Catching a much needed nap.

I am absolutely thrilled to find out that my blog has been chosen as one of the 20 finalists in the TrainPetDog.com Award Contest. Can you believe it? Check out the fancy award seal on my site.

I have all my family, friends and fans to thank for this honor.

This is what TrainPetDog.com had to say:

Your Blog was successful in getting more than 50 votes from your readers / friends / family, and was then reviewed by our in-house dog training experts who felt that your Blog is regularly updated with good content and pictures and is a very helpful resource for dog owners and dog lovers.

For being one of the 20 Finalists I will soon have the opportunity to give away free 10-year memberships to TrainPetDog.com’s Elite Dog Owner’s Club.

The Elite Dog Owner’s Club a unique online club that helps members get access to exclusive videos, audio recordings, and articles on different aspects of dog training, and also features exclusive interviews with some of the most famous dog trainers in the world.

Membership to the Elite Dog Owner’s Club costs $37 per month. Therefore, a 10 year membership to the Elite Dog Owner’s Club is worth $4,440.

If you could see me now you’d see my tail wagging. I’m so excited to be able to give away these memberships.

Keep coming back for further details.

Other things to look forward to are blog posts on the benefits of teeth brushing and updates on my surgeries. Time for a nap because I will be very busy this week and beyond.

Lucy and her toy.

Chihuahuas, like most dogs, love to chew. It’s what we live for. Because we don’t have thumbs, it’s hard for us to use our “hands” to do things with, such as typing this blog, knitting or playing video games.

So most things are done using our mouths. As puppies it is the way we explore the world. We see, we grab, we taste and we chew. It is best to give your Chihuahua an appropriate toy or chewy substance. This helps relieve boredom and it’s fun.

But if you don’t give us a “dog-friendly” bone or stuffed squeaky toy, we will take what we can get. This includes every piece of paper, material, rug, wall, sock, shoe and most things non-editable.

Please make sure if you must leave your dog home alone that there is nothing he/she can get a hold of that may cause damage to their insides. I’m lucky. My daddy works from home and is almost always around. This makes it difficult to get away with things.

Here’s an excerpt from an article called Why Good Dogs Eat Bad Things… Should You Worry? by Dr. Jon at PetPlace.com:

Chewing on things is a normal part of “puppyhood”, and many times the things our dogs eat are not dangerous. Still, you can expect to see some vomiting and maybe even a little diarrhea when your dog eats something that is not “food”.

So, before you rush your pooch to the vet, check out this list of non-toxic items that dogs often eat.

If your dog eats any of the items on this list, you do NOT have to worry unless the object becomes lodged in the stomach or intestines, causing an obstruction.

Acrylic paint
Ballpoint pens
Bath oil
Bubble bath soaps
Candles
Chalk
Citronella candles
Cosmetics
Crayons
Deodorants
Elmer’s glue
Fabric softeners
Glow jewelry
Hair conditioner
Hand lotion
Incense
Indelible markers
Ink
Lipstick
Magic markers
Mineral oil
Modeling clay
Newspaper – (non-colored/black ink only)
Pencils (nontoxic since they are no longer made of lead)
Petroleum jelly
Play-Doh
Putty
Rubber cement
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Silica gel packets
Soap
Spackle
Suntan lotion
Superglue
Teething rings
Thermometers
Toothpaste
Water colors

If you have any doubt, always call your vet or local emergency clinic.

Where is my dinner?!

Chihuahuas love to eat human food. It’s so much more desirable than dog food. But if you really want to cook your own dog food you must find a nutritionally sound recipe.

Don’t make the mistake my daddy did with his previous Chihuahua. He let her decide what to eat and she ended up eating nothing but VitaSnax and whatever meat daddy had for dinner. She got quite a variety but not the right nutrition. The result was the inability to digest protein leading to a protein deficiency as well as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It wasn’t pretty.

Search online and you will find plenty of ways to prepare a proper meal for your dog (from wikiHow.com).

For another option to cook your own pet food check out balanceit.com. It’s run by a board certified veterinary nutritionist and was recommended by Dr. Michele Hoag DVM, Plaza Del Amo Animal Hospital, as seen in The Daily Breeze.

Just make sure you have the right amount of meats, grains, vegetables and healthy supplements.

