Three degrees of Chihuahua separation
Monday, June 21, 2010 at 08:44PM 
Wowa love.The first Chihuahua I ever remember meeting personally was named Consuela.
Consuela was my hairdresser's pet and she looked and acted exactly as I'd always been led to believe Chihuahuas are inclined to appear and behave.
Impossibly tiny. Ridiculously bony. Shaking from head to tail to prehensile paws and back again. Yapping incessantly.
Ugly. Rat-doggish. Bug-eyed. Shrill.
And I'm a dog lover.
And dogs love me! Across the board.
Chihuahuas With Cold Shoulders
But Consuela had ignored that memo. When I indicated that I wanted to hold and pet her while her owner groomed me, she was vehemently disinclined to acquiesce to my request.
Vexing. Perplexing.
I promptly forgot all about Chihuahuas. For years we'd been Beagle people anyway. I've loved many a Beagle and, when it came to dogs, always thought of myself as a hound and spaniel sort of person.
The toy canine varieties didn't seem like "real" dogs to me.
I'm almost ashamed to tell you this because it's humiliatingly bourgeois, but all of that changed with the Taco Bell TV commercials in the late '90s.
The Taco Bell dog's name wasn't Gordita but that's what we called her at our house. My kids were constantly saying "Yo quiero Taco Bell" and "Drop the chalupa" whereupon we'd all laugh hysterically.
We were living in central Ohio (which perhaps explains why we were so easily amused). I commuted to Columbus each weekday, where I worked at a law firm.
A Chihuahua Calls My Name
One day in July of 1999 I was in the lobby of our building when I saw Shelly, a paralegal, walking toward me. Shelly had something small and white in her arms.
When I got up to Shelly I realized the small white something was a dog. A Chihuahua.
Name of Sparky.
Sparky was less than three months old. Shelly had bought him -- and his brother -- from a reputable breeder in Zanesville, Ohio.
Sparky was perhaps one of the top three cutest dogs I'd ever seen. Up till then I didn't even know Chihuahuas came in white and melted your heart like that, on contact.
I wanted one.
We owned a Beagle (RIP Buckley, 1997-2005) at the time and the last thing we needed was a Chihuahua.
But I wanted one.
Our daughter Audrey wanted one too. A teenager with her first job, and uber-enamored of the Taco Bell dog, she had already announced her intention to acquire a Chihuahua.
Adios, Pesos ... Hola, Chihuahua
In the spirit of striking while the burrito was hot, I went home and told the kids about meeting Sparky.
Audrey and I reached an agreement: if it all worked out, we'd go halvsies on the new dog. (I often tell her she bought Javier's back half and I bought his front half.)
I got clearance from TG to spend a portion of our hard-earned income on a dog that would not exceed six pounds fully grown, soaking wet, and stuffed with table scraps.
I called the reputable Chihuahua breeder the next day.
Turned out there was a very young litter for sale, but only two of the pups remained un-spoken for. If I drove out to Zanesville after work I'd be able to pick out a puppy and meet its parents (which, I'd been led to believe, was important).
That's how I met and called dibs (via cash deposit) on Javier. He was so small he fit in the palm of my hand. His eyes were not yet open. It would be several weeks before we could bring him home.
The ensuing days crawled by like when a kid waits for Christmas. I don't know how my children handled it; that was just me.
The early September afternoon I drove back to Zanesville to finish paying for Javier was a typical Midwestern stormy Indian summer day. All the way home Javier lay in my lap, his head propped on my arm.
His little teal crate sat empty on the seat beside us. His huge brown eyes never left my face.
Chihuahuas Equal Devotion
Speaking of eyes, Javier's are slightly buggy. He does tremble now and then, and he's a superior watchdog but only growls and barks when necessary. Squirrels in the yard elevate his hackles as much as anything.
He never yips or yaps.
The place he wants to be is in a lap or glommed onto the side of a sleeping person, being stroked and petted and massaged or simply absorbing any human warmth available for dog consumption.
He's lazy but not aimless. His aim is to make his humans happy by providing comfort and understanding like only a dog can do. If you cry a tear, he immediately shows up to lick your face. It's like he knows the very moment you need sloppy kisses and unconditional love.
Javier is very intelligent and may be gifted; he knows lots of words besides his name (and variations on his name, including "Harvey").
Included in his impressive vocabulary are "Mom" and "Dad" and "Erica" and "crate" and "bed" and "outside" and "eat" and "walk" and the questions "Go bye-bye?" and "Bath?" and "Trim your nails?"
Those last two querys cause him to tremble in a way that reminds me of Consuela.
And the way he is adored reminds me of how I knew I could love a Chihuahua when I met Sparky.
I like the way one dog leads to another.
I love my precious and comical -- and very real -- little dog.
Reader Comments (21)
It's good to finally read the back story of the great Javier. :)
Awww, he is is a cutie. I'm not sure why, but I thought your story was going to turn out where you also got a white chihuahua. I'm not sure I've ever seen a white one, come to think of it.
REALLY VERY CUTE PETS!!
Recently I switched to a custom domain and have lost friends on google friend connect. Request you to re-join :-)
@ kev ... I imagine it is, knowing how you've heard about him for so long! Columbia's Finest Chihuahua by way of Zanesville.
@ Margaret ... I know! We wanted a white one but there were none in the litter. Maybe Sparky was an anomaly! Only, the other day while out walking we met a white Chi named Coco. Javier's cuter by far.
@ Kcalpesh ... Thanks for stopping by. I'll check it out!
