The Adventures of Tico & Toodles

Success!

2011-02-27T17:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the worst day of my life. I didn't get a wink of sleep so I could make sure Blackie-Frankie-Jackie didn't steal my Daddy. I know he wants him. Look at him, just waiting for Daddy to come back to his spot.

Anneedabus tried to make us play with him. Tico kinda did...a little... He's so easy.

I wanted to check him out first. Every time I got close, he'd jump all up in my face and I'd have to kick him to the curb. Really...until I get a good sniff do NOT get all up in my face.

Chicken. See how he hides behind Anneedabus? Eventually the mutt figured out "leave me alone" means leave me alone.

Last night was horrible! Instead of barking all night in his kennel, Blackie-Frankie-Jackie slept with us in the big bed. I couldn't believe it.

All night I worried about people coming to steal him. When they didn't hear him barking, I knew they'd think someone else had already come. So much for my plan.

Blackie-Jackie-Frankie obviously has a thing for Daddy. Anneedabus thinks so, too--I heard him talking to Daddy about it. Over my dead body.

I stepped up my game. If Frankie-Jackie-Blackie came anywhere near Daddy, I chased him to the door. I want that mutt out of here.

Somebody came and got him early today! He's gone! Maybe now I can get some sleep.

Help Wanted!

2011-02-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

I really need your help!

Anneedabus brought another dog home with him two days ago. He must have found the mongrel on the side of the road or something. The beast has absolutely no manners.

I tried to be nice to our guest. Really, I did. I let him drink from my water dish and eat food from my bowl. I even let him play with my squirrelly. I'm nice that way.

Within moments of his arrival Blackie or Frankie or Jackie or whatever his name is moved in on my Daddy. A girl can only take so much. Come into my house and think he's going to take my Daddy??? The nerve!

I gave that sorry mutt a piece of my mind. Didn't phase him. Because he's so dense, I resorted to language Daddy had never heard from me before. Daddy was so upset he Cesar'd me on the neck. I haven't been Cesar'd since I was a puppy!

Blackie-Frankie-Jackie has been here for two days and shows no signs of leaving. Anneedabus gave him a bath today to wash off some of the stank. Then Daddy blow dried him and brushed him out right in front of me.

I'm afraid the little beast is here to stay. I wouldn't worry if he was after Anneedabus. Tico can take care of himself.

But he's after my Daddy. I wouldn't worry so much but he's a lot younger than me. Even through my hate I can see he's awfully cute, too.

Everyone knows Daddy is a sucker for cute. I'm doomed. I need somebody to come here and take Blackie-Jackie-Frankie while everyone is asleep. You won't have any trouble finding him. He's the one that barks all night long.

Please hurry.

Chihuahua Neglect?

2010-06-05T12:54:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! Long time, no see! Have you missed me as much as I've missed you?

Daddy has been hogging the computer to blog about the good-old-days. Nothing distracts him when he's writing his stories. Even my favorite toys never get his attention. Trust me, I've tried.

Tico and I thought about calling the authorities. Missing a walk now and then is one thing. We didn't go for a walk for days. Isn't that neglect? Sure, it rained but it wasn't raining every single minute of every single day.

The stories are interesting if you like ancient history. Frankly I think it's time to move on. Or at least pick up the pace. At the rate he's going me and Tico will be dead before he gets to us.

Chi-ao!

For Vegas

2010-05-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

Daddy took me and Tico to work one day. I love going to work with Daddy. I like it even more when Tico comes with us.

Tico runs up to anyone he sees. He greets complete strangers like he's known them forever. He's so trusting.

Not me. I hang back and wait to see what happens. If they don't try to kill Tico, I'll come over and say hello.

I watch enough television to know the world is a scary place. Little girls like me can't be too careful. I never go anywhere without Daddy, Anneedabus, or Tico.

Even that might not be enough. Poor little Vegas was on his leash walking with his Mommy when a pit bull attacked and killed him. The pit bull got off with just a slap on the paw.

All of us were very sad when we heard about Vegas. Poor little guy. He never even had a chance.

A Quiet Weekend

2010-05-16T16:11:00.000-04:00

We've had big plans every weekend for as long as I can remember. It's what people do. I'll never understand it. We chihuahuas enjoy a more leisurely lifestyle.

One weekend we had a garage sale. Another weekend Anneedabus and Daddy hosted that horrible birthday party for me. Then they toted us up to Roanoke for a fun-but-exhausting visit with our extended family.

I hate the weekends devoted to home projects the most. Tico and I are never allowed to help. Anneedabus and Daddy completely ignore us. We don't go for walks or outside to play or anything.

Unless you count eating, laying around, and napping, we haven't done a thing this weekend. It's been great! We're going to see Ennis later for the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

I better get a nap in before we go so I can keep up. Things can get crazy when me and Tico visit Ennis. I can't wait!

Chi-ao!

Our Trip to Roanoke

2010-05-09T17:11:00.000-04:00

Tico and I are exhausted from our trip to Virginia to visit Buggs, Aunt M, and our cousins, A and T. What a trip! I've never been on so many car rides in my life.

Virginia is far, far away. You ride in the car for a really long time until you get to a rest stop, gas station or fast food joint. Then you walk around for a while and get back in the car for another 15-minute car ride.

We hit rest stops in four states before we finally got to Bugg's house. LOVE her! Tico loves her, too. She's really nice--everything a grandmother should be. If something happened to Daddy and Anneedabus we'd get to live with her all the time.

My cousins are lots of fun, too. Tico says they like to play even more than I do! We played Fetch and Chase Me under the shade trees in their back yard. It was so windy I almost blew away!

Both my cousins play sports. Cousin A plays softball, and Cousin T plays baseball. They have uniforms and everything! We got to go the ballpark to watch them play. In both games they beat the opposing teams so bad the umpire called it a game after only a few innings.

Cousin A and I made friends right away because we're both girls. Living with three guys, it's nice to finally have a girlfriend. She's so awesome!

I wanted to chase her to first base when she got a hit. It was very exciting. She's my BFF. I know she feels the same way about me.

Aunt M is very busy being Mom. We got to visit for a minute or two. She's a lot more laid back than my cousins. Now that I think about it, everyone I know is more laid back than my cousins.

Time for a much-needed nap. Chi-ao!

Happy First Birthday...Not!

2010-05-02T17:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday. That's right. I'm not a puppy anymore. Now I'm a big girl.

Nobody sang Happy Birthday to me. There was no birthday cake, no birthday gifts, and no birthday cards. You grow up fast around here.

I blame the Kentucky Derby. For weeks Anneedabus and Daddy have been too busy getting ready for the Derby Party to play with me and Tico. I can't remember the last time they took us for a walk. If we were children somebody would be calling child protective services.

Getting ready for the party was bad enough. The party itself was horrible! I don't know when I've ever been so scared.

Our house was full of strangers with big scary hats. They acted as if I should just run over and lick their hand and let them hold me--like we've been friends forever or something. I am just not that kind of girl.

To add insult to injury, someone brought another chihuahua into our house...on MY birthday. The nerve!!! Can you believe it? The minute I saw him my hair stood on end. I gave him a piece of my mind he's not likely to forget.

What happened next made me forget all about the interloper. All the people gathered around the television and sang some song about gay people and weeping ladies. Then everyone started jumping up and down and getting really loud.

For a good two minutes they made more than enough noise to get a "shut-the-hell-up" from Daddy or Anneedabus. But they were yelling at the television with everybody else. It's like they'd all gone crazy or something. I was terrified!

It was the worst first birthday any dog ever had. Next year my birthday will be on the first Saturday in May. Go ahead and mark your calendar. Maybe I'll at least get a card or two.

Chi-ao!

Fetch...Revisited

2010-04-23T16:43:00.000-04:00

When he gets home from work Anneedabus takes me and Tico outside to play fetch. Tico has loved fetch since before I was born. He's always waiting for someone to throw the ball.

Fetch is new to me. Sure, I've played fetch with Tico my whole life. But I really didn't understand how the game was played until recently.

All my life Anneedabus gave me treats and praise just for chasing Tico. It's like he thought I was slow or something. Is it my fault I never learned about bringing the ball back? I don't think so. I didn't even know you needed a ball until last week.

You think Tico is smart? Anneedabus taught him how to play fetch. I figured out how to play all by myself. That's how smart I am. Want me to show you how to play? I can. Just grab some treats and meet me outside.

Chi-ao!

Helping Out at the Office

2010-04-19T16:32:00.000-04:00

Today I went to the office to help Daddy do his work. He's been really busy because of the bad budget and needs all the help he can get. It was the least I could do after all he's done for me.

Daddy says he can't get anything done at the office because of interruptions. My job is to make sure that doesn't happen. To see Daddy you've got to come through me.

It's my job to answer the phone, too, but it never rang. I even practiced what I would say: Woof! Do I hear the phone ringing? Nope. Daddy doesn't get many calls at work because everybody uses e-mail.

I've seen Daddy check his e-mail enough to know how, but he won't let me. I'm not allowed to use the computer except to write my blog. Checking e-mail is easy. You just push on those buttons and it works.

You need to get on the calendar if you want to see Daddy. Keeping up with his schedule is my job, too. Here I am going over his calendar looking for openings.

Daddy said I was a big help. I'm glad. Would hate to think I wore myself out for nothing!

Chi-ao!

How I Got My Swagger

2010-04-15T18:00:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm all grown up I get a lot of compliments about my body. People wonder how I stay so tiny. Between me and you, it ain't easy. Everybody knows we little girls have to work harder to get the same results.

It helps to have a work-out buddy who shares your goals. Tico and I have set an extremely lofty goal. We want to reach the top of Mount Midoriyama. That's right. We're training to become Ninjahuahuas.

I start my workout as soon as my paws hit the ground with a couple of long, slow stretches. Before breakfast I get in 10 to 15 minutes of resistance training playing tug-of-war with Anneedabus. Then the real work-out starts.

Tico and I do indoor free-running and ultimate fighting two or three times a day for thirty to sixty minutes. If you're being chased, you run as fast as you can without ever going the same way twice. Get caught and it's a no-holds-barred fight for dominance. Get pinned and you become the chaser.

I have to admit Tico can kick my butt. Sometimes he lets me win just so he can chase me. He's faster than me, too. But I know some shortcuts he's too big to take and give him a run for his money.

Training with a bigger dog is good for me. If the need arises I know I could whup any dog my size or smaller. That's why I got swagger.

Chi-ao!

Easter Bunnies, April Showers & Garage Sales

2010-04-10T19:07:00.001-04:00

We had a great Easter. The Easter Bunny left treats for me and Tico all over the yard. We're lucky. Daddy says the Easter Bunny visits everybody else just once a year. He comes to our house almost every day. Here we are enjoying the treats he brings us.

Don't know when I've been so glad to see rain. After the rain washed everything clean we could play in the grass without sneezing again. I don't recommend drinking from yellow puddles. Blech!

It's been a lot cooler out since the rain--great weather for walking. Everything is green again and there are beautiful flowers everywhere. Some flowers smell really good, like this one we saw on our walk.

Yesterday a TIGER charged us! Daddy was listening to his music on our walk and didn't hear him coming. Fortunately, Tico scared him away. Daddy says it was just a friendly cat. Wrong. If it's bigger than me and purrs, it's a tiger.

Today Anneedabus and Daddy had the garage sale they've been talking about for weeks. I put out a few clothes too small for me to wear. I must be the smallest dog in the world because nobody bought them.

A garage sale means lots of strangers come to your house and TAKE STUFF! Tico and I watched through the window as truck after truck after truck pulled away loaded down with our valuable possessions. We barked and barked and barked but I don't think anyone could hear us.

It was terrible. I didn't see Daddy and was afraid Anneedabus sold him at the garage sale. There was so much coming and going I couldn't be sure. I sat at the garage door and cried. I knew if Daddy could hear me he would come running.

It worked. All these months of training paid off. He picked me up and carried me around for the rest of the sale. Everybody wanted to pet me, but I wouldn't let them. No telling where they've been since they last washed their hands.

Chi-ao!

No Fan of Yellow Snow

2010-04-07T17:14:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhh-chooooo! I'm sorry. Just came in from outside. Yellow snow has fallen for the last few days. Ahhhhhhh-choooooooo! It's everywhere! Makes me and Tico sneeze.

White snow smells good. Yellow snow--not so much. There's so much of it I can hardly smell anything else. Everything is covered with it. Ahhhhhh-choooo!

