Corazón

I want to introduce you to the newest member (as of this writing) of our family and to the ChiChis And Me family. She is a beautiful long-haired, apple head Chihuahua. Her name is, Corazón which means “heart” in Spanish. That happens to be a very fitting name as she has stolen our hearts. We call her Cora for short.

How Cora Came To Us

Cora came to us on a trial basis on Monday, October 12, 2020. While working in a very busy veterinary hospital I have met a lot of animal-loving people, and that as well as all the amazing animals that come in has always been my favorite part of working there.

Most of the various rescue organizations in our area bring their rescues for vetting. That is, to make sure they are healthy, spayed or neutered, up to date on their vaccines, etc. before they go to their permanent homes.

One of those organizations is F.L.E.A. or For The Love of Every Animal. Suzanne is the owner of this amazing one-woman rescue organization and she is such a loving and caring person. She rescues all breeds large & small. She doesn’t get Chihuahuas very often, however. (Before you ask, she doesn’t ship or transport her dogs, she is local only).

When I lost my precious Chico, I knew that I would eventually get another Chihuahua. It was just going to take a little time before I was ready. I had in mind a long-haired male Chihuahua to complete our 2 short-haired female Chihuahua and a female cat family. Sometimes a pack of female dogs don’t always take kindly to welcoming a new female into the pack and I thought a male would fit in better.

When Suzanne got some Chihuahuas she sent me pictures (she knows about my website and my love of Chihuahuas). Three were female and she also had one male. All but Cora were short-haired. I had already decided that if I were to get another Chihuahua it would be a long-haired male and my heart melted when I saw all four, but I really wanted a long-haired Chi. So, we decided that we would do a trial adoption to see if my two would accept another female into the pack.

Is Trial Adoption Cruel?

To some that may seem cruel to uproot a dog from one home to another on a trial basis and then if it doesn’t work out, send him back to the rescue. In theory, I agree with you, however, it is even crueler to fully adopt a dog, bring it home, and then realize that he or she and your dogs don’t get along, or that the new dog is mean to your dogs or visa, versa. There are times when a certain dog just doesn’t fit into your lifestyle and current pack for various reasons.

Dogs, just like people do not automatically get along. Just because you show them all love, doesn’t guarantee that they will love each other. Chihuahuas and other dogs have their own individual personalities along with their own doggie protocol.

What if you fully adopt a rescued dog and you bring them home and realize that he or she is mean to your dogs, snapping and snarling when they get near him or her. Or it may be the other way around. Your dogs won’t accept the new one and he or she is in constant fear of your dogs what do you do then?

Consider this: Suppose you have tried everything you know to help them to get along. However, you finally realize that it was a mistake and you don’t know what to do about it. You can’t have your dogs living in constant fear and stress. Or the other way around, not to mention the constant stress on you.

The best thing to do would be to hire a canine behaviorist or a certified dog trainer to help. But, that can be expensive and many people will just give up on the poor dog instead. So, even though it breaks your heart, you take the new one to the animal shelter where he or she will probably be euthanized.

If it is a trial adoption, however, then the rescue organization can find a better home for that dog and he still has a chance of living happily ever after in a loving permanent home. Perhaps in a home where he or she is the only dog.

Cora & Remedy

Cora has the same sweet, submissive temperament and personality that Pebbles has. Remedy is high energy and can be a little possessive — okay, very possessive. Pebbles and Cora got along famously from the very beginning, as I knew they would. After about a month of calm dogs that seemed to get along, we formally adopted her.

See Tips on how to bring a new dog the right way. It just might help you or someone else whose dogs don’t get along. You and your dogs deserve a peaceful home where all can thrive!

After about a month, however, there began to be tension between Cora and Remedy. Remedy has always been the “queen” of the four-leggeds in our home and suddenly, Cora seemed to challenge that “queendom”.

You can feel the tension and if you know dog-body-language, you know when a possible fight is about to break out, so I was concerned. When this happens, you must address it immediately before it is allowed to become a serious problem.

We began to train both of them and Cora has now decided it is best for everyone to allow Remedy to keep her status as “queen” of the four-leggeds. When Remedy gives her doggie signals to back off or that she is over-stepping her rank in the pack, Cora will now acquiesce rather than challenge her, thus keeping the peace.

They may never be BFF’s, but they have learned to live together in peace. It is, however, something we have to be constantly on the lookout for. We will never leave the house with both of them in the same room together. We separate them when we are away out of an abundance of caution.

About Cora’s Past

I know nothing about her previous circumstances, except that she came from a “breeder”. Suzanne did not elaborate, and I didn’t question her about what kind of “breeder” she came from. However, I don’t think she was shown a lot of love because she is over-eager whenever you give her love and attention.

I also have discerned that she must have been abused in some way by a male. I know this because she is very wary of my husband. She will hide behind the furniture or under a table and bark (a warning bark) whenever he walks toward her, even if he is just going to another room, not specifically to her.

We are working on that together and although she is getting better, it will take a while for her to learn that she can trust him.

Cora is a sweet and loving Chihuahua, she just wants to be loved. She is so eager to please and is always happy. Our little Cora is a six-year-old (at this writing) black and white long-haired, apple head Chihuahua born May 3, 2014. She was very overweight at 9.2 lbs when she came to us. Her ideal weight should be approximately 5-51/2 lbs. We are working on slimming her down for her health’s sake.

I am planning a video for our YouTube Channel, “ChiChis And Me Chihuahua Reality” about our weight loss journey, so be sure to subscribe and click the bell so you will be notified of new videos!

Cora’s Weight Loss Update (5-21-21)

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My Opinion Of Breeders

Just so you know, I am not and never have been a breeder. My knowledge about breeders comes from my talking to some at the veterinary hospital where I work. Whether you agree or disagree with breeding dogs, consider how many deserving dogs are in shelters and need good homes.

However, if you adopt a puppy from a breeder or rescue one is your choice. I’m not condoning or condemning legitimate, responsible breeders. There would not be any Westminister Dog show on television on Thanksgiving day, however, if there were no breeders that love and breed their favorite breed. Just saying …..

Puppy mills, on the other hand, are a completely different thing! Puppy mills I wholeheartedly condemn! I wish they would shut down every single one of them!

Tell us what you think in the comments below …

Up Next: Are You Sure You Know Where Your Chihuahua Came From?