Terena Scott

Chihuahuas are snippy, arrogant, loud, spastic, mean dogs. All they do is lounge on laps and bite people. But I fell in love with a little dog at the pound and was amazed when I discovered she was a Chihuahua.

We had mourned our Boxer dog for several months and felt ready for a new puppy. This time we decided to get a smaller dog so our daughter, who has special needs, could have a friend and help care for the puppy. My husband and I went to the pound and took a fluffy, funny, terrier type dog for a walk, but the dog wouldn’t stop barking. Deciding against a dog who never shut-up, we found two bouncy, playful, long legged dogs in a pen. One of them seemed sweeter than the other, so we took her out for a walk. The poor girl was so timid she didn’t know how to walk and insisted on being held the entire time we were outside. I wasn’t sure about this dog, but there was something about her that encouraged me to give her a try. The pound thought she was a terrier mix with “some Chihuahua.”

We adopted her and two days later I brought her to the vet for a check up. “What kind of dog is she?” I asked.

“She’s a Deer Chihuahua,” the veterinarian said.

“A what?” Did she actually say my new dog was a Chihuahua?

A Deer Chihuahua is a larger type of Chihuahua with long, deer like legs, long face and large ear. They are considered closer to the original size of the breed, even though they’re not as popular as the tiny, Tea Cup or Apple Headed Chihuahuas. In fact, Deer Legged are not allowed in dog shows or wanted by breeders. The Deer Chihuahua is the sweeter of the breed, with friendly, playful dispositions and boundless energy.

My friends think it’s hysterical I own a Chihuahua. I can’t help but laugh too. Me, lover of Boxers and other large breeds, scoffer of tiny dogs in purses and anything else Paris Hilton does, owns a Chihuahua. My daughter is delighted, and even my husband who dreams of owning a Great Dane is enraptured with our cuddly, goofy puppy. We named her Novella.

Novella is about 1 years old, but already has had a litter. She was a stray the pound picked up and from the looks of her, she probably escaped a “puppy mill.” Animal Shelters are full of Chihuahuas because people think they’re adorable little dolls, but when those dolls pee in the house or nip someone’s fingers they get dumped. Because Novella is the long legged Chihuahua and not the tiny type of her breed, she was probably not wanted by whoever bred her.

Happily, she’s settled in and no longer thinks she’s a lap dog. She’s a typical puppy, who right now is trying to eat the swing. Gotta go. There’s a torn up seat cushion flying across my yard.