But if all this is too much, you can always play it safe with a good, high quality, human grade dog food. I eat Merrick Turducken. It’s tasty and good for me. Plus daddy usually adds a few extra ingredients for flavor and variety, such as other dog food, treats, rice, vegetables and such.

It’s fun to go to new places and see new people. The smell of food cooking is wonderful. And Chihuahuas especially enjoy sitting on their daddy’s lap while dinner is being served. Unfortunately eating off the table is seen as rude and not socially acceptable. Pity.

It is against the law to bring your little furry friend into a restaurant. The health department thinks it’s unsanitary. Can you believe that?! But don’t worry. Many restaurants have outdoor seating and some of those welcome pets. They’re my favorites.

If you happen to live in an area with a nice year round climate like Los Angeles there are many restaurants to choose from and enjoy. If not, then I can tell you sitting out in the snow is not my idea of a good time. I know this because I don’t like the cold, not because I’ve ever seen snow. Don’t forget to bring a nice blankie. If you’re near the beach it might get a little chilly at night.

Here’s a list of Pet Friendly Outdoor Restaurants in the Southbay, taken from The Daily Breeze. Check online for restaurants in your neighborhood. Of course you can always eat outside at almost any fast food eatery, even Starbucks.

Hermosa Beach

Martha’s 22nd Street Grill – 25-22nd St.
Good Stuff – 1286 The Strand
Hennessey’s – 8 Pier Avenue
Le Petite Cafe – 190 Hermosa Ave.

Manhattan Beach

Hennessey’s – 313 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Johnny Rockets – 1550 Rosecrans Ave.
The Local Yolk – 3414 Highland Ave.
Uncle Bill’s Pancake House – 1305 Highland Ave.

Marina Del Rey

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill – 13424 Maxella Ave.
The Cow’s End – 34 Washington Blvd.
Mercedes’ Cuban Grill – 14 Washington Blvd.

Redondo Beach

Kool Dog Diner – 1666 South PCH
Petit Casino – 1767 South Elena Ave.
Whole Foods Market – 405 N. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Zazou – 4810 South Catalina Ave.

Torrance

Lazy Dog Cafe – 3525 W. Carson St.
Whole Foods Market – 2655 Pacific Coast Highway

Palos Verdes

Rive Gauche – 320 Tejon Place

San Pedro

Lighthouse Deli/Cafe – 508 W. 39th Street

I exercise and eat right daily.

Do you wonder how much you should feed your little Chihuahua? If he/she is overweight, then you should be very concerned. Overweight dogs do not live as long as normal weight dogs. They need lots of exercise and the right kind of quality food.

The folks at TrainPetDog.com have developed a unique calorie calculator for dogs. Give it a try. (Caution, you will be given the opportunity to buy a Canine Cuisine ebook. If you do, I get a little commission.)

Cast your vote for AllMyChihuahuas and make Lucy happy.

Lucy the Chihuahua has 48 votes to date. Two more to go and she moves on to the next round. Time is running out. AllMyChihuahuas has been entered in the “TrainPetDog.com 2010 Dog Blog Award” Contest and she needs at least 2 more votes by the 20th of February to qualify for “Round 2″.

So I am asking all my friends and loyal readers to visit TrainPetDog.com and cast your vote for AllMyChihuahuas. Here is the unique Voting code:

WvG6E

All you have to do is copy and paste the code into the bright yellow box on the TrainPetDog.com home page. You will not be asked to sign up for anything. Only 1 vote allowed per IP address. Vote at home and have your office-mates vote at work.

Winning will help me increase my blog’s readership quite a bit. It will also allow me to give away some freebies from TrainPetDog.com. Here’s the details:

• “Each of the 20 finalists will get the chance to give away free 10-year memberships to our Elite Dog Owner’s Club to 10 readers that they select at their own discretion.
• The Elite Dog Owner’s Club is our unique online club that helps our members get access to exclusive videos, audio recordings, and articles on different aspects of dog training, and also features exclusive interviews with some of the most famous dog trainers in the world.
• Membership to the Elite Dog Owner’s Club costs $37 per month. Therefore, a 10 year membership to the Elite Dog Owner’s Club would cost $4,440. You get to give away 10 such memberships to your readers, making this prize worth $44,400.”

I appreciate you taking the time to do this for me.

Thanks in advance.

Lucy and her daddies.

Waiting for my surgical tape to fall off.