The yellow snow makes Daddy and Anneedabus sneeze, too. They say it's pine pollen. When I'm outside a little cloud of it rises up with every step I take. Ahhhhh-choooooo!!!! I get sneezy just thinking about it.

Tico has a yellow-green snout and paws to match. My paws and curtains--the long fur that hides my personal parts when I'm doing my business--are yellow-green. Even Daddy's shoes are yellow-green.

Glad we took our walk earlier today. The TV says it's supposed to rain. I hope so. Anything is better than this yellow snow!

Ahhhhhhhhhh-CHI-AOooooooooooooooo!

Our Visit with Ennis

2010-04-01T18:51:00.000-04:00

I got to go for a car ride with Daddy today! I knew we weren't going to the doctor because Tico came along. We got even more excited when we found out where we were going.

We went to play with Ennis. Besides Tico, Ennis is the only dog in the world I like. Other dogs scare me. When you only weigh five pounds, you can't be too careful. Until we've been properly introduced I'm also afraid of people.

Yes, I said five pounds. I think I'm beautiful just the way I am. Besides, I'd have to gain two more pounds to get as big as Tico. Daddy says I'm chicka-wow-wow!

After a quick hello to his daddies, we joined Ennis for the usual tour of his private dog park. Tico enjoys the tour more than I do. It's a boy thing. Tico pees, Ennis pees where Tico peed, then Tico pees on a new spot. They don't stop until they're both too dehydrated to keep going. Fun.

Ennis has a couple of lakes and a waterfall in his dog park. He even has fish and a fake alligator so the birds won't eat them. Tico pretends like he's getting a drink but he's really trying to figure out how to catch a fish.

We had a great visit, as usual. All too soon it was time to go. Ennis is a lot bigger than me--like probably even 15 pounds. I climbed on a rock for a little kissy-face before we left. Don't worry. It's harmless. Ennis is in love with Tico.

Chi-ao!

Ask Me Again

2010-03-30T18:15:00.000-04:00

I don't know why I even bother. Earlier this month I came up with a list of things we could do to save money during the bad economy. Daddy and Anneedabus ignored every one of my suggestions!

OK. I'll admit it. Even though I thought it was a great idea and was only thinking about his health, I never really expected Anneedabus to cut back on treats or food for Tico. He's too nice. Daddy would have, but he never feeds us and rarely gives us any treats.

We still have our dog clothes, too. I'm hoping to unload them soon. Daddy says we're having a garage sale in April. He and Anneedabus have piles of stuff for the sale all over the house. Should be easy to slip a dress or two in here and there between now and the sale.

Tico got a new sheep this week, too. As you can see in the picture, there wasn't a thing wrong with the old one. If you ask me, Anneedabus spoils that dog.

To add insult to injury, Daddy took me to the doctor today. I have no idea what he did to me this time. I heard Daddy tell Anneedabus I had an extra set of teeth like it was a problem. Who ever heard of a dog with too many teeth!

All I know is I can hardly keep my eyes open. Think I'll go take a nap in Daddy's lap. Maybe I will dream up some new suggestions for saving money.

Chi-ao!

Tico Gets Hosed

2010-03-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

Except for a short time when I was young, it's been cold outside for most of my life. Lately, the weather has been quite nice. We get to play outside more in good weather. I'd forgotten how good it feels to stretch out in the sun on the sidewalk.

The dog park has never looked so pretty. The flowers Daddy planted last year look great. Tico and I have been digging holes for more flowers. Daddy will be so happy when he finds out!

If we're outside Tico wants to play Fetch. He'll sit for hours waiting for someone to throw his orange ball for him. I'm sending the picture below to Sarah McLachlan. It's so sad she can send it to people who give money to get animals out of shelters.

As with all our toys, I'm not allowed to play with the orange ball. I have my own ball--unless Tico wants it. I enjoy a good game of Fetch as much as any dog. I am just not obsessed with it like Tico. He would ride in a short bus if he ever went to school.

He got us both in trouble a few days ago. We were walking through the garden outside the dog park with Daddy when Tico hit the jackpot. He found cat treats in this weed we both love to roll in. I saw him rolling away and ran over to join him.

By the time I got there Tico was covered in a delicious mixture of cat treats and our favorite weed. But I barely got my nose in it before Daddy snatched me up. Anneedabus picked Tico up, too, then coughed and retched while he carried him up to the dog park.

Next thing I knew Daddy was giving me another bath. I just had a bath not even two weeks ago. Hate the bath but love being blown-out afterward. I heard Anneedabus tell Daddy he had to hose Tico down before giving him a bath. Not sure what that means and hope I never find out.

Chi-ao!

Biting Back at the Bad Economy

2010-03-19T17:08:00.000-04:00

Daddy says we need to go on a budget because of the bad economy. I don't know any economy, but wish it would be good. I'm a good girl all the time. Even Anneedabus says so. I'm tired of getting punished for stuff I didn't do.

You know me. Even though I had nothing to do with the bad economy, I will do everything I can to help. Tico and I sat down together earlier today to chew over our options. We came up with several money-saving tips.

Nothing makes my creative juices flow like a good chew. Most of the ideas are mine. Frankly, Tico with a chew-stick and that one-track mind of his really wasn't much help. Here are our suggestions to help Daddy and Anneedabus save money.

1) Stop taking me and Tico to the doctor. He just hurts us or makes us sick. If we didn't go to the doctor we'd never need one.

2) Sell all our dog clothes. Being the selfless, generous animal Daddy raised me to be, I'm willing to part with my entire wardrobe. That's right, all of it, ~~especially~~ including my fancy dresses.

3) Feed Tico once a day instead of twice. He's way too big, anyway. Feeding him less often will help him lose weight and our bag of food will last a lot longer.

4) Stop giving Tico treats. See #3. Besides, he's all grown up now and doesn't need them--especially Puparonis. He gets plenty of treats in the yard.

5) Quit replacing Tico's sheep. I can rip a new one to pieces in a matter of hours now. Why throw good money after bad?

You can only cut so much. At some point you need to talk about increasing revenue. My last suggestion is to rent Tico out to people who don't have a dog. It's a shame he's neutered.

The income and savings from our suggestions adds up. I hope it's enough to make a difference. I'd really miss Tico if we had to become a one-dog family.

Chi-ao!

Can't Have Anything!

2010-03-10T16:16:00.006-05:00

Y'all know me and Toodles are maybe a little spoiled. Anneedabus and Daddy buy toys for us all the time. Grandma Buggs sends us toys for presents, too. We have lots and lots of toys.

Some dogs don't play with the toys they have. We do. We play with all our toys.

Our favorite game is hide all the toys. Daddy or Anneedabus puts all our toys in the basket then me and Toodles see how fast we can hide them around the house. It's fun! Sometimes it takes Daddy and Anneedabus days to find them all again.

Out of all our toys, Sheep is the only one I really care about. He was the first toy Anneedabus and Daddy gave me. We've been through a lot together.

I'm not supposed to know they have replaced Sheep with a new one several times. It's cute the way they swap out the old for the new--like I'm blind and have no sense of smell. Here I am with a brand new Sheep.

Toodles has it in for Sheep. When she gets hold of him, she runs off and tries to rip out all his stuffing. Trust me, it's not pretty. She makes strange little noises as bits of stuffing fly around her head. It's like she's crazy or possessed by evil spirits.

Don't believe me? Here's a recent picture of the Sheep shown above. See what I mean?

Yeah we all know she's teeny tiny and all adorable and everything. You may not know she has more than a little bit of a temper. Daddy thinks it's cute, but me and Anneedabus know better.

Daddy Runs Away from Home

2010-03-07T09:02:00.001-05:00

You haven't heard from me because I've been too upset to visit with you. Daddy disappeared. I've been just beside myself with worry.

The day Daddy left started just like any other. Yeah, he made a few extra trips to the car with stuff. But he's done that before. I didn't give it another thought.

Right before he left we played Million Kisses--the very first game he taught me. We still play Million Kisses before we go to sleep at night or when we lay down together for a nap. We never play Million Kisses before I kennel up so I should have known something was up.

When Daddy didn't come home for food I knew something was wrong. Daddy is always here for food. Always. I checked all his usual spots hundreds of times to see if maybe he'd slipped in without me noticing. Nope. Daddy was gone.

I slept without Daddy for the first time in my life. Or tried. I tossed and turned so much Anneedabus put me in my kennel. I was too upset to care.

Days passed and still no Daddy. Tico and Anneedabus tried to cheer me up. They played with me and took me on walks with them. It helped, as did the beautiful weather we've had ever since he left.

I was trying to enjoy the sun while Tico and Anneedabus played fetch in our dog park when I heard the garage door go up. I ran around to the gate just in time to see Daddy's car pull into the driveway. I've never been so excited in my whole life!

Then I heard him calling TooToo!! I ran to him as fast as I could. He swept me up in his arms and we played the best game of Million Kisses ever! I didn't even care when Daddy picked Tico up so he could play, too.

But I'm the one he carried around with him for the rest of the day. And he's the one I'm not letting out of my sight ever again. I'm so glad he didn't run away.

Chiao!

Our Typical Week

2010-02-28T16:15:00.001-05:00

People say seven days make a week. Honestly it's not that complicated. They must be confusing dog years with days of the week. Everybody knows a week only has two days: Kennel-Up-Day and The-Weekend.

We all get up get up early on Kennel-Up-Day because Anneedabus and Daddy have to go to work. Daddy sucks down a pot of coffee while he reads the newspaper, reviews our blog statistics, cusses at the TV news, and checks Facebook and his e-mail accounts. I used to sit in his lap and watch but now I enjoy some quality time with Anneedabus before he goes to work. He gets lonely since Tico always sleeps in.

The morning flies by. Before you know it me and Tico have to kennel up. I don't mind. Daddy usually gives us good treats. Besides, he's only gone for 15 minutes. I've never timed him but I know he wouldn't lie.

I sleep like a baby in my kennel. Sleeping with Daddy is great but all his tossing and turning and getting up and down makes it hard to get much sleep. I'm not complaining, just saying I have reason to appreciate a nice nap.

Tico and I agree, The-Weekend is the best day of the week. For starters we usually sleep late. A few times we didn't get up until after the sun came up!

Anneedabus makes breakfast on The-Weekend. Sometimes he makes scrambled eggs for me and Tico. Scrambled eggs are my favorite people food but I also like cheese, green beans, peas, carrots and sweet potato french fries. Just don't give me any blueberries. Blech!

After breakfast we play with Anneedabus and Daddy. When we're not playing, we take naps or long walks. Today I helped Daddy pull weeds. Daddy doesn't need to know I merely pretended to pull weeds while I kept an eye out for trouble. You can't be too careful. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to him--especially on my watch.

All that hard work has made me sleepy. I think I'll take a nap. Just a quick one...no more than 15 minutes.

Chi-ao!

Tico the Fetch Fanatic

2010-02-27T16:43:00.008-05:00

Hi everybody. It's me, Tico. You would hear from me a lot more often if Toodles would quit changing the password.

She would never change the password just to keep me from posting. She's following security protocols to keep the Chinese from hacking our blog and stealing our identities. You can't be too careful these days. I'm glad she's looking out for us.

Since my last posting we've had some crazy weather. Other than heat and humidity, we've had it all. It rained so much our private dog park flooded and we couldn't play fetch.

Fetch is my favorite game. No matter how far Anneedabus throws the ball, I bring it back. Every time. I'm always ready for a good game of fetch.

It's a complicated game. Toodles doesn't really get it. She runs along behind me to see exactly how I do it. Until I know she's ready, I'm not letting her touch the ball. Anneedabus counts on me to bring it back and I'm not going to let him down.

After all the rain we had snow. Toodles hates it. She doesn't know what she's missing! Playing fetch in the snow with Anneedabus is probably the most fun I've ever had.

Since she's grown up, Toodles is a bit more bearable. She still wants to play every waking moment of every day. Most of the time I don't mind, but every now and then I need a break. Fortunately there are three of us to take turns playing with her.

Looks like it's my turn. Come see us. I'll show you how to play fetch!

Have You Seen Daddy?

2010-02-23T17:13:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe I was wading through snow up to my belly a bit more than a week ago. OK, I never actually set foot in the snow. But if I did, it would have been up to my neck. Geez, whatever happened to literary license?

Warmer weather means me and Tico get to spend more time outside. We go for long walks more often and spend more time hanging out in our private dog park. After being cooped up inside all winter it's nice just to get out in the fresh air. Here's a picture of us romping and gallivanting. It's what we literary dogs do.

