Vroom vroom.

Pepper is ABFAB in pink. And like her mom, she puts in her time surf shopping. Here's a pink motorcycle jacket complete with d-ring for our walking pleasure. It's great when the garment's line isn't ruined by the odd placement of the leash coming out of the neck.  It's an investment, but would an excellent statement piece in the Pep's wardrobe.


~Biker Babe~ Pink Motorcycle Jacket & Harness by: Doggie Design

Spring Springing Sprung

Pepper dressed as an Easter Egg takes up the entire sidewalk at Yerba Buena Gardens. Bright blue skies are cold but the grass is green and the wifi streaming from the Metreon Center. It's improved tremendously with addition of the City Target. The Congenial Chihuahua just wishes it stocked dog clothes!

Oh the places she does go--Zia the portable chihuahua

Zia is a most portable chihuahua.  She has traveled by bus, car, train, plane and even by sea.  Above Zia is dressed in her Fourth of July dress as she rides on a complete stranger's lap.  Why?  Because he had the window seat.  She loves to look out the window.

Zia is a great sport and goes many places with me (and sometimes without me - I'll talk about her trip to the Encino birthday party in another post).  Zia takes to the bus like a pro and practically invites all sorts of attention.  Usually she goes as herself, but sometimes she goes incognito.  Here's a picture of her in her wig:  

 Being a rather small dog, Zia does have to worry about the wind.  Once as we walked down Van Ness, a strong wind actually lifted her off her feet and she became a chihuahua kite on a leash string.  She thought she was going to be airborne one afternoon as we explored the famed Alamo Square park:

On New Year's 2008, Zia and I took a trip out to Land's End:  Ocean Beach in San Francisco.  She's not a beach dog.

Big Beach.  Little dog.  Not her favorite place because she gets her FEET WET! 

The Zee Takes to the Sea

When family visited from Hobbs, New Mexico, we took a boat around the San Francisco Bay. Zia enjoyed having the salt breeze in her fur.

Zia's motto is: Have Bag, Will Travel

No matter where I need to go, Zia is game.  Her new sister Pepper is just beginning her travels on the Congenial Chihuahua Trail.  Adventures beckon as we explore small dog living in the big city.

The Sleeping Chihuahuas

When I first got my dog, Zia, I was very excited.  Oh Boy!  We are going to get up every morning and go for a walk.  I'll have a happy little buddy who will say, "Come on Mom!  Let's go!"  Err, not so much.

The Princess Zia asleep on her pillow.

No, instead I have a dog that really wants to sleep until at least noon.  Since she is so little, I have to take her on and off the bed so when I leave for work she is grumpily 'drug' out of bed and she will follow me around half-heartedly and I swear I can see her little head nod with satisfaction when I close the door.  Like, "Whew, glad SHE'S gone.  I can finally get back to my work...sleeping."

Noses tucked in and asleep on the couch.

Now Pepper has joined the family and above are the two Congenial Chihuahuas sleeping.  You can barely make out Pepper because she blends into to the fake fur throw.  She is almost all black except for the little white tip of her tail, a chest blaze and some salt'n'pepper toes.  You can barely see the white tip o' the tail if you look hard enough at the picture.

I had high hopes for Pepper too, since she is such an agile little dog. But that doesn't mean she wants to get up and go for a walk.  No, she is just able to get up and off the bed at her own will and spends most of it there all day.  At least Zia wants to be beside me as I write all day.  Asleep, but touching if at all possible.

Pepper and Zia, while only together for just over two months now, have bonded in their own way.  Zia, who has NEVER been interested in playing with toys or even playing with other dogs, is taking a real interest.  She will follow Pepper as she fetches her toys.  And Pepper lately has been trying to get Zia to play by dropping the knotted string toy at her feet and nudging it with her nose towards the half-blind Lady Zee.  Er, Zia don't play THAT game homie.  At least not yet.

More togetherness.

Above, the girls hang out in the Vera Bradley bag with the cardboard bottom separating them like two file folders. Zia will watch me all the time, while Pepper settles down to sleep after a while.

Just in time for Chinese New Year and St. Valentine's Day - Cherry Blossoms

Pepper worked on her 'no barking' as all the dogs and their owners came by.  Zia got out and trotted along in her own slow poke way.  There's a really nice Tully's Coffee at Jackson and Fillmore and a great time was had by all.  Yeah for longer dry days!  

Pepper's Story, Part I

The Christmas Chihuahua

     In December 2009,  I decided to up my search for a new chihuahua through rescue organizations.  Searching high and low, mostly low since chihuahuas are RATHER short, I contacted the SF Chihuahua Meet-up, Pets Unlimited on Fillmore and the SF  Animal Care and Control and found many darling chis there, but none seemed to be a perfect match for me and, more importantly, Zia. (see Zia above)

     I needed a dog who would get along with Zia, be suited for living in a 5th floor apartment in San Francisco's Trendyloin, happy to meet people and comfortable riding public transportation.  Also the new dog would be calm and non-barking variety of chihuahua.  A CONGENIAL CHIHUAHUA if you will.

     Long-hair chihuahuas, like Zia, are supposed to be quieter and more 'snuggly' than the usual short-hair (or smooth coat) variety.  But I always believe in look at individuals not the stereotype. Case in point, we met a darling long-hair chihuahua who was so traumatized from her history that she was even biting the loving foster hands that fed her.  Not the congenial chihuahua that we required despite her luxurious long hair.

     Then I found a craigslist.org (God bless Craig Newmark) advertising "The Perfect Small Dog." Listed by one of the Wonder Dog volunteers, the ad described Chickie (just ONE of Pepper's former aliases) as  "...social and LOVES to spend time with her foster mom weather it be walking through the park or cuddled up under the covers, she's a happy girl." Wonder Dog Rescue

     E-mails blazed and we made arrangements to meet at a Wonder Dog event at a great pet store on Fillmore in the Lower Haight neighborhood called Animal House (yelp review).

     From there, I spent over an hour with the dog who would later be named Pepper and made the decision.  I had help not only from Zia, my Chihuahua Buddha and from Zia’s “Auntie”  who knows a great dog when she sees it.

     Pepper's transformation from rescue to a Trendyloin Trickster dog continues.  Stay tuned for more.

Left:  Pepper and I wait for the 22 Fillmore Bus just after her adoption.

Bo in the Sno - First Dog Frolics

We're high and dry presently in San Francisco, but came across these wonderful Pup Pics online of our First Family's dog Bo.  While we do not know any Portuguese Water Dogs personally, we certainly admire this breed and especially Bo for his cute haircut and white blaze and front 'sugar feet.'  
Chihuahuas are notoriously known for their 'dry feet' policy, but who can resist reveling in Bo's obvious joy in the Washington, D.C. snowstorm.  

Happy Snow Day Bo!

Bo Obama strikes a very pretty profile pose