4 weeks later, in passing conversation, this guy I worked with mentioned that his mom bred chihuahuas. I dont like breeders that breed heavily, and I didnt want a "puppy mill" dog. I refuse to support such cruelty. He assured me that his mom only allowed 1 maybe 2 litters a year, and that they didn't sell for profit. I still wasnt convinced, so he said I could come visit anytime, unannounced. :) That I liked! He also said "Hershey" (the momma dog) was a princess that slept in the bed with his mom, and she was no "meal ticket"! I liked that even more. So I agreed to $150 for a puppy when it was time.There were 2 puppies: 1 boy & 1 girl. Only 1 problem!! I wanted a girl and his mom wanted to keep the only girl. So I settled for the boy puppy. Well somewhere between then and 2 weeks later when the puppy were weaned, she decided since I was paying, I should have the choice to pick. So we met at Publix (ha! where else would we meet?!?), she put both puppies on the ground for me to see which one I wanted. Both were completely presh! The little girl ran right to me and jumped up on me! The little boy when right back to her. We laughed and decided that she made the decision for us! They called her "Boots" because her paws are white :) She weighed 1 lb and 1 oz. We got in the car and headed to PetSmart! She was so cute and sweet! And .... then.... she threw-up all in my purse!! I just laughed and figured it was great she kept it in my purse and not all over my seat. I bought a collar, leash, bowls, toys, treats, EVERYTHING!! I was ready!
All she needed now was a name. I wanted something bitchy sounding cuz chis are so snotty. I considered Siren, because of the myth of the ships wrecking from the singing. But it just didnt suit her, so I searched the internet for something cute. My uncle suggested something fruity like apple or Kiwi. I was like Kiwi? (thinking to myself) And her little ears perked up and she ran to me. That was that. Kiwi chose me, and chose her own name!! I added Strawberry because every princess needs a full name!!
I prepared myself for her crying at night, but OMGOSH she never stopped! I read somewhere that you should put a 2 liter bottle of warm water, wrapped in a blanket, in there bed with them, because the warmth reminds them of their mom. I also put a ticking clock in there with her because that sounds like a heartbeat. That lasted about 2 hours. All week, she cried ALL NIGHT long. I cried with her, thinking I had made a huge mistake and that she would never stop!! Finally, I couldnt stand it so I put her in my bed and she went right to sleep! Thus began her intense spoiling.
She wiggled her way into my moms heart and eventually started running back and forth between my bed and moms bed. That got old fast cuz she was waking us up constantly! She paws at the covers like shes knocking to get in (she still does it!) so you will lift up the covers and she runs down by your hip and snuggles in. We (Mom) got her a nice crate that is much bigger than needed for a chihuahua and she loved it! We put a pillow, with one of moms old pillowcases, and a big pink fuzzy blanket in it. Mom hates to see a dog in a crate locked up, so she puts a blanket over the front so she cant see them. This gave Kiwi some quiet time to rest without having to "watch over" the house. It works out great! It creates a cave like bed for them. making them feel safe and secure.
Fast forward 3 years>>> Jess comes over for the first time to meet my mom. Jess loves aniamls (duh!) and she tried to sit close to me and Kiwi jumped in my lap and growled at her. HA! Jess tried to let her smell her and wait for her to warm up but Kiwi just kept nipping at her. I found this hilarious! But Jess' heart was broken and she thought Kiwi would never like her. Over time, Kiwi came to love her. Although, if Jess comes toward me to fast or put her hands too close to my face, even for just for a kiss, Kiwi gets nippy. I find this super cute!!