Daddy likes to work in the garden when it's nice outside. He's pretty good with plants. Tico and I decided to let him landscape our dog park. We love his work but I wouldn't recommend him. He's slow, and we've yet to get a full day of work out of him. Time is money you know.

I help Daddy in the garden. Tico has to stay in the private dog park because Daddy doesn't care for him. Here's a picture of Tico watching me and Daddy pull weeds. You can't really tell but Tico is in the dog park and I'm not.

I don't know why he did it, but today Daddy worked in the garden without me. I know--it was a huge shock to me, too. He probably just left the gate unlatched. If I push I'm sure it will open.

He probably thought he left the gate open and forgot. I'm sure that's it. I'll just wait here until he realizes what he's done. It won't be long.

I'm sure he'll be along any minute. If you see him, tell him I'm looking for him. Thanks!

Surviving in the Suburbs

2010-02-18T18:57:00.000-05:00

I know. You're worried sick because you haven't heard from me for so long. No doubt you fear the worst. Surely something horrible must have happened to keep me so long away from you, my friends and adoring fans.

Nope. I'm fine. You can still send cards, flowers, or treats because I like getting them. But they won't make me any better. You've seen me. Chihuahua just doesn't get any better than this.

You haven't heard from me because we haven't had any adventures. Nope. Not a single one. No car rides to the doctor, to the office with Daddy, or to the pet store. We haven't even gone to any drive-through windows.

Weather permitting, we do go for walks most days. At least it gets us out of the house. I can't even remember the last time we were attacked by a wild animal. We haven't run into any rude dogs or overly curious cats since I was a puppy.

Nothing ever happens around here. I don't think an adventuress such as myself was meant to live in the burbs. When was the last time you saw Lara Croft, Indiana Jones or James Bond running through your subdivision?

Just as I thought. Never. What's a girl to do? If I was a drama queen, I'd have to stir some stuff up around here. Maybe then I'd have something to tell you!

Chi-ao...

sNOw Thanks

2010-02-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

Daddy took me and Tico outside to play today. At first I didn't notice anything unusual. Then it hit me. Snow.

I've heard people talk about snow. Honestly I had no idea what they were talking about. To tell you the truth I never really gave it much thought.

Tico didn't seem to mind. He never does. He's one of those calm, submissive dogs you see on the Dog Whisperer. Not me. I'm more likely to show up on It's Me or the Dog where personality still counts for something. Poke me with two fingers and see what happens. This girl works for treats.

My ancestors migrated from Mexico to Georgia generations ago. Digging for peanuts is in my blood. Heat doesn't bother me a bit. But I am not a fan of cold weather and hate everything about snow. I'm just not into cold, wet stuff that sticks to you. Sorry. If I have to just stay inside until spring, I will.

Our Busy Week

2010-02-04T17:49:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's almost the weekend again. I've been busier than a ground hog. This week just flew by.

Jesse came to visit Monday. Ennis didn't get to come because he's too big for car rides. I love Jesse and was really glad to see him. I got so excited...well...I wet myself.

Daddy had to give me a bath before I could visit. Had it been anyone else I would have died of embarrassment. Fortunately, I've known Jesse my whole life. If anything happens to Daddy and Anneedabus, me and Tico get to live with him.

Tuesday I went to the Collegiate 4-H meeting with Daddy. He's working with them on a big project for the next year. Daddy wanted to meet them and thought they would like him more if he brought me along.

Daddy stood up and talked during the meeting. I really thought the situation called for something more interactive. But no matter how much I wiggled and squirmed Daddy wouldn't put me down. Fortunately he only talked for a few minutes. I don't know what they think about him, but they loved me.

Yesterday I went to the doctor. He acts like he's my friend and then stabs me in the back. This time all he did was poke something in my ear and squirt stuff in my nose.

I did get some bad news. I'm up to 4.7 pounds. I carry the weight well so I'm not going to panic. Besides, collar and tags contribute to that total. The doctor did have good news. He said I was in perfect health--my pancreas is fine.

Today the excitement came to us. We were walking around the yard with Daddy after work. He was looking for signs of spring while me and Tico searched for gifts from cats and rabbits.

All of a sudden a wolf came rushing at us out of nowhere! Tico bristled up bigger than I've ever seen and chased the wolf out of our yard. I bristled up, too but stayed back to protect Daddy, just in case the wolf got the better of Tico.

I patrolled the perimeter with Tico to make sure the wolf didn't come back. A man looking for his lost dog walked by. Sure hope he finds it. Would be awful for the wolf to get it...

Chi-ao!

Duties and Responsibilities

2010-01-31T15:36:00.000-05:00

Next week I'll be nine months old. I'm a big girl now. Well, big really isn't in the cards for me. At 4 1/2 pounds, I'm about as big as I'm going to get.

I can't just play all day like I did as a puppy. Nope. Now I have duties and responsibilities. I need to be good and do my job all the time. It's a lot to ask from a dog--even a gifted chihuahua like me.

Duties and responsibilities keep me very busy. Tico takes care of Anneedabus and I take care of Daddy. Tico was here before me so he got to pick first. You think I got the dirty end of the stick. I would have picked Daddy anyway--I like a challenge.

Our day starts early. To stay on schedule I wake Daddy up while it's still dark out. Anneedabus usually gets up, too. Tico sleeps in for another hour or two every morning. And he says I'm spoiled...

Not me. I have to tend to Daddy. Once I get him settled on the couch in front of the television with his paper and coffee he's good until Tico gets up. Even though it's really Tico's job, I play with Anneedabus for a little while, too. I don't mind because he gives me treats.

After Daddy reads the paper we do our chores. We clean up the kitchen, make the bed, pick up the living room and open all the blinds. Daddy puts all our toys in the basket. I make sure none are missing then spread them around so we can play with them again.

Once chores are done it's time to get Daddy ready for work. I inspect the bathroom and stand guard while he takes a shower. I have a perfect record. Daddy hasn't been mugged, raped, robbed, or attacked by wild animals since I started looking after him.

Once Daddy goes to work I can relax and grab a bite to eat. When he gets back home the work really starts. I'll have to tell you about it later. Right now it's time for a nap. I need all the rest I can get.

Chi-ao!

We Survive Another Project

2010-01-24T17:23:00.000-05:00

Daddy and Anneedabus did ANOTHER project this weekend. You know what that means--another door between me and Daddy. Tico and I are starting to wonder why they ever brought us home.

Have to admit yesterday wasn't too bad. They stopped working early and took a nap with us. I like naps with Daddy. Sometimes he's grouchy to Anneedabus and Tico after he wakes up. He's never grouchy to me. I just lick his face and wag my tail a few times. Never fails to cheer him up.

Daddy and Anneedabus went back to work on the project first thing this morning and worked for hours. Unless I'm safely locked up in my crate, I'm really not happy if I can't see Daddy. I miss him so much I get anxious. You wouldn't understand--it's a chihuahua thing.

I kept going to the door. Daddy...are you there? Daddy? Please, please, please!

I could see him but he wouldn't play with me. One time he did hold me as he painted. Looks like pretty boring stuff to me. I don't care. I'll watch paint dry to have Daddy hold me. Even though I was on my best behavior, he put me down after only an hour.

Now Tico and I are waiting for them to finish the project. I hope they finish soon. Being anxious takes a lot out of me. I'm ready to curl up next to Daddy for a nice nap.

Chi-ao!

My Horrible Weekend

2010-01-19T18:08:00.000-05:00

I had the most awful weekend. Daddy and Anneedabus did another project. I hate projects. If they never do another one it will be too soon for me.

The first project was a few weeks ago. Anneedabus took the door off the bathroom and used it to block the hallway to keep me and Tico from helping. Can you believe it? I know we could have made a difference.

Being unable to help was bad enough. We couldn't see what they were doing either. All I know is projects are noisy and smelly.

Last time they took turns working on the project. This time they blocked the hall with the bedroom door and stayed behind it most the weekend. I could see Daddy on the ladder but he just ignored me no matter how much I cried. Sniff.

When Anneedabus and Daddy do projects they don't play with me and Tico or take us for walks. We're left to fend for ourselves best we can. I love Tico but he is no replacement for Daddy.

Things started looking up yesterday. When Anneedabus put the bedroom door back I knew the project was about over. Hallelujah! Let the play time begin!

But I was wrong. Anneedabus took Tico to the Doctor for his annual check-up. The Doctor took blood and shot stuff up his nose. Then Tico got not one, not two, not three, but FOUR shots. He doesn't feel like playing and has been laying around ever since he got home.

I'll just lay here by my toys and wait. Somebody will play with me...one day. Sigh.

Our Lucky Day

2010-01-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

Daddy cracks me up. No matter the season he doesn't like to get too hot or too cold. This time of year he dresses in layers he can take off when he's hot or put back on if he's cold.

The colder it gets the more layers he wears. Last week when it was really cold I almost exploded waiting for him to dress to take me out. He put on clothes like he was about to cross the Alps on foot. I have no idea why. When we finally got outside he never left the porch.

Today it's beautiful outside. Dressed for much colder weather, Daddy took us for a walk. We walked for a long time, long enough to come dangerously close to running out of layers. I love Daddy and see him naked all the time. Trust me, you don't want him running out of layers.

The sweatshirt came off almost as soon as we left the house. He rolled his shirt sleeves up before we got to the end of the street and ditched the shirt after a few more blocks. Thirty minutes later he walked out of his sweatpants like Charlize Theron in that Dior ad you see on TV.

By the time I knew where we were, only a sweaty cotton t-shirt and nylon gym shorts stood between Daddy and indecent exposure charges. It was going to be close. I started walking faster.

Finally I could see the house. Then I saw sweat breaking out on Daddy's forehead. I picked up the pace and prayed none of the neighbors were home.

This time we were lucky. We made it home with the last layer still in place. I hope our luck holds out for the rest of the winter. You should, too.

Chi-ao!

No Fan of Cold Weather

2010-01-10T13:59:00.000-05:00

You couldn't ask for a prettier day. The sun is shining and I can tell from the sound of the wind chimes a nice breeze is blowing. Looks like a perfect day for a rousing game of outdoor Chase Me with Tico.

I'm here to tell you looks can be deceiving! From the comfort of my sun puddle it's easy to forget how cold it is outside. I know because I do it all the time. Let me tell you something...I am NOT a fan of cold.

I've learned to expect cold when it's dark out. As soon as Daddy opens the door I sprint for the grass. I take two steps off the concrete, squat, pee, spin, dump and run back to the door. It's that simple. We're back inside in three minutes or less.

Squatting in cold, wet grass is bad enough. Try squatting in tundra with gale force arctic winds blowing up your butt. Frankly, it's a lot to ask for just a "good girl" and a pat on the head from Daddy. If it wasn't for Santa Claus I wouldn't even try.

Cold weather isn't all bad. With the leaves gone from most the big trees around the house, my favorite sun puddle is bigger than ever. Come to think of it, today is the perfect day for a little nap in the sun.

Sweet Dreams!

Living with Toodles

2010-01-04T15:32:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. We're all ok. The wild dog that attacked us was just a big puppy who wanted to play. Toodles reacted like he was a rabid wolf hell-bent on eating her alive and swelled up like an angry cat. Cracked me up. Hope you had a merry Christmas, a fun New Year's Eve, and a relaxing week in between. Toodles and I have really enjoyed the holiday break. Anneedabus and Daddy stayed home to play with us for two weeks. It was exactly what we wanted--the best gift ever!

Anneedabus is my best friend in the world. Except for a quick trip to South Carolina to visit his family and a night in Atlanta with his sister for a Lady Gaga concert he's been home the entire time. It's been great!!! We've played games, walked all over Athens, taken long naps and gone for car rides. I wish he could be home all the time.

I love Daddy, too. He takes care of me when Anneedabus isn't home. We were a lot closer before Toodles came along. I understand. Toodles keeps him pretty busy. She is more than a little high maintenance. Daddy can't handle her by himself--Anneedabus has to help. Daddy says it's a good thing I'm such a good boy. I guess that's one way of looking at it. The other would be to just accept that Toodles is a brat and send her to Reform school.

Toodles is a full grown dog with a bit of a mean streak. She walks all over Daddy and Anneedabus. They let her get by with murder because she's so tiny and cute. She looks and acts like a puppy when she's really just a bad girl--like the girl in that Orphan movie. She knows exactly what she's doing. She chewed up one piece from the exact middle of the puzzle Anneedabus and Daddy worked on all week. Honest! You can't make this stuff up.

