Marleys Chest Blog

I witnessed the most wonderful thing in the park yesterday.

My own life has taken on some hardship, I have been stressed. My Marley and I went for a walk in the park, where we stumbled upon a group of dogs running around having fun. Marley joined in. I paced in circles absorbed in my miserable thoughts. Then it happened.

The CUTEST three month old Dalmatian puppy wiggled up to me. He was the typical little sweetheart, oblivious to the attention focused on him. His head turned in every direction trying to track all the other dogs. He fell over regularly. No other dogs paid attention to him.

The owner, and the look in his eyes, burst my bubble of negativity forever. All at once I remembered the childlike bliss that you feel as the owner of a new puppy. Everything they do makes you proud. Every little stumble and poke is documented. The puppy pictures line every inch of the fridge.

This middle age man was cooing like a baby, picking up his clumsy Dalmation and smothering him with love.

So on this November day, as you dread winter and go about worrying, stop, and remember. Remember those precious tender moments when you bury your face into fur and say “I love you”.

Little Anabelle just loves bling… and so she now has her own Luxury Dog Boutique. Come check it out!!

Chihuahua puppies are very popular. Because of there popularity many people are breeding them. You should avoid buying a Chihuahua puppy from just any old breeder or you might end up with a Chihuahua puppy with severe health or temperament problems. Let me show you how to choose a responsible Chihuahua puppy breeder who breeds healthy and temperamentally sound Chihuahua puppies.

First a quick introduction on why choosing a responsible Chihuahua breeder is a must:

Purebred dog breeds have many genetic health problems. For example, luxating patella is genetic health problem in Chihuahuas – this is where the kneecap moves out of it’s normal position. By choosing a reputable and responsible breeder you increase the chances of getting a healthy and temperamentally sound Chihuahua puppy, because the breeder takes a number of steps to increase the chances that she will breed health Chihuahuas.

What largely determines whether you get a healthy and temperamentally sound Chihuahua puppy is:

a) The puppies parents (genetics)
b) The first 8 – 12 weeks of your Chihuahua puppies life with the breeder.

You should only by your Chihuahua puppy from a responsible breeder (well talk about responsible breeders in a moment.) First, let’s talk about irresponsible breeders.

Puppy mills are irresponsible breeders who mass produce litters of puppies, be it Chihuahua puppies or any other breed. The conditions of puppy mills is often filthy and inhumane. This mass productions leads to sick, genetically unhealthy puppies who have not been socialized and are likely to develop temperament problems. A small scale puppy mill could be someone who is breeding one litter of Chihuahua puppies after the next in his back yard.

A sick Chihuahua could cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in Vet bills. What about Read the entire article

These dogs are in need of love! Search all the pounds in your area with one click! Puppy love!!

This is up for debate. I have realized that people have very different views on raising a pup. For me, I think of puppyhood as a firm commitment of time and energy for a year or more. I always make sure to have at least two months off of work or school to do toilet training. This is where people think I’m crazy. If you lose your job, it’s the best time to get a puppy. You will have tons of free time, and will need the cheerfulness a goofy pup can bring. Also, university students make good puppy care givers. They are gone for short bursts of time and have flexibility in their schedules. These two groups, however, have insecurities which keep them from dog ownership. Where will they be living? Where will they work?

In my experience, decisions that are good for my dogs are also good for me. Providing stability in times of change. Making sure you take time for walks and exercise. Going home, because a little someone is dying to see you. Not accepting jobs that require crazy hours from you. All these little things make me happier. Basically, my dogs keep me grounded. If I didn’t have them I would be a stressed out workaholic.

Now, there is another kind of dog owner… the compulsive buyer. The puppy sucker… the ones who don’t really want a dog, but get seduced by the big eyes. They usually pawn the dogs off on family or the pound. Then there is the lonely buyer… these people buy dogs with no clue as to how to take care of them, and end up with little devil dogs. The dog rules the house, and is mostly neglected.

So keep in mind, do you have a month or two off? Do you need some love? Get a puppy! But take the time to train him well. Consistency in the first year is the key to a lovable friend. You can still train older dogs, but it’s much easier to get it right the first time.

My theory is, make them do everything they might have to do in the first year. Get them walking on a leash right away. Take them in the car, take them places, outside stores, around lots of other dogs, swimming, around cats, squirrels, kids , crowds, etc. Let them run and come back to you. Sheltering a puppy is bad. Overexpose them, and they turn out calmer.