said they have to put down entire litters of puppies sometimes. It is horrible that someone has to do that job. It is horrible that people are so irresponsible about breeding. The whole thing is horrible.

I am glad we got our kitties from shelters. I am glad you got Gracie, even though her breeder is an idiot.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

We are thinking getting #5. It is so hard not to! The only thing that does make me think twice about it is the cost of boarding them. Last time it was considerably more than our vacation!!

OMG, tell me about it. We spent almost $1300 boarding just the three of them in one suite at the PetsHotel during our 9 night vacation last year. They love it there, which is good, but the cost is brutal. We knew that adding Gracie was just going to drive the price up another $30/night over the course of the stay, but she's worth it. I wish that we knew someone that we trusted to take care of them for cheaper, but we don't. Corey has major trust issues and doesn't want to hire a petsitting service, so it's PetsHotel for our little ones.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Lindy, I am glad Gracie is making progress!

Our local news had the most horrible, gut-wrenching story on last night. They were talking about all of the animal surrenders due to the economy. That shelter is in a smaller suburb of Dallas and they average 40 euthanasia injections every day. So, so sad. I don't know why I didn't change the channel. The whole thing is horrible.

I am glad we got our kitties from shelters. I am glad you got Gracie, even though her breeder is an idiot.

See, I can't watch that stuff. When I was little, I wanted to be a vet, I change my mind when I learned that sometimes, you have to put an animal down. I was heartbroken at the thought.

I usually prefer rescues. Our 3 cats and one of our Chihuahuas are rescues. The other three dogs were from breeders, at least one of whom is an idiot.

I wouldn't trade any of my babies for the world. I love my critters.

 

[PghLybrt]

OMG, tell me about it. We spent almost $1300 boarding just the three of them in one suite at the PetsHotel during our 9 night vacation last year. They love it there, which is good, but the cost is brutal. We knew that adding Gracie was just going to drive the price up another $30/night over the course of the stay, but she's worth it. I wish that we knew someone that we trusted to take care of them for cheaper, but we don't. Corey has major trust issues and doesn't want to hire a petsitting service, so it's PetsHotel for our little ones.

We are the same way! We keep wanting a pet service but you never know! The place that we use we have used for years. They love it. Unfourtunatly this past trip was Crosby's 1st time away from home and he came back with a nasty parasite! When we brought him home his stomach was upset. I just thought it was nerves and perhaps a different dog food (we bring our own but they might have run out). We have a vet friend and she said take hime to the vet pronto. Well it turned out to be a parasite. We spent tons on meds, then the other came down with it (luckily the 2 older ones didnt). We called the place that we take them, they blamed it on us taking him to a dog park (he has never been anywhere other than the vet, home and their place). They did call and check up twice. That was nice but useless. After we told them that the other one needed an IV (she would not eat at all for days) they never called again.

It is so sad. We didnt want anything (even though we just spent $2500 to board them). We just wanted them to have their water tested.

I have no idea what we are going to do now.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We are so lucky to have a wonderful pet sitter for our cats! My bosses used to live in a loft, and she was the pet sitter for almost EVERYBODY in the building. She only charges $25 per visit, and we can go every other day for the first week. The cats start to get a little stressed after a week, so we bump to daily visits after that. She is awesome.

I would DIE if I owed thousands of dollars in boarding! YIKES!

 

[PghLybrt]

We are so lucky to have a wonderful pet sitter for our cats! My bosses used to live in a loft, and she was the pet sitter for almost EVERYBODY in the building. She only charges $25 per visit, and we can go every other day for the first week. The cats start to get a little stressed after a week, so we bump to daily visits after that. She is awesome.

I would DIE if I owed thousands of dollars in boarding! YIKES!

I think we pay more in boarding costs then what our mortgage is!