She'll go sketchy on you at the drop of a hat. Daddy says it's her pancreas. She sticks her tail between her legs and scampers to Daddy. She'll sit in his lap for the next hour or two or six, shivering every now and then--for attention if you ask me. Pancreas my butt.

She knows better than to mess with me. Took her a while to catch on. She's a slow learner--even slower than Daddy. I still have to remind her that other than her squirrel, all the toys and chew sticks are mine.

You're probably thinking I need to practice sharing. Nope. Tried that. You know the sheep Toodles got me for Christmas to replace the one she destroyed? She's already ripped it apart. Same with both the toys Buggs gave us for Christmas. She also chewed up two rugs and a sofa cushion and ripped holes in several towels, throws, and blankets. I hate to think of the damage Toodles could do if she was ever left alone for more than five minutes. Like I said, she's high maintenance.

Even so, I love her. When her pancreas isn't bothering her and she's not tearing stuff up or clinging to her Daddy and she's not too tired, Toodles is a lot of fun. When she's in the mood to play she is up for anything. She runs almost as fast as I do and takes my open field tackles like a wide receiver in the NFL. We have a great time wrestling, chasing each other, and playing tug of war or keep away. Life would be pretty boring without her.

Sooner or later, Toodles will get into something a good dog would leave alone. It's her nature--who she is. When she goes too far I find Daddy and sit at his feet until she gets caught. Now I don't get blamed for the damage. You do what you have to do.

Vacation Adventure: Attacked By a Wild Dog!

2009-12-29T18:56:00.001-05:00

Daddy and Anneedabus are on vacation. Vacation means they don't go to work anymore. It's a dream come true!

You know it's vacation first thing in the morning. Usually the noisy coffeemaker wakes us up. On vacation the coffeemaker doesn't start until we get up and Anneedabus pushes the button. Nobody is in a hurry to go anywhere. Nice.

Anneedabus makes breakfast every day on vacation. I love a hot breakfast! He gives me and Tico a little bit of bacon or some scrambled eggs. Tico always gets more because Anneedabus does all the cooking. I get what I find on the floor around Daddy. He's pretty messy so it all works out.

Daddy has time to take us on long walks. I like walking with Anneedabus and Tico but going on walks with Daddy is more fun for me. We go a different way every day and just walk and walk and walk. Most of the time I'm not scared at all!

Yesterday Anneedabus took us for a horrible walk. It wasn't his fault. Before we even got started a strange dog attacked us. He was huge!!! I tried to scare him away but he was too big and scary for me. Anneedabus had to pick me up. Tico wanted to kick his butt but Anneedabus picked him up and carried us.

That wild dog followed us all the way home and even tried to follow us inside! He stayed on our front porch like he owned it. You won't believe what happened next. Anneedabus took him some water and played with him!!! He hung around for a while then disappeared.

Today all four of us went for a walk for the first time in a long time. It was fun until we were almost home and that dog attacked us again! Daddy picked me up. Tico would have ripped him apart if Anneedabus hadn't picked him up when he did.

He followed us all the way to our private dog park. Tico was ready to open a can of whoop on his tail and kept trying to attack him through the fence. Not me. I'm more the damsel in distress type.

With all that walking I'm ready for a nap. Isn't that what vacations are all about?

Chi-ao!

Second Best Day of My Life!

2009-12-26T19:32:00.000-05:00

Other than the day I came to live with Anneedabus, Tico and Daddy, Christmas was the best day of my whole life. Tico told me it would be great. He was right!

Before the big day I wasn't all that impressed with presents. Daddy put ours under the tree then fussed at us if we went anywhere near them. If he didn't want us playing with our gifts, why did he put them on the ground where we could get them?

When we got up Christmas morning we finally got to play with them. I sniffed at mine and poked at them a bit. Boring. Frankly, I was disappointed.

Presents are a lot more fun after you take the paper off. I got a bandanna that says "Daddy's Girl", a pretty pink hoody, and a rubber bone from my cousins. Buggs gave me a pink stuffed animal that's fun to roll around with.

Tico got two blue hoodies--one just like mine and the other with "Ciao" on the back, and a ball you can put treats in from our cousins, and a purple stuffed animal from Buggs. I gave him a sheep, some of our favorite chew sticks to let him know how sorry I was for tearing up his sheep, and some chicken Puparonis to keep him from getting fat. He was really excited to see the sheep and played with it for a long time.

Tico didn't get me anything. It's OK. Turns out he's too big to wear any of the hoodies he got from our cousins. Buggs said Audrey did all the shopping. I'm thinking she only bought clothes in my size on purpose. Thanks Audrey! I owe you one!

Chi-ao!

Last Minute Shopping

2009-12-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping. Daddy took me to the mall but they wouldn't let me in. Can you believe it? I work for my money just like anybody else. You'd think I had fleas or something.

We ended up at a big pet store. The smell was overwhelming--it was hard to make sense of the scents. My paws just wouldn't move. Daddy had to drag me in the door until he finally figured out to carry me.

Even in his arms, we barely got inside before a saleslady attacked. She said I was so cute she just had to hold me. I don't think so! I should have bitten her. But being a refined southern chihuahua, I just acted like she didn't exist. I think she got the message. Call me old fashioned but without a formal introduction a lady simply doesn't talk to strangers.

With Daddy holding me I could check things out without worrying about anyone stepping on me or anything. We saw birds, lizards, snakes and fish. Birds would be fun, especially if they couldn't fly away. Ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, and hamsters could be fun, too. You can even get cats and rabbits to make your own treats all the time!

They had puppies, too, all different kinds. We saw a giant chihuahua puppy bigger than me and Tico put together. I hope all the puppies find homes. It would be awful if they had to spend Christmas alone in a cage at the pet store.

We looked at dog clothes. I really liked this classy little black dress. It had a red-trimmed Nehru collar and a gorgeous red silk sash. Did Daddy buy it? Nope. Whoever said all gay men have good taste never met Daddy. Wait until you see the vinyl bomber jacket he picked up for me. It's hideous. I'm sure he'll strap it on and make me pose for pictures sooner or later.

We found a brand new sheep for Tico exactly like the one I tore up. I threw in a couple of extra surprises just to let him know how sorry I am. If he tore up my squirrelly I don't know what I would do. On the other hand, if he happened to tear up a certain vinyl bomber jacket....I might be persuaded to let this sheep keep its head.

Maybe. No promises.

Chi-ao!

Presents!!!

2009-12-21T19:31:00.001-05:00

Santa Claus came to our house today in a big brown truck. He left presents on the front porch and rang the bell instead of covering them with pine straw. I'm so glad he didn't come inside!

Turns out, the presents weren't from the North Pole after all. They are from my cousins Trevor and Audrey in Virginia. Daddy said they got more than a foot of snow up in Virginia this week. They must have shipped our presents just in time.

Daddy opened the box and put the gifts under the tree. Of course I checked them out. I needed to know if any were for me. I was excited to see three presents with my name on them!

Tico got three presents, too. He seemed awfully interested in my pile. Looks like I'm going to have to keep a close eye on my presents between now and Christmas. Wouldn't want anything to happen to them.

Tico and I helped Daddy wrap presents for Trevor and Audrey. We wrapped and wrapped and wrapped! Daddy laughed and laughed and said the kids were going to be so surprised. I hope so. I love surprises almost as much as car rides!

We also have presents from Grandma Buggs. She doesn't like it when you call her Grandma, but that's who she is. Daddy said she loves chihuahuas. What's not to like about someone who loves chihuahuas and sends me presents? If she wants me to call her Buggs I reckon I'll call her Buggs.

I can't wait to open my presents. Hope nobody got me socks, underwear, or scratchy sweaters. Toys and treats, however, are always welcome.

Chi-ao!

Our Day at the Office

2009-12-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

Tico and I went to work with Daddy yesterday. You really have to be a good dog to go to work with Daddy. I get to go all the time because I am such a good girl. Tico has come with us once before, but only to run in to say hello to everyone. Yesterday we both got to go.

Daddy was supposed to bring the camera. He wanted some pictures of us playing in his newly renovated office but forget the camera. Just as well. We all know photography isn't his strong suit. When I'm famous and the money starts rolling in, we're hiring a real photographer I know up in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.

Tico and I have known the people at Daddy's office since we were babies and love them like family. Everyone is just crazy about us. Well, almost everyone. One lady is afraid we'll do our business on the new carpet. She must think we grew up in a barn or something. Tico wanted to pee on her leg. I reminded him such things were simply not done by us southern chihuahuas.

After making our rounds and saying hi to everyone, we finally got to see Daddy's newly renovated office. Nice, but not nearly as interesting as before. A dog could spend a lifetime sorting through all the smells in the old carpet. Now all I smell is new carpet, fresh paint, and Daddy.

Daddy put the baby gate up to keep Tico from wandering off and gave each of us a new chew stick. Then we settled down to do some work. I laid under Daddy's desk and worked on my chew stick. Tico positioned himself with his so he could keep an eye on the door and the people passing by.

Visitors popped in and out all afternoon. Time flies when you're having fun at work. By the time we finished our chew sticks it was time to go home. I hope we go again soon. And next time, I'm not working for anything less than two chew sticks.

Chi-ao!

A Changed Dog

2009-12-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

Santa Claus has changed my life. I mean it. Before Santa, being a good girl really wasn't on my "to do" list. But ever since Daddy told me about Santa Claus I've been trying really hard to be a good girl all the time.

From playing nice with Tico to coming when I'm called, I am bringing my good girl full on. No pooping in the house, no chewing on the furniture, and no ripping the head off the snowman on the Christmas tree skirt or any of Tico's toys. I'm telling you, I'm a changed dog.

I have to admit, being bad is a lot more fun than being good. I know you know what I'm talking about. Knocking the trashcan over and sniffing through the garbage is a blast! Any dog would agree.

Being a bad girl makes Daddy mad, especially if he has to chase me. You should see Daddy when he's mad. Tico totally freaks out and freezes in place. Daddy's face turns red as he's running and huffing and puffing and yelling and cussing. I'm telling you it's hysterical. Ask any of our neighbors.

Then I found out you get nice gifts for being good and a lump of coal for being bad. Well spank me with a rolled up newspaper! Why didn't someone explain this to me earlier? Am I too late? What do I do with a lump of coal?

Now that I understand how things work, I deeply regret some of my actions. Mistakes were made. I was young and maybe a tad impetuous. You live, you learn, you move on.

I hope Santa Claus notices how good I am all the time. Whatever he brings me, whether it be a lump of coal or something nice, I still hope he just leaves it outside under a little pine straw.

Chi-ao!

Christmas Pictures 2009: Out Takes

2009-12-10T17:26:00.002-05:00

Daddy has been taking lots of pictures of Tico and me around our Christmas tree. Sometimes he even dresses us up. He says the pictures are for family, friends and of course, my fans. I think they deserve better.

You know I love Daddy but his photographic skills leave much to be desired. He says he took much better photos with his Kodak Instamatic, back when a camera was a camera. I suspect he's making stuff up. Let's take a look at some of his best work.

What was he thinking? For starters, the lighting is horrible, and I wasn't even ready. This is my bad side, too. Daddy likes this side because of the "M" patch on my hip. If you want to see my butt, I prefer photos that show the heart-shaped spot on my other hip.

OK. This one would be cute if we didn't look like deer caught in the headlights and were wearing our gay apparel. Details Daddy...it's all about the details.

In this picture we look like one of those pitiful, homeless chihuahuas in Los Angeles-area shelters. Won't you make our Christmas wish come true and give us a home before they gas us? Please? Seems a tad exploitive if you ask me.

Daddy should keep his day job and hire a professional photographer. We're entirely too cute for mediocre photography. Don't you think?

Chi-ao!

Holiday Preparations

2009-12-05T19:03:00.000-05:00

We spent the day getting ready for Christmas. Daddy and I cleaned house while Tico and Anneedabus worked on our Christmas tree. Fa la la la la.

Anneedabus dragged boxes and boxes of decorations out of the attic. Tico got to help because he learned how to decorate last Christmas, before I was born. Age does have its advantages.

Once the tree was decorated Daddy made us don our gay apparel. I mean this stuff is really gay. Who would wear a red harlequin collar with jingle bells? At least he didn't have to wear the reindeer hat.

