Update on Ginger...

Thanks to the generous gift of a digital scale, we are more accurately able to weigh the TLC dogs and puppies!  Ginger now weighs 11 pounds, 6 ounces and her coat has grown in beyond beautiful now.

She's one of our 'stabilizer' dogs at adoptions because she's so evenly balanced... Although she still has 'things to say' when she approaches anyone, take her out of the Xpen and she immediately rolls over on her back for a belly rub... 

She's one of the most evenly tempered dogs I have ever run across... Nothing phases her... 

She's friendly towards all - dogs and humans alike... We're amazed she's not yet found her furever home... A true sweetheart if there ever was one!... Maybe Santa will bring her one???  'Cause she's been a VERY good girl this year!

Ginger - "Just what kind of dog is she???"

At adoptions, we frequently get asked what kind of dog Ginger is because most folks are not familiar with the Longhaired version of the Chihuahua... And she's a bit bigger in weight than a Chi, so it probably is a natural question to ask... Some take her for a Papillion.... Others for a Pom/Chi mix... And truthfully, who really knows when it is a shelter dog... Bottom line is the personality and behaviors to me and not the appearances of any dog... If they're friendly (toward humans and other dogs), learn how to go potty outside quickly and use the doggie door, I'm a happy camper... While Ginger didn't initially care for the weekly baths in the sink, she's learned it is a 'necessary evil' around here... ...

Ginger is fully ready to go now... Her bum has healed up nicely, she's now housetrained, micro-chipped, up-to-date on her shots (including rabies) and licensed for the County of Ventura... Ginger would make a great therapy dog for someone so inclined to do so... She will bark at everyone initially, but wagging her tail, she'll gladly accept pats on the head...

Ginger will start out sleeping at the side of my bed on a doggie bed, but once we're asleep, she'll sneak up the doggie steps and climb into bed with us!... While she's not an UC (undercover) Chi because of the great coat she has, Ginger definitely enjoys the finer things of life (sunbathing in the mornings, curled up on a cushy pillow or doggie bed in the afternoon and sitting on the couch at night watching TV with someone around here)... I swear - when I come back again, I want to come back as one of my own dogs or fosters!

Ginger's puppers...

My scale shows the puppers as:
Sugar - 3 pounds
Honey - 2 lbs, 8 ounces
Cinnamon - 1 pound, 14 ounces

All three puppies now have home visits that have passed and approved adoption applications. They should be spayed this week (unless Cinnamon's weight prohibits her from being spayed) and onto their great furever homes!

Ginger's milk sacks are still too large for her to be spayed, so that should happen next week.

Lots going on...

Ginger and her pups came to adoptions on Saturday as new prospective adopters of the pups wanted to meet the pups and see Ginger in person... Cinnamon and Honey have adoption apps and home visits scheduled... Sugar is still up in the air as of this moment...

Ginger's rear is getting better and she's developed into a bit of an escape artist where I am concerned - if I'm headed out the door? She wants to go and thoroughly enjoys riding 'shot-gun' in the center of the seat of the truck... :)

Bingo was adopted and is going to be the reverse Oreo cookie... His new home has two gorgeous, extremely well-cared for Malteses... Snow white and groomed to perfection, Bingo is definitely going to be the 'brown and white' center creme of that crew! Congratulations to Bingo and his new furever family!

Trixi was also adopted, but she is still with me until she undergoes her spay surgery on Wednesday :( ... Her new furever home has another dog that could be her sister in color but with erect ears... Plus she has two toddlers to grow up with... She's such a sweetie, so this should an excellent new life for her once we transition through the spay and arrival at her new home at the end of the week! Yet another dog did not have to die in the shelters! HURRAH!

Ginger and her pups - UPDATE

Let's start off with Ginger first... Ginger had an anal gland abscess that burst while at the shelter... They shaved her butt, but didn't treat... We took her to the vet's office immediately and got it treated (or as much as could be done now, versus what could have been done then)...

Accordingly, Ginger (or Gingerbread as I've been calling her) has -- or will have -- a 'rippled butt' with the scaring once it all heals... This will require monthly trips to the groomers if you don't (or aren't willing to) express the anal glands and trim the hairs around her rear end... Many long-haired dogs have this occur if the owners don't stay on top of it - it comes with the territory for the awesome coats hide it pretty well...



Our vet believes Ginger is 3-4 years old... And she is 8 pounds, 10 ounces right now... She's almost completely weaned her litter already, feeding them only twice a day...

Now for the pups... Our vet believes they are 5-6 weeks but to be safe, we're going with the 5 week mark... So they won't be 8 weeks until July 20th, then need to be spayed before they can be adopted... I'm posting new photos of them in each of the blogs today!