Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really. ~A. S. Turnbull
Both of us have owned quite a few dogs in our lives (large and small), and all have enriched us in their own ways. We’ll undoubtedly post down the road about the ones who have left our home but not our memories, but here’s some info about the dogs that currently comprise the smarter members of Camp Chahooahooa.
PIPER is, at best guess, a Manchester terrier/Chihuahua mix. Originally adopted from a local rescue in 2014 at age 2 by Mailey’s mother, she came to live with us when Mom was injured and realized that Piper needed more than she could provide. She loves to be outside in the yard, sniffing out bugs and stuff, and sitting in the sun. She adores fetch and tug, but also cuddles in laps and under covers like a pro. Piper is the only dog we own who literally loves every human she meets, unequivocally. She’s silly and happy and she and Yukon like to chase each other and bark loudly in each other’s faces.
LILY arrived at the Atlanta Humane Society in 2009 after a puppymill rescue. Her age then was estimated at 12 years, but Dog only knows how old she really is. She was adopted by a woman who kept her for a year and then returned her. Since we are suckers for older dogs, we snapped her up. She’s smart, lovable, adorable and trainable. We believe her to be a perfect cross of Chihuahua and Italian greyhound (we call it IggyWawa). She’s losing her eyesight and hearing, currently has 4 teeth, and Old Dog Vestibular disease, but she is still spry and engaged when she’s not napping.
PACO came along when he was about 1, in 2007. He was sorta snotty at the Humane Society, and so we took him to socialize him. He became an excellent companion for our first Chihuahua, Gherkin. The wawas hit it off, became inseparable, and were lovingly referred to as “The Browns.” Gherkin left us from congestive heart failure in April of 2015, and none of us have really recovered. Paco took it pretty hard, then slowly began to pal around with Lily. He’s a total love bug, and the cuddliest of our crew.
YUKON CORNELIUS is, at best guess, a Feist/Chihuahua mix. He is about 3 years old and has been ours since June of 2015. He is well-trained and loves to do tricks, too. A very prey-driven dog, Yukon can be loud when he spots any potential quarry, but he’s also a lap dog and loves to play fetch and tug when he’s not burying himself under covers.
All four of our dogs enjoy camping, eating popcorn, going for walks, and mealtimes. All except Lily are turning out to be pretty good camping photo models. Lily is really only photogenic while asleep or resting because she’s kinda rickety, but she is an excellent sleeper.
Dogs Go Camping! 