My own ensemble is a belted red velvet coat with ermine trim on both sleeves, around the hood, and along the bottom. According to the label it's by that up and coming designer, Made Inchina. If we ever go for a sleigh ride, at least I'll have something to wear.

We still have a lot to do before Santa comes. Anneedabus still hasn't settled on a menu or started baking for the holidays. Daddy needs to take me shopping, too. Hopefully we won't see any dog clothes.

Chi-ao!

Toodles Writes to Santa Claus

2009-12-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

I hear you are coming to visit me and Tico in a few weeks. Daddy said you will fly to our house on a sleigh pulled by a bunch of reindeer. Are you serious?!?! Sounds like more fun than a car ride!

You'll come in the middle of the night, drop down our chimney, snack on our cookies and milk, and leave us presents. I'm frankly terrified! You or one of your reindeer will surely step on me. Is there no other way?

Cats in our neighborhood leave gifts for me all the time. I don't have to write any letters, leave any cookies, deal with them coming into our house in the middle of the night, or worry about being trampled by reindeer. Just leave your gift in the yard, cover it with a little pine straw and be on your way. See?

Daddy said you know if I've been bad or good. I am a really good girl. I've never been bad on purpose. If I run away now and then it's just to get Daddy's heart rate up. You gotta do what you've gotta do, Santa. I'm sure you understand.

It would be great if you could bring Tico a new sheep. I accidentally tore the head off the one he had and pulled all the stuffing out. Accidents happen.

It would make Daddy and Anneedabus very happy if you could bring them a new floor. The carpet was gross when I got here, I promise. There's nothing to be gained from pointing fingers now.

For me, well, I have so much already. Face it, me and Tico are more than a little spoiled. I'd love to see a world free of war, hate, hunger, poverty and animal shelters. If that's too much then maybe a bag of Puparoni for me to share with Tico. Really. Nothing for me.

I've attached a picture. A lot of people say I should be famous. If you agree you are in a position to really help me out. I'm happy to talk about official chihuahua rights, television shows, product tie-ins, a line of toys for kids meals and rights to my life for movies. Not that I've thought about it before or anything. Just saying.

Thank you, Santa. Anneedabus will leave a plate with an assortment of his nummy-licious cookies and stuff on the porch for you so you don't have to come in. I know we can make this work.

Love and kisses,

Toodles <3

Toodles Says Thank You

2009-11-26T10:14:00.000-05:00

This week I got to pay Daddy back for taking care of me after my operation. He has the flu and was in bed all day Monday, Tuesday and most of yesterday. When Anneedabus was at work, taking care of Daddy was up to me. He's a lot better now. You can still barely hear him talk but I think we pulled him through.

Since Daddy was sick we had to cancel our car ride to Roanoke. Anneedabus loves to cook, and was going to fix Thanksgiving dinner for Grandma Buggs, Aunt Missy, Uncle Barry, and my cousins Trevor and Audrey. I've never met them but Tico has. He says Trevor and Audrey are our kind of people because they like to play ALL the time.

Trevor is almost 12. He plays all kinds of sports. His football team didn't lose a game this year and even won the Super Bowl. He's also in Boy Scouts so he gets to go camping and hiking. He's really smart and makes good grades in school. Daddy is so proud of him!

Audrey is nearly 10. She's a famous ballerina and has danced in several shows a year since she was a little girl. She must be beautiful because Daddy says she's even prettier than me. She could have any boy she wanted but she'll be too busy with her career for a boyfriend until she's at least 30. I just know when we meet we're going to be best friends forever.

Anneedabus is cooking all the food we were taking to Roanoke for our Thanksgiving Dinner. He says he's not cooking again until every bit of it is gone. The house smells great! I hope they put some turkey in our dog food.

I am blessed in so many ways. Thank you Daddy and Anneedabus for rescuing me and Tico and for loving us so much. We love you, too.

I am especially grateful for all of you who take time out of your busy lives to read our blog. Making you smile makes me happy. I love you all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tico Sets the Record Straight

2009-11-22T13:10:00.007-05:00

It's a rainy, Sunday afternoon. Playing in the rain is fun if you ask me but I'm the only one around here who thinks so. We never go for walks or play outside on rainy days. Given there's absolutely nothing else to do I want to set the record straight on a few things.

Toodles is no angel. She never does what she's told. She claims she can sit and stay, but I've never seen her do it without a treat. She runs away at least once a day and makes Daddy chase her all over the neighborhood. It's so embarrassing.

When Daddy says Kennel Up, Toodles does the sad eyes at Daddy and just sits there. Daddy thinks the sad eyes are about missing him but I know she does it for treats. Frankly I'm impressed. It used to take Daddy a long time to give her a treat but now he does it almost as soon as she sits down. You won't hear me complaining because he gives me a treat, too--so I won't tell Anneedabus.

Besides ripping the head off her squirrelly, Toodles has chewed on shoes, sofa cushions, the carpet, and every rug in the house. I'm happy to share until you start tearing up my favorite toys. She tears into my sheep every chance she gets. I may have kidnapped squirrelly once or twice to make a point.

The long walks with Daddy are nice. Yeah he talks the whole time, but that's just Daddy. Sooner or later Toodles will learn to tune him out like me and Anneedabus do.

We did have fun tailgating. You should have seen Daddy trying to take pictures. With him as her teacher, no wonder Toodles is a bit slow. She didn't even mention the farm animals. We saw giant chickens, baby chicks, rabbits and bugs. We even got to meet a cow!!!

Don't get me wrong. I love Toodles and Daddy almost as much as I love Anneedabus. But if you only hear what Toodles has to say about us, you're really not getting the whole story. I promise to pop in every now and then just to set the record straight.

Two Car Rides in One Day!

2009-11-21T20:28:00.001-05:00

We slept in until almost 7 this morning. Good thing! Today has been the busiest and most exciting day of my whole life. I'm so tired I can barely type.

Tico and I spent a pleasant morning in our private dog park to start the day. While we were out Daddy and Anneedabus pushed the big noisemaker all over the house and made everything smell good. The service around here is great.

Then we went for a car ride! Daddy said we needed to go shopping so me and Tico would have something cute to wear tailgating. Great. Y'all know I am not really in to dressing up. In fact, there are few things I detest more than wearing stupid dog clothes.

When we got to the doggie clothes, Daddy made me try on a few things I wouldn't wear to a flea market. Didn't help that they had so little in my size. Finally found a cute little red dress in size tiny. It hangs all over me but I think if we take it up a bit I can make it work.

After a too-short nap, we headed out to go tailgating. Tico and I wore matching Georgia hoodies. The walk from our parking spot to the tailgate party has to be the most exciting walk of my whole life. I've never seen so many people!

The tailgate was fun. I met several of my devoted fans (kiss kiss!) and made some new friends. The cheerleaders wouldn't leave until they got a picture with me. They were all very encouraging about my goal to take over as the official UGA mascot. We'de have a lot more pictures but Daddy is too old to work the camera.

It's really been a long day. We were going to go to the game but since they didn't need me to fill in for Uga, we decided to go home. Now me and Daddy are going to lay on the couch and watch the game on television.

The Chance of a Lifetime?

2009-11-20T17:05:00.001-05:00

Everybody knows Anneedabus takes me and Tico for walks. Most the time Daddy stays home. Anneedabus says Daddy needs to come with us. Sometimes he does, but mostly he stays home on his butt. It's been that way my whole life.

When I was a puppy I didn't like to go for walks so much. Now I enjoy a good walk--unless we stop at that nasty public dog park. That place terrifies me. Some thuggy dog is going to mug, rape or murder me one of these days. But I love Anneedabus so I go.

Everybody loves Anneedabus. Between me and you, sometimes I think Daddy is a little jealous. He got real quiet one morning when I was playing with Anneedabus. I'm pretty sure he was pouting. Silly old man. Everybody knows I love Daddy more than anyone in the world.

Now Daddy takes me and Tico for long walks all the time. Anneedabus listens to music when he walks us. Daddy talks to us...almost nonstop. He calls us good dogs a lot and gives us treats like he's trying to bribe us or something. Daddy says we're bonding. I like it but I think Tico wishes he'd shut up.

On walks with Daddy we go to places we haven't seen before. We see strangers, dogs and a lot of squirrels. We're not allowed to talk to strangers even if they tell me I'm cute. Daddy put a chip in me so nobody can steal me.

Tomorrow we're walking to the football game and South Campus Tailgate. The Georgia Bulldogs are playing the Kentucky Wildcats. I'm scared of cats so I'm pulling for the Bulldogs. Did you hear Uga VII died? He was only four years old. So sad. I bet we're going to the game tomorrow so I can replace Uga. You know I've dreamed of being rich and famous. I just know this is my chance--the chance of a lifetime!

R.I.P Uga VII. We loved you even if you were the ugliest dog in the world.

Toodles Debunks Global Warming

2009-11-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

Things are starting to return to normal around here. Daddy is going to the office enough for me and Tico to finally catch up on all the sleep we missed the six weeks he worked from home. I'll never understand why people need to stay awake so much. I need my beauty rest. A day or two without 20 hours of sleep and I start to feel ugly.

Finally stopped raining and dried off enough for us to play outside. It rained so much the leaves fell off the trees. With most the leaves on the ground now it's a lot sunnier in our dog park. It's also easier to keep an eye on the squirrels.

More sun doesn't mean it's any warmer. Some mornings it's downright cold! Nothing wakes you up quite like squatting in icy wet grass first thing in the morning. I'm serious. If you don't believe me try it yourself.

Having been to college and experienced weather my whole life, I can say beyond any doubt that global warming is a hoax. It's not getting warmer. It's getting colder. It's not nearly as hot as it was when I was growing up. Shoot. I remember concrete hot enough to scorch your paws.

The days are shorter now, too. Tico, Daddy and Anneedabus don't seem too worried about it. Maybe they just haven't noticed. What do they know...they don't see the monsters, either. Good thing they have me looking out for them.

Chi-ao!

Toodles Goes to College

2009-11-11T20:39:00.001-05:00

Today has been a great day! We got to sleep with Daddy last night. No matter what I did, he wouldn't get up and play with me until almost 5:30! Doesn't he know the early chihuahua gets the best kibble?

After we came in from doing our business, Tico and I played Keep Away. Tico sneaks up on me, takes my squirrelly and runs all over the house. Anneedabus got a new squirrelly for me because I ripped the head off my old one. It was fun! I'll do the same thing to Tico's sheep if I ever get a chance.

Then Daddy put us in our crates and went to work. Fifteen minutes later, he was home again. We went outside for a walk around the yard. Our friends Callie and Noori were out, so we stopped to say hello. Callie is a homely thing--maybe I could fix her up with Uga. Tico has had a crush on Noori since he was a pup. The way Noori was acting I'd say the feeling is mutual. They'd make pretty babies, too. And who wouldn't want a long-hair labrihuahua retriever?

After we came inside, Tico had to kennel up but I got to go ON A CAR RIDE!!! We went to Daddy's new office. I was a very good girl because Daddy said they would make him take me to the dog pound if I peed on the new carpet. It was fun visiting with all my friends. They've known me since I was a baby.

I thought we were leaving but we walked around the University of Georgia. Going to college is fun! I'd have to join a sorority. They would all want me, but Alpha Gamma Delta is the one for me. They have the prettiest, smartest, most fashionable and overall coolest girls on campus. Is that me or what?

I can see myself really enjoying college life, especially since the operation. More than a handful of really cute boys smiled at me. A few even winked! I'd want a big, strong boyfriend. Campus is a little scary. Noisy buses fly by just a few feet away. Men with big noisy blowing machines are everywhere. One got so close if Daddy hadn't picked me up I would have blown away with the leaves.

Then we went in a really big building. You won't believe who was there...Anneedabus! I was so surprised I almost didn't recognize him. He introduced me to his friends Nicki and Kassie. They're both really nice and love everything about me. We never go to his office because they run the vacuum cleaner all the time.

After a quick visit with Jill, Amy and my new friend Ginny, we walked back down to Daddy's office. All the girls wanted to talk to me but we didn't have time to stop. I have so many fans. Unless we've notified crowd control we don't stop because things can get out of hand pretty fast.

College is fun. I hope I get to go again soon. Now it's time for a nap... Chi-ao!

Our Morning Routine

2009-11-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

We had to sleep in the crates last night for the first time since my operation. It was Tico's fault, though it hardly seems fair to single him out. I'm the only one in our house who can make it through the night without getting up to pee. Must be a man thing.

