Stop making fun of Chihuahuas. My chi, Sandie, was everything anyone wanted in a dog – loyal, playful, protective, cuddly, fun, loving, smart, and a bit mischievous. And, yes, nervous. Sometimes, depending on the person, he was nervous. A barker? Yes, no one was ever going to sneak in. Mean? No, but don’t tease him or ignore his warnings.
We got Sandie from a family a few houses down from us. They had 3 or 4 kids under age five and a Dalmatian plus planning on getting another one. They told us he only ate table scraps – nope, that changed. Said he wouldn’t wear a collar or walk on a leash – wrong again.
Sandie knew the difference between driving straight to my grandparents versus the turn to the vets. He learned that mom tossed two cookies at night and not one. He won every argument with his last bark, no matter how long the time passed when you told him to shush.
My Chi was everything to me and none of the hell-dog memes. He was no foo-foo dog.
I know the memes will keep coming and I’ll keep smiling knowing that to be loved by a chi is to be gifted their loyalty.
The early morning hours, when I decided it was time to say goodbye, to end his fearful suffering, saying goodbye is never easy. Seeing the tears in the vet’s nurse’s eyes as I handed him into her arms was as comforting as Sandie’s last lick on my hand. His goodbye.
