Gone To The Dogs!

Beastie Biscuits n More

2010-11-19T15:43:00.000-05:00

Christmas is coming!!!! Check out our store!

BOO! Happy Halloween!

2010-10-21T14:10:00.000-04:00

Reese and Flip's Litter

2010-10-13T08:09:00.000-04:00

Many of you already know the story of Reese and the stress she put me through by going down the turtle hole while she was in labor. All is well and our little turtles have opened their eyes, they are very active and wiggly. Reese is a good mom, but a bit lazy so she allows Chickie, Lucy, Grits and basically anyone else who wants to take a turn babysitting. Sometimes it looks like she's having a party in her whelping pen because there will be three or four dogs just sitting there watching the babies. They are definitely well supervised. I have posted video of the pups on YouTube just follow the link.http://www.youtube.com/user/farmhopper?feature=mhum

Why Own a Dog?

2010-10-06T20:39:00.000-04:00

Why own a dog? There's a danger you know,
You can't own just one, for the craving will grow.
There's no doubt they're addictive, wherein lies the danger.
While living with lots, you'll grow poorer and stranger.

One dog is no trouble, and two are so funny.
The third one is easy, the fourth one's a honey.
The fifth one's delightful, the sixth one's a breeze,
You find you can live with a houseful of ease.

So how 'bout another? Would you really dare?
They're really quite easy but, oh, Lord the hair!
With dogs on the sofa and dogs on the bed,
And crates in the kitchen, it's no bother, you've said.

They're really no trouble, their manners are great.
What's one more dog and just one more crate?
The sofa is hairy, the windows are crusty,
The floor is all footprints, the furniture dusty.

The housekeeping suffers, but what do you care?
Who minds a few noseprints and a little more hair?
So let's keep a puppy, you can always find room,
And a little more time for the dust cloth and broom.

There's hardly a limit to the dogs you can add,
The thought of a cutback sure makes you sad.
Each one is so special, so useful, so funny.
The vet and food bills grows larger, you owe BIG money.

Your folks never visit, few friends come to stay,
Except other "dog folks" who live the same way.
Your lawn has now died, and your shrubs are dead too,
But your weekends are busy, you're off with your crew.

There's dog food and vitamins, training and shots.
And entries and travel and motels which cost lots.
Is it worth it you wonder? Are you caught in a trap?
Then that favorite one comes and climbs in your lap.

His look says you're special and you know that you will
Keep all of the critters in spite of the bill.
Some just for showing and some just to breed.
And some just for loving, they all fill a need.

God, winter's a hassle, the dogs hate it too.
But they must have their walks though they're numb and your blue.
Late evening is awful, you scream and you shout
At the dogs on the sofa who refuse to go out.

The dogs and the dog shows, the travel, the thrills,
The work and the worry, the pressure, the bills.
The whole thing seems worth it, the dogs are your life.
They're charming and funny and offset the strife.

Your life-style has changed. Things won't be the same.
Yes, those dogs are addictive and so is the dog game.

-Unknown Poet

Trained? Ummm..not so much!

2010-08-21T11:12:00.001-04:00

* WARNING* THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE GRAPHIC AND PORTRAY THE TRAGIC END TO A PERFECTLY GOOD ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS!

This is just a small sample of the destruction. My bedroom, including my bed and closet, as well as the laundry room pretty much looks like a giant snow globe exploded. Score one for the pups!

Hanes's Guide To Life!

2010-08-20T11:05:00.000-04:00

Hanes got his Health Certificate yesterday and can come home with you at any time now! Contact us for more information!

How to Properly Use a New Bed!

2010-07-12T16:45:00.000-04:00

Step 1: Thoroughly sniff to inspect for anything suspicious or edible.

Step 2: Dive in like you're going for gold in the Olympics!

Step 3: Relax

Thank you Aunty Sommer for getting me a new bed!!

PUPDATE!

2010-07-12T16:32:00.000-04:00

Hanes Pupdate! This picture was taken this morning, he looks huge but it's just an extreme close up of him to show you his beautiful spots, he almost looks like he's part leopard. He's just the most wonderful little guy, I already love his personality, he loves to lay upside down in my hands and have his tummy rubbed and he gives the biggest yawns with sweet puppy breath. He also is starting to wobble around and leave the whelping box now and then, which greatly distresses mom because she's afraid to pick him up and put him back. It doesn't faze him though he just curls up wherever and goes back to sleep.

New Arrival!