No matter where we sleep we go out with Anneedabus first thing every morning. We do our business and get the newspaper. I usually go back in to play with Daddy while Tico looks around the property and sniffs all the shrubs for messages.

Every morning Daddy drinks coffee and carefully inspects each page of the newspaper to make sure it's OK for the bottom of our crates. The service around here is great. If the paper in my crate gets the least bit soiled or damp, one of the daddies replaces it right away. It's rare to find an empty food dish or water bowl, either.

After coffee we have to make the bed. Usually it takes all four of us. No telling how much longer it would take without our help.

Then it's time to get ready for work. After Daddy brushes his teeth and stuff, we face the scales. This morning Tico weighed 7 pounds, I weighed four pounds, and Daddy weighed a whole lot.

Then it's time for our shower. Took me a long time to figure out the water wasn't going to hurt me. Don't know why you want to get soaking wet like that first thing in the morning but if that's what Daddy wants to do, I'm in. At first he yelled at me and told me no, but now he just laughs and calls me silly girl.

After we dry off Daddy digs through drawers, spritzes himself and combs his hair like he thinks it makes a difference. Then I get him dressed. I help him with his socks, approve his pants and shirt selection and show him which shoes to wear.

He'd look a lot better if he'd take me shopping with him. If it wasn't for Anneedabus everything he owned would come from Land's End and Kohls. The one good thing --he doesn't own a single pair of pleated plants. Unless you are thin, pleats just make your butt look big.

Then Daddy puts the sheep and a chew stick in Tico's crate, and squirrelly and a chew stick in mine. When he says "kennel up" we're supposed to jump in our crates like we don't know he's about to leave. Tico jumps right in but I won't do it without a treat.

Daddy says he'll be back in 15 minutes. Sometimes it seems a lot longer than 15 minutes. I've learned fifteen minutes goes by a lot faster when I'm asleep. As soon as the door to my crate closes, I'm in my bed with my eyes closed.

Maybe one day I'll tell you about my dreams. Until then, chi-ao!

No More Operations!

2009-11-03T16:31:00.000-05:00

I don't want any more operations. Mostly I'm back to normal, but my butt itches something fierce from all the shaving. I've tried scooting on carpet, hardwood, tile, concrete, grass and pine needles. Nothing helps much.

Grass feels soft and cool, unless it's wet. Scooting on pine needles just made things worse and hurt so much I cried. Daddy picked me up right away. He told me I was a silly girl and petted me until I stopped crying and calmed down. Even the itching stops when Daddy pets me.

Since the operation Daddy has hardly left my side. We go outside without Tico and he stays with me until we go back in. He lets me sit in his lap while he works on the computer. Last night while he was watching TV I slept with my nose in his neck and my forehead on his chin, just like I do at night.

Anneedabus held me for a while last night. He explained that without the operation I was going to have to stay in the garage all by myself whenever I was in heat. That would be awful! Good thing I didn't waste any time digging a tunnel out of the dog park.

Maybe the operation wasn't such a bad thing after all. You can't miss what you haven't had. I know what I want now. I want to spend every minute of every day as close as I can get to Daddy. Where he goes, I'm going. That's just how I roll.

Chi-ao!

Damaged Goods

2009-10-31T14:30:00.000-04:00

I've had the worst few days of my entire life. It started a few nights ago when Daddy took my food away before we went to bed. I was starving! At least he let me sleep with him all night.

There wasn't any food when I woke up either. Daddy got cleaned up and put shoes on before Anneedabus went to work for the first time in a long time. When he told me we were going for a car ride, something about the way he said it made me think we weren't going to work. I tried to run away but they caught me.

We ended up at the doctor. Sometimes the doctor is mean to me. He was nice last time so I was hoping for the best.

The lady at the desk was very nice. She played with me and scratched my ears while Daddy did paperwork. After that things went south fast. Daddy left without me!

Next thing I knew, a mob of strangers were talking to me. One of them grabbed me and shaved the hair off my front leg. I was terrified. What were these people going to do to me? Where is my Daddy?

I don't really know what happened after that. It's all foggy. I was in and out with just Squirrelly to keep me company. I'm not sure how long it was before I heard Daddy talking to the lady at the desk. When they opened my cage I knew he was taking me back home.

You should see what they did to me. They shaved me from my tail to my chest, sliced me open, and sewed on me like I was a dress or something. I hurt all over, sometimes so much it makes me cry, and I can't get comfortable.

See what they did? Daddy said I'll never be a baby momma. I'm a little upset about it. I love him more than anything in the world but I really don't think this was his decision to make. Oh well...no use crying over spilled milk. Now I can focus on my career.

Daddy has been awfully good to me since we got home. He fed me scrambled eggs for breakfast and boiled chicken for lunch. Yeah, Anneedabus cooked it for him. Daddy has had me in his lap or by his side since we got home yesterday. Good thing. I'm not letting him out of my sight again.

King of the house for a day

2009-10-29T11:48:00.002-04:00

Usually Toodles does all the talking. Y'all know she loves to talk, especially if it's about her. But today I'm having to fill in. Toodles is gone.

We got to sleep with the daddies last night even though it wasn't the weekend. We both knew something was up. Daddy put our food up before we went to bed last night, too. Very strange.

This morning Gray-Haired-Daddy got all cleaned up and put on shoes before Daddy left for work. When he said we were going for a car ride, I got all excited. But he said I had to stay. Toodles tried to run away from him. She hasn't learned, and won't the way they let her get by with stuff. They finally caught her. Then GHD took her away. Daddy put me in my crate and went to work. I really didn't think much about it until GHD came back without her.

At first I was glad. Like any little sister Toodles can be a pest. Everything is a fight with her. She's always tearing up my toys, eating my food, taking my chew sticks, and getting all up in my face. She wants whatever I've got. Sometimes she makes me so mad I bite her. And if you know me you know it takes a LOT to get me that mad.

She's too dumb to play Fetch and doesn't know any tricks. When she and Gray Haired Daddy go with us on walks, we don't go far at all and they whine every step of the way. You should see her at the dog park. Toodles is a rude, spoiled, stuck-up little bitch. She won't say hello to any of the people, screams if a dog comes anywhere near her, and spends the entire time shivering like it's the end of the world. Always the drama queen, that one.

OK I admit Toodles has her good qualities. Nobody likes to play games with me as much as she does. Took her a while to catch on to some of the more complicated games, like Chase Me and I Dare You. But now she's good enough for me to be glad I've got three pounds on her. We have a blast running around outside together. And I have to admit, the way she chases me when we're playing Fetch cracks me up.

Sure is quiet around here without her. Kind of boring. Like it was... well... before she got here. I miss her. I hope she comes back.

Our Busy Day

2009-10-25T15:18:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a busy day! We started with a long walk. Tico goes for walks with Anneedabus almost every day because he's fat. Me and Daddy usually don't go because he's on Facebook talking with his friends or watching television. Besides, we really don't need the exercise.

After our walk it was time to plant flower bulbs. Daddy dug holes, so it's really his fault we got so dirty. Tico and I agreed--the holes needed to be deeper. We jumped in and dug like crazy when we could. Daddy never got the message. I hope me and Tico can keep them safe from the squirrels.

Me and Tico played Chase Me. It's very complicated--you really need to be a dog to understand all the rules. Since we were outside, the grass was wet and we were already a little dirty we played the all-out version. Tico kicked my butt good. I don' think I've ever been so dirty.

Daddy spread wood chips in the dog park that smelled like the treats the cat leaves for us. Yum! We looked and looked and looked but never found any. Instead, we just rolled in the chips until we smelled like cat treats. It was fun!

Anneedabus said we were the dirtiest dogs he'd ever seen in his whole life. He also told us good dogs don't smell like cat treats. He's entitled to his opinion but I really don't think he knows what he's talking about. He thought we smelled better after he gave us a bath. Sure, if you like the smell of cheap dog shampoo.

Shew! You talk about tired! We were so tired we barely made it to the couch.

But we did make it. And we've been there pretty much ever since. Chiao!

Toodles Gets a Job

2009-10-23T16:04:00.003-04:00

When I grow up I have to get a job. Cesar and Victoria told Daddy even little dogs like me and Tico need jobs. The clock is ticking. I'm already almost six months old.

Daddy and Anneedabus watch television all the time. Most the stuff they watch puts me to sleep. But every now and then something they watch catches my attention. I LOVE Cesar and Victoria. What they do with people to make dogs happy is just amazing! If they say I need a job, who am I to argue?

So about a month ago I started exploring careers. My resume leaves a lot to be desired. Sure I can sit, stay and go to the bathroom outside. But with no work experience, no training, and no papers it's not like I have a lot of options.

Traditional jobs are out. Seeing eye dog? Police dog? Junkyard dog? Puh-leeze! Nor do I see myself herding sheep, retrieving dead birds, flushing rabbits, chasing foxes or running into little holes after anything. Face it. I'm just not that kind of girl.

Celebrity? Mascot gigs pay well, but are hard to get. Circus act? I don't do tricks, period. Hollywood? Forget it. You see more good roles for gays than dogs these days.

What is my gift, and how can I turn it into a career? A gift is something that others find hard to do that comes easy for you. And then it hit me. Nobody could be with Daddy as much as me. Even when he's surly, stinky from working in the yard, or in the shower there's no place I'd rather be than in his lap or by his side. It's easy, too.

It's my job to take care of Daddy. Yeah I know, it doesn't pay very well. I'll probably never have my own lake like Ennis, or a palace like Socia, 99 & Max. But I know it's what I'm supposed to do. I am, however, open to becoming famous so go ahead and tell all your friends about me.

Chiao!

Our New Friends

2009-10-19T17:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we went on a play date to meet some new friends. Annedabus got to go, too. When Daddy said we were going for a car ride, me and Tico got really excited!

Our new friends live far, far away. I had to be a good girl for a really long time--at least 30 minutes. That's a lot to ask from anyone, especially me. By the time we got there I was thinking this better be good....

We were walking up to the front porch when the door opened and two monsters came rushing out to eat us. I ran back to the car as fast as I could. When I looked back Daddy was hurrying to catch up with me and the monsters were attacking Tico and Anneedabus.

Turns out they weren't monsters at all. Me and Tico are chihuahuas. Maxwell and 99 are orphans. Nobody knows what they are because they ran away from their last home.   I don't care. Except for Tico, Ennis, and that hot little boy chi I saw at the public dog park one day, I don't really like dogs anyway.

Still, Maxwell and 99 seem nice enough. Maxwell, the taller of the two, was under the weather and didn't feel like playing. Little 99 is sweet, but I'm guessing wasn't the first pup to the teat. She's just a wee bit slow. I hope we can get to know each other well enough to be friends.

Then we went inside and met Socia. She's not very nice at all. Between me and you, that girl has got some issues! We had some words but I think I let her know not to mess with me. So she's not the only dog in the house anymore. Get over it! Tico did and now we're best friends.

At the end of our play date our hostess gave out a prize. I won! I think it was for most well-behaved dog. Wouldn't you know it would be a damn dress! I let Daddy put it on me and tried to be gracious. In the end I think it was pretty obvious how I really felt.

We had a good time. I hope we go for another play date with 99 and Maxwell, and maybe Socia if she goes to anger management classes or something. Who knows, I might even get out of Daddy's lap long enough to meet one of them nose-to-nose!

The Truth About Ennis

2009-10-14T13:46:00.006-04:00

I have been so busy I forgot to tell you about my play date with Ennis! Between renovations to the dog park, Daddy being home all the time and all the rain seems like it was just yesterday. Hard to believe it's nearly been a week! We had quite a visit.

You get to go on a car ride to visit Ennis. Only good dogs get to go for car rides. I love car rides so I try to be good. Daddy says I have to be extra good in the car or he'll throw me out the window and a hawk will get me. I don't think he would, but you can't be too careful.

Have I mentioned that Ennis is rich? You should see his place. It's beautiful! Below is a blurry picture of me admiring the fish in his very own lake. I love to drink out of the lake. It tastes SO much better than tap water.

Ennis has gravel paths all over his dog park. Running in gravel is fun! When you go fast enough gravel flies everywhere! I can run almost as fast as Tico, but Ennis leaves us both in the dust. Ennis told me he loves fast girls. Below you can see he's whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I believed him at the time, but later found out he's all talk and no action.

After a lovely romp in the dog park we went back inside. Tico and Ennis played u-de-bich. Ennis ignored me the whole time. He wouldn't have a thing to do with me and even growled at me when I got too close. He pays a LOT more attention to Tico than he does to me.