Great pictures. We've had just about ever kind of dog there is over our lifetimes, and the Beagle is by far my pick. They are so loving and so sweet, smart, good, ...
The Lemon Beagle we have now is the most perfect dog we have ever had, she never does anything wrong and never has, from day one when we brought her home as a puppy. She fit right into our life.
Never was one for small breed dogs. Yapping ankle biters, in my experience, with the possible exception of psycho of the dog world, the Jack Russell terrier, which is wound too tight and simply insane ;-)
Beagles and labs are my favorites. Always have been.
But what works for you is all that matters ;-)
I Really look forward to your stories sweetie! You're a Terrific writer, you know!
I like the Chihuahua best but I am Truly through with getting any more pups...can't take it when they pass...too hard....So, when I need a pup "fix", I'll just come here...Lolol
Happy day sweetie!
hughugs
@ Debbie ... your Penelope is darling. I do love Beagles with all my heart. They are like the quintessential dog. You are so fortunate!
@ SF ... Did you not hear me? LOLOLOL Javier does not yip or yap ... ever ... and biting an ankle is as far from him as becoming an astronaut. He's docile and precious. Jack Russells are very cute but I wouldn't want to own one. I like Beagles and Labs too! Magnificent doggehs.
@ Donna ... Thanks luv! And thanks for taking the time to read. I love looking at your pictures too! I know what you mean about it being hard when the puppies go. I can't bear to think of losing Javier. Thankfully he's healthy and Chihuahuas are known to live long! You can come look at him whenever you want! I don't mind sharing.
Awesome pictures of that Javier. How did we come up with that name anyway(Atlanta pitcher)? And his middle name..Guillermo (spelling?). I actually remember you naming him his middle name. I remember the tables I waited on to get his bony behind too.
I may have to reconsider my prejudices. :)
@ Audrey ... Yeah girl ... you know it. Javier Lopez ... Javier Guillermo ... the similarities are endless. Frisch's Big Boy ... LOL them was the days.
@ A/c ... that's all I ask. =:~D
This is such a sweet story! Javier was meant for you, and his vocabulary ain't bad either! When our Aussie Shep turned 10 (he's now 14), I swear he turned a corner - he understands our every word!
PS Thank you very much for your kind words - it's nice to be missed! I'm busy running the County Bar and its Lawyer Referral Service - my college interns all left for the summer. Work is really cramping my style! I'll be back in the blogosphere soon.
Thanks so much again!
I'm leaving my comment here since you turned off the comments on your latest ("Haiku for a summer night"). Why you chose to deprive yourself of reading the numerous haikus your readers would surely have left you is beyond me!
For example:
Javier Lopez
was not a pitcher
Javy was a catcher
fin
That's haiku gold, am I right? ;-)
@ Keli ... AH! Thanks for stopping by! I was beginning to get worried! Take your time, luv. Glad to know you're still around.
@ kev ... HA! It's as I suspected! I started to put in my reply to Audrey's comment: "Javier had more in common with his namesake than at first meets the eye. To give only one example, they both have a mean split-finger fastball." BUT SOMETHING STOPPED ME! A little voice in my head said, "Javier Lopez was not a pitcher." So I went with the generic "the similarities are endless" ... LOLOL how's that for a save?
Uh, as to your "haiku" ... although you know your baseball, clearly you never learned the 5-7-5 syllable rule. Busted! =:~D Haiku bronze.
@Jenny: If that's the case, then my hat's off to you. That is an impressive sixth sense you have about all things Javier Lopez related. ;-)
As for my haiku, I prefer the "so long as it has 17 syllables" school of thought! It makes it much easier to create incredibly bad/funny ones! For example:
Michelle Robinson Obama
my eyes my eyes
No!
oh God I'm blind
I do believe I can write the best bad haiku. What can I say? It's a gift.
@ kev ... admit it! Pretty good for a girl who never even heard of baseball until she was 21 years old. Comes of being married 31 years to a jock ... or maybe by osmosis; we'll never know. It IS still the Great American Pastime, no? Baseball, I mean? LOL
I won't argue: you take the gold in bad haiku. However, in this case your chosen subject made it a bit too easy! Can you write truly BAD haiku on a GOOD subject, like Chihuahuas, or breaking your tailbone getting out of the shower? The acid test, as it were? Consider the gauntlet thrown.
He's adorable! What a wonderful tribute to the little man!
@Jenny: I'm thinking it's osmosis. My mom knows tidbits about baseball simply by being around me while I was talking about it from age 6 to 18. I don't think she ever listened, I just think it magically soaked into her brain! And yes, it is most definitely still America's Pastime.
You have thrown down the haiku gauntlet and I have picked it up. Challenge accepted!
First, the bruised tail bone haiku:
oh shampoo
maker of clean hair
phone rings, must answer
kev fall down go boom
And as for the Chihuahua haiku:
Chihuahua
tiny dog
is that michelle obama
oh God I'm blind
The Chihuahua one might just be my best work yet. ;-)
@ Donna ... I know, right? Javier is the very best. Thanks for reading, luv.
@ kev ... I'm ... I'm ... I'm speechless! Almost ... the bruised tailbone haiku could make you the national laureate of slip-and-falls. I'm serious. There should be one. Now. As to the Chihuahua haiku ... what happened? Shelly O materialize in your middle vision again? You have my sympathies! Better luck next time, mate.
He's a CUTIE!! We have one but it's a "deer Chihuahua" type breed. Bigger that the norm. Anywhere from 9-12 lbs. His name is Pepe;o)
@ Crystal ... I thought I saw a pic of a Chi on your blog's sidebar! He is ADORABLE.