This little Chihuahua has already made a huge impact on our household. She is happy, and scampery, and oh-so loving. Her ability to adapt and trust seems infinite, as she learns that we are now her family and she takes her place here. She is learning how to get around in this big old house, and she has no problem hopping onto one of the big dog beds by the radiator in my husband's office to take a nap. Her favorite place, though, is wherever I happen to be.
2. Winnie had an appointment with our regular vet on Wednesday, for a check-up and to follow up on the various things that she was being treated for when I got her last week. Her spay incision looks good and her mouth has healed well from having her teeth pulled three weeks ago. The infection in her right eye is completely healed since she finished her course of antibiotic drops, though the resulting scarring has compromised her sight in that eye. Considering how dire her neglected condition appeared to be when she was found in December and taken to the shelter, she is in extremely good health for a gal her age.
My vet knows me very well. She said that she did a TRIPLE take when she saw our appointment on the schedule ... it said, Chihuahua Hilker. (Connie has a CHIHAHUA???) Once she was told that Winnie is a rescue dog, she understood perfectly. Like I said, she knows me well.
3. After we finished at the vet's, Winnie and I made a stop at PetsMart to get her a collar and leash. Winnie was wearing a collar and I was given a leash when I picked her up last week, but I returned them to the Shelter when I was there on Tuesday. They can save them for another tiny dog in the future ... I wanted Winnie to have her own collar and leash, chosen especially for her.
I was surprised to see that all of the extra-small sized dog collars in PetsMart were either too long (requiring them to be adjusted almost to their smallest point) or too stiff to be comfortable. So, Winnie and I checked out the cat department of the store. Discovered that cat collars are also too big for her ... KITTEN collars, however, were a perfect fit ... but the kitten collars don't have a ring on them to attach the leash. I bought one anyway, to use as a tag collar.
Speaking of cats, this is what my lap looked like last night. I was watching the hockey game and knitting a sweater for Winnie.
4. With Winnie's new collar in hand, I have already ordered her ID tag online from Boomerang Tags. I have used these tags on all of our dogs, and I love them! They fit flat on the collar, so there's nothing hanging down to get snagged or jingle around. Ruby's 1-inch-size tag is large enough for her name, complete address, and two phone numbers. Winnie's tag, as you would expect, will be significantly smaller (3/8 inch size) and can only hold four lines of info, 14 characters per line. The chances of losing her are slim and none, but I fully believe in being safe rather than sorry when it comes to keeping ID on my animals.
A tag like this lasts for the life of your dog and it only costs $9.99.
4. I went to Richmond yesterday, and one of my stops was at Trader Joe's to stock up on supplies because we are having friends over on Sunday (football related, of course.) Petco is next door to TJ's ... I went in to see if they carried dog collars that are little enough to use on Winnie. They had a small selection in the tiny size, and I chose a plain pink nylon collar with a snap buckle ... perfect, or so I thought. Brought it home, tried it on Winnie for size, and it was too small. There's a Petco right across the street from my dentist's office (where I will be later today), and I plan to exchange the pink collar for a larger size ... as long as the next size isn't TOO large.
This was the scene to my right ... both of them are sound asleep.
5. It feels wonderful to say that Winnie is now officially our dog. I loved her at first sight, as did my husband when he got home from his trip on Saturday. I still can't believe that I brought her home without telling him first. Fortunately, he concurred with me that she needed to be part of a family ... and he agrees that her home is here with us. Ruby accepted her very quickly ... the cats are making progress and I hope that things will work themselves out within another week or so.
Welcome to the family, Winnie! It's only been ten days, and I already can't imagine this place without you.