Then I noticed that despite being five or six times Tico's size, Ennis was always de bich. Every time. Finally it dawned on me. Ennis is gay! He's too pretty to be straight anyway. Don't you think?

We sure would have made some beautiful puppies. I don't care if he is gay. I still love him. He's the only dog I know besides Tico that doesn't scare me half to death. I know we'll always be friends. I'll just have to keep my eye out for the little chi I saw at the public dog park a few weeks ago. If it was meant to be, our paths will cross again. Until next time, chiao!

Taking Care of Daddy

2009-10-11T17:11:00.003-04:00

Daddy worked on our dog park all weekend. He's trying to make it as nice as Ennis's dog park. He's got a long way to go if you ask me.

Daddy lets me help when he works outside. I keep an eye out for squirrels, birds, and monsters. I hear monsters all the time, especially when I go out at night. So far I haven't seen any but I know they are out there...watching me.

I'm really good at digging holes. Apparently not good enough. Every time I start digging Daddy yells at me. Geez! Try to help a guy out and he puts you inside.

Daddy also puts me inside when I get on his nerves. I don't know what that is, but I need to find out. If I stayed off the nerves I could stay outside longer.

I hate being inside when Daddy is outside. Even in my sun puddle there ain't no sunshine when he's gone. Me and squirrely watch him through the door and wait for him to come back in to play with us. Today we waited a really long time.

When he finally did come in, Daddy was soaking wet, muddy, and in need of a bath. He got all wet and soapy. I helped him dry off and cleaned all the soap off real good, especially behind his ears. Then we settled down together on the couch for a little nap.

I like any story that ends in a nap with Daddy!

Not MY Fault!

2009-10-08T14:57:00.004-04:00

Me, Tico and Daddy are in big trouble. Anneedabus says he can't take us anywhere. Shoot! I love to go on car rides! He said we leave him no choice. He's laying down the law and all three of us better behave.

It all started when we went on a car ride to have dinner with Ennis and his daddies. Ennis is RICH! He has his own private dog park with a lake, a river, a waterfall, giant rocks, and gravel paths. Ennis goes outside and comes back in whenever he wants. He eats GIANT food, drinks from a bowl I could bathe in, has more toys than I can count and he doesn't have to share with anyone.

While the daddies were eating dinner, Tico and Ennis started playing. Boys will be boys. To keep from getting trampled, I sat at Daddy's feet and asked him to pick me up. I didn't want any people food or anything. I was tired from exploring Ennis's dog park and just wanted a safe spot for a little nap. Anneedabus fussed at us and made Daddy put me down.

This morning Anneedabus put his hands on his hips, stomped his foot and told Daddy me and Tico were going to have to sleep in our crates at night. It's Tico's fault. He jangled his collar, barked, growled and otherwise carried on so much last night that none of us got any sleep. Well, I did. I only know because Daddy told me all about it.

Daddy had a long talk with me after Anneedabus went to work. He said it wouldn't be fair for me to keep sleeping with him if Tico has to sleep in the crate. Sounds plenty fair to me--I didn't do anything wrong! Then Daddy explained how hard it is for Tico to live with me because I'm so perfect and beautiful. Good point.

We're going to see if Anneedabus will compromise. I'll agree to sleep in my crate Sunday through Thursday if I can sleep with Daddy on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a big sacrifice, I know. That's just how I roll. I hope Anneedabus agrees. I wouldn't think of peeing in his shoes, but I could.

Daddy Worked...and I Helped!

2009-10-06T17:47:00.004-04:00

Daddy is remodeling our private dog park. He found out about my super secret doorway. I got impatient waiting for Tico one day and slipped through before Daddy opened the gate. Busted. I've got to find another way out before I go into heat.

We got to help Daddy on Saturday. Me and Tico were in charge of digging holes. It's dirty work, but somebody has to do it. We helped so much that Annedabus had to give us both a bath.

Anneedabus works really hard. He goes away to a secret job every day. Tico went with him one time when he was a puppy but doesn't remember much about it. He goes to school, too. Anneedabus cooks for Daddy, feeds me and Tico, and takes us on walks. While we were digging holes to help Daddy he was cutting down trees. We worked so hard that after our baths, we took a nap.

Next to Daddy, I love Anneedabus more than anyone in the world. I'm glad he's got Tico to cuddle with. As long as Tico is with Anneedabus I don't have to worry about him stealing Daddy from me.

Enough About Me Already

2009-10-02T15:11:00.002-04:00

Daddy's computer told him The Adventures of Tico & Toodles has more fans than The Crotchety Old Man. Makes sense to me. Two adorable chihuahuas like me and Tico are more interesting than almost anything I can imagine. Especially when it's mostly about me.

Don't get me wrong. I adore Daddy. I follow him everywhere he goes. Everywhere. There is no place I'd rather be than asleep by his side. Even so, I know as well as y'all do that he can ramble on about the dumbest things. I think it's cute but know he is an acquired taste for some.

Today he told me all about you. One of you lives in Germany. Wow! I bet it's Heidi Klum. Hi Heidi! Tell Seal I said hello and give him a kiss for me!

The rest of you are spread across 16 different states. Most of you live in Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Virginia and Tennessee. Daddy said I also have friends in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Des Moines, Chicago, San Antonio, and Fargo. Get out! If I ever decide to run away it's good to know I have plenty of options.

I'm famous! And I'm only five months old. Look out! Forget about taking Uga's place as the UGA mascot. I have bigger dreams! Daddy, I'm ready for my close-up!

Better than Daddy's Lap

2009-10-01T16:26:00.004-04:00

The windows have been open in our house lately. I love the fresh air, but it can get a little chilly around here--especially in the morning. We chihuahuas aren't really fans of chilly weather.

Tico and I each have our own day beds. Most of the time I prefer to nap in the lap of my daddy where it's warm and I know nothing will get me. You can't be too careful when you only weigh three pounds.

Yesterday morning it was really cold. Daddy made fire in the window behind our day beds. I've never been so surprised in my whole life! I've slept in front of that window many many times and had no idea. When the fire is on the day beds get toasty warm. It's even warmer than Daddy's lap.

Now I need to shout out to a few of my friends:
* Hi to Socia--hope the two street dogs your Momma took in haven't mugged you or anything.
* Big hug to Scarlett--hope you're recovering from your surgery.
* Hi Aunt Gingie--you stop worrying about me and Tico and take care of yourself!
* Aunt Joni Daddy said he was going to bring us to the office to see you soon.
* Cody, take care of Ella and Curly.
* Lucas--hope Terri has passed along the puppy kisses me and Tico sent you.
* Secret Admirer. Thank you very much. I'm flattered. But I don't want to have your babies.
* Tico...Happy Birthday Bro!

A Colossal Disaster!

2009-09-25T07:58:00.005-04:00

We stopped at the Dog Park on our walk yesterday. It was a colossal disaster. Last time we watched the big dogs play from the Very Important Pup section. Or so I thought. Turns out, it's not a VIP section after all.

We ran into a pack of giant wolves coming out as we were going in. They were huge! Any one of them could have swallowed me whole. Anneedabus carried me so the wolves couldn't step on me or eat me.

Unlike last time, there were other dogs in the VIP section. They even allow mutts to come in! OMG! I was horrified.

A pit bull puppy came over to mug me--or worse. I screamed and ran to Daddy. He wanted to pick me up but Anneedabus wouldn't let him.

I tried to sit between Daddy's feet, but he walked away every time. I was on my own. I wanted to scream but I didn't. It was time to be a big girl. I put my tail between my legs, tried not to move and hoped the other dogs would not see me and leave me alone.

Just as I was thinking things couldn't get any worse, I see Daddy playing with strange dogs. He's even playing with the pitbull that tried to rape me! O! M! G!

Then I saw him. Move over, Ennis. There's a new man in town! I don't know what his name is but he is one hot little chihuahua. Daddy said we are the same age and that he looks just like the Taco Bell dog. All I know is he has dreamy eyes, tiny little paws, short hair and get this...he's even smaller than me!

I hope he'll be there when we go to the Dog Park again. Maybe next time he'll notice me and come over to play with me. I might even let him sniff me a little before I run away. Perhaps he'll even catch me.

Playing with Anneedabus

2009-09-23T18:02:00.004-04:00

It finally stopped raining. The sun came out yesterday, but the grass was still wet. I HATE walking through wet grass, especially when it's over my head. Daddy made the grass short today with his big noisy toy to make up for dropping me on my head this morning. He found out that unlike cats, we dogs don't always land on our feet. I'm fine, and it was just the excuse I needed to make Daddy hold me all day.

Anneedabus took me and Tico out to play in the big yard because Daddy was surly. He gets surly whenever he has to do any work. We've all learned to clear out when Daddy is surly.

It was fun being outside. We ran and ran and ran. I love Tico but he is not very bright. Annedabus would throw the ball far away and Tico kept bringing it back to him. If he wanted the ball he wouldn't have thrown it away like that. Silly Tico. Every time Anneedabus threw it Tico brought it right back.

A couple of times I tried to tell Tico to leave the ball where Anneedabus threw it, but he wouldn't listen. He's too fast for me to catch him, but I tried. I'm getting faster every day. Tico is already old. He'll be one year old in a few days and then I'll be able to catch him.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2009-09-20T11:12:00.005-04:00

Daddy is mad at me. It is NOT my fault that it won't quit raining. Does he expect me to get my feet wet?

It's been raining for days. When it rains we just stay inside all the time. Tico and I are both starting to get a little stir crazy.

I hope Daddy doesn't stay mad at me. I try to do my business in out of the way places... What do I get in return? Bad girl.

Please make it stop raining!

Ugh....uh....UGLY!

2009-09-13T16:34:00.008-04:00

If I hear another word about bulldogs I think I'll scream. For the last two weeks it's been bulldog this and bulldog that. I really don't see what all the fuss is about.

For starters, if it's not about me, I'm really not interested. Daddy said some bulldog name Uga VII would be a good boyfriend for me. I guess he's forgotten about Ennis. I've loved him since I was a baby.

Today I finally got to see this Uga Daddy has been talking about.

What an ugly brute! He's got short hair, a smashed up wrinkly face, stubby ears, and is overweight. He probably smokes cigars, too. Blech! I can't believe Daddy would ever think I'd be interested in a dog that ugly. You can keep your bulldog.

Daddy said Uga VII is famous. I say he better look out. If all his fans could see how cute I am, he'd be out of a job. Then we'd have the Chihuahua Nation! Arf!

A Little Night Life...

2009-09-09T16:41:00.002-04:00

Bed time is my favorite part of the day. I can always tell when it's getting close to bed time. One of the daddies fills the time-to-wake-up noisemaker with water and gravel. Then they make it dark, rattle all the doors, and head for the water room.

Daddy stands in front of the mirror in the water room for a really long time. He plays with water, string, brushes, tubes, and bottles. I make him pick me up. I have to yelp to get him to do it most of the time but he's learning. I don't know how he expects me to see what's going on from all the way down on the floor. I can see MUCH better when he's holding me. For example, I've noticed he plays with his toys in the same order every night. Once he spits, it's time for bed.

Daddy sleeps on his side. After he gets settled in, I kiss him all over his face to thank him again for saving me from fleas, multiple pregnancies, and having to answer to Little Gizmo. He gives me my very own private chew stick for a few minutes of chew time before we go to sleep. It's the only chew stick I've ever had that Tico didn't take away from me.

I wake Daddy up so he can take me outside to do my business. Sometimes Tico comes with us but usually it's just us. It's really dark and scary out, so I do what I have to do as fast as I can and run back to Daddy.

When we get back inside, I run to the water room to wait for Daddy to come in and sit down. Sometimes he stays for a long time. I make him pick me up so I can go back to sleep. Sometimes I wake up when we get back in the bed, sometimes I don't.

The other night I heard an explosion. It was so loud it made me jump. I barked, and then kept growling for a few minutes to make sure everything was ok. Sometimes I hear animals outside. I always bark. I figured out Daddy doesn't really hear so well. He's slow too. I have to let him catch me when we play chase me. That's OK. I love him anyway.

Happy Labor Day

2009-09-07T12:19:00.003-04:00

Hope y'all can find a sunpuddle to lay in and enjoy your day! -Tico

Toodles Finds a Rabbit

2009-09-05T20:25:00.003-04:00

Daddy took me with him for a walk around the yard today. Tico didn't get to go. He had to stay in the dog park. That's a picture of Tico wishing he could come with us. You can see that Daddy has blocked the gate so I can't get out by myself.

