Hi, I’m Allison. Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and my three mixed-breed canines from Thailand, Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic.
Have I ever had bother bonding with a canine? Yes. My mom has a Chihuahua named Pip.
That’s it. That’s the tip of this text. Do I actually need to increase on issues?
Okay, possibly I ought to present extra particulars in regards to the state of affairs. I don’t wish to appear biased in direction of Chihuahuas. It is 2024 in any case, and breed-hate won’t be tolerated!
My mom has a Chihuahua, and regardless of us residing beneath the identical roof for almost two years, I’m satisfied that canine would shank my ankle with a shiv made out of an outdated canine deal with with no second thought. However, she most likely has her causes.
From Kentucky to Maryland: Pip’s Journey
My mom has at all times been a fan of enormous canines. Her ultimate canine can be a Bernese Mountain Dog. But at her age, a big canine is perhaps an excessive amount of to deal with. So, after a number of images from a rescue middle in Kentucky, my mom noticed an grownup, neutered feminine Deer-head Chihuahua. At 14 kilos, she can be a greater dimension to absorb the automotive and transfer round her small residence. The rescue middle in Kentucky takes canines from high-kill shelters and drives them as much as Maryland for adoption. The Chihuahua was transported in a van with a number of different canines and a handful of cats to a pet provide middle the place folks might have a look at potential companions.
My mom fell in love along with her instantly. She wasn’t terribly pleasant. She simply appeared a bit scared. Fair sufficient. She had simply been within the automotive for six hours and was given to a whole stranger. She had each proper to be a bit nervous.
When we acquired her residence, we let her discover her new environment however have been cautious to not crowd her. Mom determined to offer her a brand new identify, Pip. Pip turned hooked up to my mom inside a number of days. She was delighted to have a small canine sit on her lap and keep at her ft whereas she labored. Pip did turn out to be a little bit of a Velcro dog and really defensive of my mom. And that was when all the difficulty started.
The Unhinged Security Guard
Now, I take into account myself a affected person individual. To a degree. This was why, for the primary two months, I by no means took Pip’s angle towards me personally. Every time I went upstairs to the principle stage of the home, Pip would come operating from wherever she was, tooth bared, barking with such ferocity that I jumped again, forgetting that she was solely 14 kilos. But, as I mentioned earlier than, I attempted to not take it personally. She was nonetheless adjusting to a brand new residence, in any case.
I attempted climbing the steps quieter. Maybe my stomping up the steps startled her. However, irrespective of how gentle my steps have been, Pip would come lounging at me like a remaining boss in a pc sport.
I attempted calling her identify earlier than I climbed up the steps to let her know I used to be developing. Nope. Still charged at me, eyes blazing.
I attempted kneeling down slowly and letting her odor my hand. I by no means spoke loudly or made sudden actions. That didn’t work, both. Pip would nonetheless bark and snarl at my presence.
She did it to my husband as properly. No matter what we did, how quietly we approached, how slowly we moved, how calming we made our voices, Pip would explode at any time when we tried to go upstairs or close to my mom.
If she would see us throughout the yard, she would bolt straight for us, growling and barking so loud that the neighbors would hear her. The solely individual she was comfy round was my mom. No one else would do.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Pip?
After six months, it was beginning to get irritating—actually irritating. My mother thought it was a bit of bit humorous that Pip was so protecting. If we have been all sitting in the lounge, Pip can be positioned in my mom’s lap, giving my husband and me side-eye whereas emitting a low growl.
If my husband and I sat within the yard, Pip would crane her head from the facet of the home and bark at us…for sitting…nowhere close to her. No matter the place we went, Pip would dash as much as us and make a complete lot of noise. In the phrases of Taylor Swift: “Damn. It’s 7am!”
Our three canines have been even petrified of her! Even the smallest of our trio was twice Pip’s dimension and didn’t need something to do along with her. And, be mindful, our canines would hunt snakes and monitor lizards and rip them aside for enjoyable, however they have been staying away from Pip.
As I discussed, I’m typically affected person. However, I can be a petty Betty when pushed. And this Chihuahua pushed me. Over a 12 months had passed by and Pip nonetheless despised everybody who was not my mom. I finished making an attempt to be pleasant. Pip would bark at me, and I’d reply by rolling my eyes and telling her to close her mouth. I believe I even began sticking my tongue out at her. Petty? Yes. Slightly satisfying? Also, sure.
Pip’s disdain towards my husband and me turned a little bit of a personal joke. My husband would joke that he was going outdoors within the yard, and if he didn’t come again inside an hour, Pip had stabbed him within the jugular. I’d joke that if I went into the kitchen, Pip would most likely slice my Achilles heel with some damaged glass she stored beneath her mattress. Pip would possibly put sugar within the fuel tank of our automotive. Pip tampered with our CO2 detector. We would chuckle in any respect the ways in which canine wished to homicide us in our sleep.
But deep down, I knew I used to be being a bit unfair to her.
Pip’s Past: The Great Unknown
If you’re an undesirable pet in Kentucky and positioned in a shelter, it’ll be troublesome for you. I’m not saying that the individuals who work for animal shelters in Kentucky should not making an attempt to do the perfect they’ll, however there are merely not sufficient assets to accommodate these animals for lengthy. There are solely a small handful of no-kill shelters in that state, and they don’t have limitless house. This is why Pip was one of many fortunate ones to get a second probability in Maryland.
The individuals who took her as much as Maryland didn’t know a lot about her previous. They have been capable of guess her age, roughly seven years outdated. But that is only a guess.
Pip most definitely had been bodily abused. Anytime my husband, myself, and even my mom went to pet her on her head or again, she would cower to the floor, making an attempt to flatten herself as a lot as potential. She should at all times anticipate being hit.
Pip additionally had a minimum of one litter of puppies, however, sadly, she may need had a number of litters. Little canines will be fairly common, so maybe Pip had been pressured to breed so the puppies could possibly be offered. She may need seen all her puppies taken away one after the other.
While these are speculations, I’m fairly positive Pip has had a tough life. No marvel she is distrustful of everybody. She isn’t used to being in a protected without end residence. Maybe she’s going to let her guard down in one other 12 months. Maybe she gained’t. I’ll by no means know what she went by way of, so I have to be a bit extra understanding.
Coming to a Compromise
Pip is beginning to know her new goal right here. She has fully devoted herself to my mom. And a part of me is glad that my mom has a fierce pint-sized guard canine to warn her about, properly, something. Not everybody will know the sensation of getting a canine be so loyal and protective of them.
Almost two years after her adoption, Pip nonetheless barks up a storm if I enter the room. However, she’s going to sniff my hand and permit me to softly rub her beneath her chin. It’s a begin! While Pip and I’ll by no means actually bond, I don’t suppose she’s going to attempt to slash my automotive’s tires. Fingers crossed.
