Life Lessons I Learned from My Chihuahua

Two years ago, my husband and I became the proud owners of a baby Chihuahua. As we cooed over him and he looked up at us with his big, watery eyes, we had no idea how this little bundle of fur was about to change our lives. I can honestly say that I am a better person today for having known our Chihuahua, Perry. Here are a few things he has taught me about life.

Lesson 1

When we brought home our new little addition, we set him down on the foyer tile in front of the door and then led Yoda, our Border Collie, over to meet his new baby brother. We weren't sure how the meeting between a 2.6 pound baby and a 40 pound, 11 year old dog would go, so we hovered anxiously, ready to scoop up the baby if things went badly. Fortunately, we had nothing to worry about. As daunting as Yoda must have looked to him, Perry began madly wagging his little puppy tail and he broke out into a grin from ear to ear. I will never forget that first meeting. Perry showed no fear, only joy in meeting another dog. Yoda, in turn, returned the warm welcome and appointed himself protector of our little dog. If Perry had cowered in fear instead of wagging his tail, I'm not so sure our two dogs would have the great relationship they share today. Lesson learned: You never know what kind of a friendship can grow from a smile.

Lesson 2

One day, when Perry was about a year old, we let him outside to do his business, as we do every morning. What we failed to notice, however, was that a stray beagle had meandered into our yard and was nosing around some bushes. Before we had a chance to call Perry back into the house, he tore after that beagle, hackles raised and barking up a storm. The poor beagle barely had time to realize that the object flying towards him was a dog before Perry was on it. Perry chased it willy-nilly around the yard until the beagle ran back into the wetlands. Once he had scared off the intruder who could have easily trampled him, Perry retreated to pee on a tree, and gave a few more warning barks in the direction of the beagle while his leg was cocked high in the air. Lesson learned: It's not how big you are; it's how big you think you are.

Lesson 3

When Perry was a little more than a year old, we decided to get him a playmate. Clearly, he had way too much energy and he was wearing out our poor Border Collie. We came home with a Husky puppy, which, at eight weeks old, was the same size as Perry. The Husky puppy was terribly cute, and next to him, Perry looked like a Gremlin, with his long legs, ears that stuck out on the side of his head, and bulging eyes. Up until then, we thought Perry was the cutest dog on earth, but next to the Husky, he was downright ugly. He had a face only a mother could love! I couldn't believe how ugly I suddenly thought our little Chihuahua was. Then, after a week of watching Perry excitedly play with his new little brother, he suddenly seemed as cute as I remembered him. Lesson learned: Love is blind so that we don't miss out on the best things in life.

Lesson 4

As the Husky puppy grew bigger and bigger, sometimes the dogs played a little too rough. The Husky was also getting to be the age where he attempted to assert himself in our little dog pack. Sometimes the Husky would inadvertently shove Perry too hard, or accidentally run him over during a game of fetch or roll him. During those times, Perry would growl and nip the puppy, clearly indicating his displeasure with the bigger dog throwing his weight around. Perry has a very clear sense of what's fair and what is not, and although he is the sweetest love bug, he lets everyone know when he feels something is unfair. This little Chihuahua has better personal boundaries than most people I know. And I respect him for it. Lesson learned: It is okay and within your rights to make your personal boundaries known to others.

Lesson 5

Before we knew it, this little dog had wormed his way into our hearts. We are permanently wrapped around his paw. I think he knows it, too, but he doesn't abuse his power over us. He always lets us know when he wants some cuddle time. In fact, he has this way of wiggling up between us while we are sitting on the sofa or lying in bed. Before we know it, we are unconsciously petting him and he is right where he wants to be. And if we happen to not be paying enough attention, he backs up and bumps into us to announce his presence as he curls up next to us. He is not pushy or selfish about it, but he lets us know he loves us and wants to be loved back. Lesson learned: Never withhold your love. Make your intentions known.