We walked around looking at Daddy's flowers. All of a sudden I smelled whatever it is that leaves treats for me and Tico all over the yard. I really wanted to find out what was behind all the little treats.

I looked all around but couldn't see anything. I could smell something...just on the other side of those flowers. I knew I was close.

I poked through the flowers and there it was! Daddy said it was a rabbit. But it ran away before I could say hello. I just wanted to thank him for leaving us all those treats. Maybe next time.

Freedom My Tail!

2009-09-03T18:38:00.006-04:00

Today I found a treat that the big cat left for me in a hole under a bush in the yard outside the fence. It was really good! Daddy saw me eating it. He wanted some, too, but before he could get it I grabbed it and took off running.

I ran and ran and ran. The treat fell out of my mouth and broke apart. I picked up the biggest piece and ran some more. Tico was chowing down on the rest when Daddy caught him. Daddy picked him up and yelled at him that he was a bad dog. I just kept running.

Daddy chased me yelling Dropit! That means run faster, so I did. Daddy finally caught me at the front door with my treat. He wanted some so bad that he picked me up and tried to take it out of my mouth! But I swallowed it before he could get any. He was so mad he called me a bad girl.

Daddy took my collar off and got me soaking wet! Then he rubbed this smelly stuff all over me and sprayed me with the hose. While Daddy was rubbing me with a big fluffy towel, Anneedabus did the same thing to Tico.

When he's wet, Tico looks and smells completely different! I didn't recognize him. He looked like some crazy monster that was going to eat me so I ran away. Then I finally recognized him and we chased each other all over the house.

Daddy let me go outside all by myself. I was exploring our private dog park when I smelled cat treat! It was just on the other side of the gate. I tried really hard and finally squeezed through the space between the gate and the fence. Freedom! I got to eat all the treat and didn't have to share it with Tico.

After I ate the treat I went exploring. I know my way around because Daddy takes me walking around the yard with him all the time. But he's always in a hurry and never lets me sniff around as much as I want. It was nice to have time to thoroughly check things out.

I heard Daddy calling me but couldn't tell where he was. He kept hollering my name louder and louder and louder. I could tell he was really scared so I went back to the gate to see if I could get back in. That's when Anneedabus found me. Daddy has been holding me ever since. That man is just crazy about me!

Rude dogs

2009-08-31T18:57:00.001-04:00

Big daddy took me for an early walk today, and I was sure ready to get
out of the house. Been couped up with Toots all day is hard. She
didn't go, neither did grey haired daddy. They so lazy, toots wants to
sleep all the time!
Anyways we were going for our walk and getting close to the dog park!
Big daddy asked me if I wanted to go, and you bet I did! Walking up I
got to mark a little kid that wanted to pet me. I love that!
I noticed right away that there were some pretty big dogs in my dog
park today. I was game, so I ran right in... They they all ran up to
me and I was afraid for my life! I have never seen soo many big guys
all at one time. I got scared, really scared. I started to growl
thinking they would back up, but then they started growling! I tried
to run, but they had me surrounded. There was this long short fat dog
that's mouth was bigger than my whole body! I didn't know what to do,
there were just so many noses pokin around places they shouldn't be. I
started crying and panicing! Loud crying! The dogs all backed up and
my daddy scooped me up in his arms. I finally quit crying after I
realiZed I was safe.
Daddy saidthat was enuff for today, so we left the DP, I was ready to
get out of there! So we walked home.
Maybe I won't get so excited whenever I hear Dog Park next time...
-t

Sent from my iPhone

The Dog Park

2009-08-28T07:51:00.004-04:00

The daddies take me and Tico for a walk most evenings. Tico loves to go for walks. Sometimes I like going, and other times I'm just not in the mood.

Last night I was not in the mood for a walk, but Daddy made me go anyway. At least the cats left us alone. The other night one of them tried to grab me! She probably would have eaten me if Daddy hadn't picked me up when he did.

We stopped at the Dog Park on our walk last night. Tico said he used to go to the Dog Park almost every day but it was my first time. Thank God we had our own private play area. There were big dogs barking really loud and chasing each other in the public area. It was so scary that I squealed and ran to Daddy for him to pick me up.

Tico went up to the fence and talked to some of the big dogs. Not me. I bristled and barked at them so they would stay away. Everybody laughed because all the big dogs were so afraid of me. I may only weigh three pounds, but I know how to take care of myself.

When we got home, Anneedabus hurt me on purpose! He cut one of my toenails off, too. I was shocked! I ran and hid behind Daddy and watched Anneedabus to make sure he wasn't going to come and hurt me again. He told me he was sorry, and I forgave him right away. But to teach him a lesson I didn't play with him again until this morning. It was hard, but if you let them get by with this kind of stuff you'll never get them trained.

Me and My Daddy

2009-08-25T12:38:00.003-04:00

My Daddy is the most wonderful person in the whole world. I love him more than anything--even squirrelly, puparoni, and Tico.

This is a picture of us coming back from our vacation in a cabin in the mountains. Mice ate all of our food, and left poop in our bowl. It was awful.

Today is the Tico's Daddy's birthday. He's 30 in people years. Dogs don't live that long. I love Tico's Daddy, too.

Another Trip to the Doctor

2009-08-17T13:08:00.003-04:00

I got to go on a car ride with Daddy this morning. Tico stayed home, so I thought we were going to go to work. But we didn't. We went to play with the doctor again! I was so scared that I started shivering.

The doctor was nice today. Daddy talked to him about making me sick the last time. I think the doctor felt bad about being so mean to me because he was a lot nicer this time. He pushed something down my throat, peeked into my ears, and poked me with something sharper than my teeth. I didn't cry one time.

Daddy said he was very proud of me for being such a big girl. The doctor said I weigh 2.7 pounds. That means I've gained almost a full pound in just three weeks!!! I might need to cut back on those Puparonis!

Sleeping With Daddy

2009-08-15T07:52:00.005-04:00

For as long as I can remember, me and Daddy get up in the middle of the night so I can go outside. I hate getting my paws wet from the dew on the grass, so I just potty on the driveway. When we come back in, Daddy puts me in my kennel and goes back to bed without me.

When I was a little baby, being by myself in the kennel made me cry. Now that I'm a big girl, I like sleeping in my kennel. Tico can't take my toys or attack me, so I can really relax.

Daddy let me sleep in the bed with him all night the last two nights! When we came back in, instead of putting me in my kennel I got to get back in the big bed. I was so happy that I kissed Daddy all over his face. Waking up with Daddy is a great way to start the day!

Can't I Have ONE Toy?!?!?

2009-08-12T19:58:00.008-04:00

Tico likes to play Keep Away a lot. He won't let me play with any of his toys. I'm not allowed to have any chew sticks either. I have one toy--squirrely--and I love it almost as much as the daddies. When Tico tries to take it from me it REALLY makes me mad!

All alone

2009-08-11T07:56:00.001-04:00

I found a new place to roost this morning. I can see everyone and
Toots can't reach me. I can watch her every move. Now if only I can
figure out how to get up here by myself. I haven't mastered how to
jump up on stuff yet, I just wanna be a good dog, ya know? Should I
just jump up there? Am I allowed? G2g I have squirrels to watch... -t

Teaching Daddy a Lesson

2009-08-08T18:03:00.006-04:00

You won't believe what happened to me today. After our nap, Daddy put me in water up to my belly! Then he squirted some cold slimy stuff on my back and rubbed it all over me. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, he sprayed me from head to toe with water.

He tried to make nice with me. He wrapped me up in a towel and rubbed me all over, but I wouldn't give him any kisses. The minute he put me down I ran to my bed.

Even though I was still soaking wet, I had to go outside. Made me so mad I decided to teach him a lesson. I ran away.

I ran really fast for the woods where the rabbits live. I'm way faster than Daddy is, especially if he isn't wearing shoes. He gave up and went back into the house.

I knew I was in trouble when he came back out with shoes on. He caught me before I could make it to the woods and took me back inside. He didn't give me any treats, either.

I ignored him for a really long time. I played with Tico. Then me and the other daddy played with my squirrel for a long time. After that I was tired. Instead of finding Daddy like I usually do when it's time for a nap, I just went to sleep in the middle of the floor.

When I woke up Daddy was laying on the floor next to me. He looked so sad that I ran over and kissed him all over his face to let him know I still love him. I think he learned his lesson.

The finer things

2009-08-06T19:14:00.001-04:00

Sometimes all you need is a good belly rub, sometimes you have to play
pirates. I get to play rough when we play that, it's my fav! I growl
and he growls and I kick and fight. My daddies wouldn't let me play
til I got a little older, and became a good dog. They were afraid i
would be a mean dog, but im a good dog. Grrrrr, pirates! get it?!
-Tico Chi Chi del Nuthairs Grandes Mario Lopez (that's my full show
name)

Our Own Private Dog Park

2009-08-04T16:14:00.008-04:00

The daddies made us our own dog park, whatever that is. Tico says going to the dog park is fun because you run around a lot and sometimes get to play with other dogs. That dog can spend hours sniffing pee. Doesn't sound very exciting to me. Except for Ennis (the dog of my dreams), other dogs mostly scare me anyway.

I guess it was different back before Tico had me to keep him company. That dog was so lonely he'd make friends with anyone. He's still that way--no standards at all. Tico loves everyone he's ever met. Not me. I'm picky. I get shy around new people and on more than one occasion, have even wet myself! Talk about making a good first impression....

No fair

2009-08-01T21:22:00.003-04:00

I remember a time when ghd used to hold me between his man boob and beer belly. It was heaven. Total serenity in a warm padded cushion. I don't get to do that any more, only toodles. I hate her, she better watch out. -T

Sent from my chiPhone

So much for that walk...

2009-07-31T20:14:00.003-04:00

Careful what you wish for. Went for my walk with Big Daddy and got soaked to the bone. BD forgot to bring an umbrella. I am surprised he's functional sometimes.

It started off nice enough. Got all "systems" go for a good walk. We were sooo close to the Dog Park too, I could just smell it. Then it started to trickle rain.

BD yanked me away from the entrance to the dog park to go home. So close! He was walking as fast as my little legs would let me go. Between you and me, I love to get wet. I love to play and get muddy. I love rolling in unknown scents, but thats another story. It began to pour halfway home, and I just couldn't make it any further. I sat under a tree and crossed my arms. I gave BD that "ok no more, please carry me, please please please" look. It worked like a charm. Now I get him to carry me in the pouring rain like a King! Meanwhile he's blocking the rain just for me and laughing the whole way home. It was a blast! Now its just gonna take a few hours to dry off...

-T

Mobile blogging

2009-07-31T18:07:00.001-04:00

Now that Big Daddy has everything all set up I can check in on the go.
It's about time, took him like an hour to do it. Can we please go out
now? Please please please? T

Welcome to Our Blog!

2009-07-31T12:43:00.003-04:00

I'm Toodles. I weigh almost two pounds and am 13 weeks old today. Tico is my half-brother. We have the same daddy. Tico weighs 6 1/2 pounds and will be 10-months old tomorrow. I'm glad you stopped by to see us.

We are long-haired chihuahuas. Lots of other dogs claim to be as smart and adorable as we are, but they are not. Everyone knows that chihuahuas are the most intelligent dogs in the universe. We long-hairs have chihuahua smarts and--well--just look at us! We're beautiful AND smart. Deal with it.

We live with our daddies in Athens, Georgia. They rescued us from a horrible place--I still have nightmares about all the fleas. Tico won't even talk about it. Gray-Haired Daddy (GHD) belongs to me. The Other Daddy belongs to Tico, but secretly likes me better. Face it, who wouldn't?

Sometimes GHD takes me to work. Everyone there loves me. Everyone. Tico came with us one time. But nobody wanted to play with him because they only wanted to play with me. I think maybe it's because Tico is so big--everyone kept talking about how huge he is compared to me. So GHD doesn't bring him with us any more.

On Monday, instead of going to work, GHD took me to play with the doctor. He doesn't play very nice! When Tico hurts me, he runs away when I scream and I can tell he's very sorry. The doctor didn't run away and just kept hurting me no matter how much I screamed! I don't want to play with him anymore. I won't eat his treats either. I don't know what he did to me but I really haven't felt like playing until today.

Glad I'm feeling better. It's the weekend! Both daddies will be home and can play with me and Tico all the time. I better get some rest so I'll be ready.