2010-07-07T17:37:00.001-04:00

After a long wait ARF's is proud to present to you "Hanes" he was born June 24th, 2010. He's named Hanes because every time I turn my back his mom is stealing my socks and putting them in her whelping box! Hanes popped out at 4oz meaning at the time he had an estimated adult weight of 4lbs, but as we all no that's not set in stone and can change as he matures. He is White with Fawn Merle spots and should have a long coat. I will be posting updated pictures weekly now that he's past his most critical time. Thanks for your patience!

COLORSTROLOGY?????

2010-05-30T07:36:00.003-04:00

All right people, we've all heard of Astrology and Numerology, possibly even Reflexology, but Colorstrology? During an outing to renew our County License for the dogs my mom "The Cookie Lady" and I "Princess Pooper Scooper" stopped at Big Lots to do a little retail therapy. Tucked on the back of a shelf in the craft isle was a little book called: Colorstrology: By Michele Bernhardt. Basically it states the following:

"Learn about the science of Colorstrology. YOUR BIRTHDAY COLOR is a key that connects your INNER and OUTER WORLD. It resonates with the qualities that you have within. Its purpose is to align you with your ESSENTIAL self while supporting you on your life's JOURNEY."

I thought to myself this will be great, I'll check out what my birth color is since I'm getting ready to turn 40 very soon and if I really like the color maybe I can incorporate it into a redecorating project that's coming up. Here is what my birth color is: Golden Apricot defined as influential, methodical, and lively. Sounds great so far and it's a nice color. I then proceed to read the whole definition which states:

YOU notice opportunity and are always ready for something new and exciting. You are quick on your feet and people naturally like you. You are usually found with a smile on your face no matter how hard you are working. Most of you have a way with finances. Your personal color helps ground your aspirations. Wearing, meditating or surrounding yourself with Golden Apricot reminds you to keep things fresh and not to get stuck in old ideas, habits or relationships.

Little did I know how soon I would be surrounded by Golden Apricot, it was almost as if the Colorstology Gods could see that I needed to revamp a few areas in my life, as well as paint my living room, and they decided that I should have numerous color samples personally delivered to me so that I could start wearing and surrounding myself with my personal color.

Unfortunately the Color Gods have a wicked sense of humor and the little minion that they chose to deliver my personal color is named Roxy. I still haven't figured out what happened but when we got home Roxy had thrown up in about a million places, including my bed, my office, my hallway, bathroom, living room and lo and behold the color of it all was the perfect shade of Golden Apricot. Not only was I surrounded by it, I took some time to meditate about the clean up method I was going to use, and by the end I was wearing it.

So I guess Colorstrology is the real deal and thankfully not a load of crap, literally. Needless to say Roxy is fine, I think there were some bug parts mixed in one of the puddles. Oh, and in case you're wondering, bad luck be damned I do believe I'll be going with something along the lines of green for my project. Or not, I think I see Roxy eating grass...

Love Bites, literally!

2010-02-25T08:30:00.001-05:00

Most of the puppies have gone to their new homes now and the feedback is that they are all settling in nicely. One of the remaining pups "Venus" is the last puppy in one of the litters and I am contemplating keeping her. She is ridiculously cute and you could hook her tail up to generate power since it wags so fast. Because she was the last puppy she was very lonely and sad the day that everyone else got picked up and I allowed her to sleep in the bed with us that night. Not the smartest thing I've ever done, but when she's less than 2 lbs and howling like a wounded wolf I tend to think with my heart and not my head. Needless to say she's been there pretty much every night since then. Most of the time she just curls up on my neck and sleeps
through the night, except that one night where she got up and crawled over to Mr. Pooper Scooper and peed on his shoulder. Ooops! I guess when you're little and you gotta go you gotta go! And then there was this morning, a peaceful nights sleep for all, the bed was dry (always a plus) and then the alarm went off...next thing I know there's little paws on my face and I'm smelling puppy breath (so far so good) a few licks and I'm thinking "Is there any better way to wake up than to sweet smelling puppy kisses?" Then out of nowhere, CHOMP!, right on my chin, and my nose, and my lip, and then my ear! What happened to my sweet puppy? Someone switched her for a furry piranha in the middle of the night without me knowing! Needless to say this got the little four legged tooth a one way trip to her pen to burn off some energy. So yes friends, love bites sometimes, but just look at that face and tell me if you could stay mad at her?

Visiting Day!

2010-02-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

Snoopy & Fruitloop's puppies get to visit with each other while I clean their pens.

We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Programing!