This is not an easy thing to do. Trust me, I know. It’s very painful if you pull the tape off. Yikes! Since I just had knee surgery a week and a half ago, I consider myself a survivor and an expert.

According to WikiAnswers: “The easiest way is to soak the tape in water to release the adhesive in the tape. This may not work because the dog may not like to be in water. It is the best way that will not hurt the dog.”

I agree it may not work. Standing in a pool of water is not my idea of fun. I’d much rather lay in my bed under three blankies.

I’ll go with my vet’s idea. Leave it alone and it will come off eventually (even he didn’t want to pull my tape off).

Gradually my tape is peeling off. I help a little by licking at it. Once it’s gone I will feel like a new Chihuahua girl. I deserve a treat.

Anticipating my medicine.

This actually applies to all dogs but since I am a Chihuahua I tend to be self-centered. Medicine is not tasty. Therefore, trying to give your Chi a pill is going to be a problem, unless, of course, your Chihuahua (or dog) loves pills.

So the trick is to hide the pill in something your pet loves. Here are some great ideas I recommend.

1. Peanut Butter (just enough to disguise the pill, not half a jar)
2. A piece of meat (chicken or turkey). Make sure the pill doesn’t fall out.
3. Cheese. Not too much, just enough to hide the pill so it isn’t visible. If it’s too big your dog may decide to chew the cheese and potentially spit out the pill.
4. Mashed potatoes (or a bit of unmashed potato). Make sure it’s cooked.
5. Canned dog food. If your dog is picky this might not work.

Liquid medicine is also a challenge. I absolutely hate having a dropper full of yucky medicine forced into my mouth. So I bite. Daddy tried gloves. I fought back. Two daddies tried holding me and opening my mouth at the same time. I won.

Then came a brilliant idea. Hide the liquid medicine in ice cream. Just a bit of lactose free vanilla. I loved this. Now I look forward to my medicine every day. Ice cream is probably not the best choice for your dog, but it works great. You might want to consider vanilla yogurt or natural apple sauce.

So don’t get stressed over giving your Chi medication. Make it a game of hide and go treat.

Here I am recovering in my plush bed.

I am recovering from my surgery but food is still very important to me. Thus I find the controversial debate of canned vs. dry dog food fascinating.

My daddy generally mixes my dry dog food with some canned dog food. They are both high quality Turducken from Merrick. I find this to be my favorite brand. I actually prefer the canned because it has chunks and gravy and lots of other tasty goodies. When the two are mixed together I usually eat the dry as well as the canned but I don’t chew it, I just swallow the pieces whole. So any benefit of crunchiness is not happening.

Perhaps some day my daddy will get the hint and just give me the canned food with an occasional crunchy treat.

Check out these interesting articles for more details. “Feeding Your Dog – Canned or Dry And How Often? from PetPlace.com and Professor’s House on Dry Dog Food vs. Canned.

I would write more but I need another nap.

First I was left alone with people I didn’t know. They put me in a cage like a common dog. Then they carried me to another room, put me on a metal table and stuck a needle in me. Can you blame me for trying to bite these people?!

When I woke up I was a bit groggy and sore and had a huge yellow bandage on my back leg. Plus a weird plastic cone around my neck. Daddy finally picked me up and had them remove the cone. Thank goodness for that. It was embarrasing and uncomfortable.

I ate a little and slept in my own comfy bed. I don’t feel much like doing anything today but sleep and nap. And maybe eat a little food and drink a little water. Going to the bathroom is a major effort since it’s not easy for me to get up and walk. Luckily my bathroom is located in the house on clean, white pads. I think I’ll take a nap now.

eHow has an informative article on how to care for you dog after surgery.

vetinfo4dogs.com also has a fine article on Caring for Your Dog After Surgery: A Checklist.

A note from daddy Charlie:

Lucy is resting comfortably in her bed and has come through her surgery fine. She ate a little bit of her dog food last night and this morning and got up twice to use her piddle pads. She took her medicines but was quite grumpy about the liquid one that had to be squirted in her mouth. It took both her daddies to get this one done.

I’m still in recovery. Now I get to worry about why she’s not getting up from her bed and if that’s okay. I guess having a hernia repaired, a tooth pulled and a knee repaired takes a lot out of a little girl. Not to forget the vaccinations, nail trim, anal squeeze and overall stress from being left alone with strangers.