2010-02-06T22:44:00.001-05:00

Well friends a lot has happened since we last posted here at ARF's. We will spare you the the boring details and highlight the good things that have happened recently. Princess Pooper Scooper is currently ankle deep in it again because we've had three litters of Chihuahuas. Our new Chi parents are Snoopy & Flip, Fruitloop & Ready, and Godiva & Champ and between the three of them we have ten gorgeous puppies. Snoppy & Flip produced four of the cutest little long coat pups. Fruitloop & Ready had four unbelievable little applehead Chi's and I do mean little. One little girl only weighs 12 ounces at six weeks old. Godiva and Champ had two chunky little handsome boys. The picture above is of the two older litters eating lunch and playing while their mom's get a well deserved break. Check out http://arfchis.com/ to see more pics of our babies.

Yes you read that right! We now have our very own really cool (if I do say so myself) website called ARF! Chihuahuas built for us by our friend Jen of Figgy Newton Web Design. Check us both out at the following links: http://arfchis.com/ and http://webdesign.figgynewton.com/

Arf's really wants to thank Chi Wow! @ http://chiwow.com/ for allowing Ready to participate in the making of one of our litters.Check out the awesome Chi Wow! site (also built by Jen) to see how gorgeous he is.

Changing of the Guard and Piddle Pads!

2009-09-29T12:32:00.002-04:00

Well friends, it finally happened today. The changing of the guard, the passing of the torch, whatever you want to call it, it's now my responsibility to clean up puppy poop from Roxy's litter. She formally turned in her resignation this morning.The pups are well on their way to being completely weaned and I guess that means it's time for Princess Pooper Scooper to spring into action once again and here I thought we had such a nice arrangement. The puppies are starting to really develop their own personalities now. The Chocolate female is the most outgoing and her tail never stops wagging. The little boy just wants to be cuddled and the Merle female is the licker of the bunch. Click the link to watch recent video of the puppies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vBuznOwdlA

In other news ARF! Chihuahuas has some new friends we'd like to introduce to you. This is Buddy (in the center) and his visiting girlfriends. Buddy is a Katahdin Ram and his girlfriends are here visiting from North Marion High School's FFA program. Buddy is doing his part to help support the FFA program by helping out with next years crop of baby lambs for the students to show in the fair. You never know what you'll find here at ARF! Chihuahuas. We'll introduce some of our other friends next time.

Until next time friends "sniff..sniff" at least for Princess Pooper Scooper doody calls...

Roxy & Pippen Litter Update!

2009-09-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Here is a new picture of mom & her pups, from left to right it's girl, girl, boy. Poor Roxy looks like she's thinking "Are they ever going to do anything besides eat?" There is also a short video of the pups on YouTube now.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx66qNDhAZQ

Roxy & Pippen's Litter!

2009-08-26T21:17:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!
Arf!Chihuahuas is proud to present Roxy and Pippen's litter of puppies! From the top we have Roxy no longer looking like a watermelon. It's disgusting how she got her figure back so quickly isn't it? Just below her on the left is a female puppy that looks like she's going to be a very light colored red merle & white. Next in the middle we have another female puppy, today she is chocolate with just a bit of white on her chest and toes. Some days she looks like she may have some blue in her. Last but not least on the right is our little boy, sometimes he looks blue sometimes he looks fawn it depends on the light, either way he's a merle puppy too. Mom and pups are doing well. The puppies have all filled out nicely and are little wiggle butts. Check back for weekly updates to see how they're doing.
Thanks,
Princess Pooper Scooper

Patience!

2009-08-20T21:49:00.000-04:00

As you can see we have no puppies yet. Roxy still looks like a furry watermelon. We'll keep you posted on her progress. Thanks.

The Power of Flip

2009-07-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

Flip, as most of you know is the pup at the top of the page holding the leaf in his mouth. I have always been pretty proud of the fact that my dogs were not overly spoiled, but very well cared for. My life pretty much revolves around them and the other farm animals and their daily needs from 6am to at least 10pm everyday with breaks in between to do dog laundry, clean kennels, work, gardening, and human laundry (if I remember). Flip on the other hand has decided that he should rule the humans. With just a look he can command Mr. Pooper Scooper (aka, my husband) to bring him a tiny morsel of granola or scratch his belly. Flip decides when it's time to go out with a whimper and when it's time to come in, with a bark. He demands that he be allowed to inspect and look after all new puppies that are born. To them he's Uncle Flip. He has wormed his way in like few other dogs have. He's everywhere, my cell phone has multiple pictures and videos of him. He gets to sit on my lap when I'm on the computer and sit on the console when he rides in the truck. And somehow he has the ability to make everyone that meets him fall in love with him. Not to bad for the puppy that made me go "Eew, that's the ugliest puppy in the litter" Flip is so spoiled he even has his own dog. Flip was supposed to have Champ as a roommate temporarily until he went to a new home, well the new home never materialized and so Flip decided that Champ should be his pet. Even though they're the exact same age and Champ is WAY bigger Flip is in charge. Flip eats first, gets first pick of the toys and gets to arrange the blanket. How did this happen? Just look at him, but don't stare into his eyes too long or you will be sucked in by the power of Flip.

Presents...

2009-07-04T09:02:00.000-04:00

Do your dogs bring you presents? I know lots of people whose cats bring them lovely little gifts on occasion, but this week has been like a non stop birthday party for me. So far I've received a present on Monday that was deposited in the living room (again by you know who) that required hauling out the carpet cleaner. On Tuesday and Thursday I received the gift of freshly dead field rats from Snoopy. Now please keep in mind that this an extremely well trained hunting dog that just happens to be trapped in a chihuahua body. Friday brought me several unidentifiable bones from Peanut, who although she is more than willing to bring her present to me she feels much better if she hangs on to it for safe keeping as I am apparently not responsible enough to be entrusted with such priceless items. Where they are unearthing these artifacts is beyond me as it's virtually impossible to keep an eye on the entire herd every second when they are out running around. My yard looks like the toy isle at Petsmart with $500.00 worth of toys and yet they choose to play with and roll on and chew up dead things. Oh, and in honor of the Fourth of July Champ has decided to explode this morning. Happy 4th to everyone! Princess Pooper Scooper is off to find the Pepto...

If I Didn't Have a Dog...

2009-06-24T08:27:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!
I received a great email from my Dad today and wanted to pass it along. It's called:
If I Didn't Have a Dog...
If I Didn't Have a Dog.
I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.
My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.
All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.
When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.
I would have money and no guilt to go on a real vacation.
I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put
their yet unborn grand kids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down,
come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.
My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or
barriers.
I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din din'. 'Yummy yummy for the
tummy'.
My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.
My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an
extra leash.
I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E- E,
W-A-L-K,T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E.
I would not have as many leaves (or pine needles) INSIDE my house as
outside.
I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog ties
them down too much.
I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading
'mud' season.
I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many
animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of
knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel
as they will ever get.
How EMPTY my life would be!!!
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened"

If anyone knows who wrote this originally,please let me know, so I can give them credit and sympathy.

This is all so very true. Around here we call people with only one dog amateurs. I can't imagine my life with only one dog, what would I do with all my free time and money? If I had one dog it might actually be well behaved, not that everyone here is a bad dog. I prefer to say that they are just really happy dogs that are actually allowed to be dogs, and not what I call "Lap Trophies" Yes my dogs roll and dig in the dirt, eat dead bugs, chase bunnies, bark, bark, and did I say bark? Everyone knows their name but it has taken years of special training by me, Princess Pooper Scooper, to teach them how to run full speed in the opposite direction when I call them. Let's see The Dog Whisperer do that in a 30 minute show!
So yes, my life has gone to the dogs especially the wet, muddy, shedding dogs this time of year. How about you?

Monday Morning Surprise!

2009-06-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

Well my week started out as follows: 6am wake up call by Fruitloop who has made it her mission to make sure that no one ever gets to sleep in. She wakes up the boys Flip and Champ and new mom Snoopy. Since everyone is doing the potty dance I get up and release the hounds, now mind you once I'm up Fruitloop goes back to bed because she doesn't need to go potty yet. On the way out the door we nudge the bulldog to get her moving, wake up Sandy and grab the ancient Bichon Frise, Bridgette and carry her down the steps. Now in the 30 seconds it takes to get the first crew out the door the bulldog has apparently decided she just can't wait and makes a trip to the living room to have an accident, a very, very rare thing for her so I choose not to get angry and resign myself to getting out the carpet cleaner later.
After doing the initial cleanup, it's time to bring the crew back inside. The thundering herd arrives and goes back to their respective areas to await Princess Pooper Scooper's alter ego Magical Treat Dispenser. Finally the break I've been waiting for everyone is back asleep and I can shuffle off to the kitchen to get milk for my coffee. Why do I have wet socks? I didn't go outside and walk around in the grass, oh great apparently Fruitloop decided that she had to potty afterall and since the bulldog used the living room I guess she figured she could too. I swear she's smiling at me. It's as if she's saying "Now isn't this easier than having to let me out and back in?" My life has gone to the dogs once again...