Meet the Kids – Lola

The story of Lola starts at a dark place.  My husband and I were reeling over the loss of our beloved Mufi, our 1-year-old pug puppy.  Parvo had taken her from us (please get your doggies vaccinated) 6 months before.  The vet gave us the okay to get another dog, but we were still very raw.

Nefi, on the other hand, was getting REALLY irritated with us.  All the hugging, love, kisses… she just wasn’t used to it.  See, she’s not a snuggler.  Nefi’s more of a companion.  She wants to be near you, but she wants to dictate the amount of affection she gives and receives.  We needed major snuggles and she wasn’t very interested in giving them to us all the time.

We decided to look for a dog to adopt, but were unsure of the breed we were looking for.  We weren’t sure we could have another pug right away.  We had the funny idea to get Nefi some tiny companions that we would call her “bodyguards” and began looking at Chihuahuas.  My husband and I went back and forth about what to do, what breed to get and when to get it.

Our First Official Picture Together

Then one day we walked into a pet store looking for Nefi’s food.  We were in the wrong store, but at the very front was a Chihuahua rescue.  They were adorable.  All were friendly and jumping around.  As I talked to the rescue’s owner, I noticed the sling around her neck moving.  I asked, “Is there a dog in there?”  She said, “Yes.  Would you like to see her?”  I was interested and out came The Lovely Lola.  I fell in love almost immediately.  She handed her to me wrapped in her blanket (which we still have) and she sighed and shivered while I scratched her little tiny head.

I began to cry and told my husband that we had found our new family member.  

I still get teary-eyed thinking about that moment.   I looked at my husband and asked if we could take her home.  He didn't even hesitate.  When we talk about that day now, he tells me that he knew there was no way he could have said no to me.

You know I'm the cutest thing you've ever seen.

Lola had a rough start in life.  She was rescued from a hoarder.  They have no idea if she was born there, if she had ever been housebroken, if she had any human interaction at all.  She was severely underweight and a little skittish.  Even with all of that, she had very few accidents in the house and warmed up to Nefi quickly.

One day, she was sitting next to me and her little belly was exposed.  Her nipples were swollen and her tummy was hard as a rock.  I looked at my husband and asked, “Do you think she’s pregnant?”  He laughed and said, “No, they wouldn’t adopt a Chihuahua out that was pregnant.”  I took her to the vet to have her checkup, shots and to be spayed.  Unfortunately, she was “with puppy” and the vet had to take them when he performed her spay.

We got back almost a totally different dog.

You think I'm cute, but I'm a stone cold killer.
Just look at the sweater.

Now she was full of energy and feeling comfortable with us.  She began guarding the house and playing with Nefi.  She became a toy hog – pulling out every single toy from the pile and playing with whatever one you were trying to put back.  Frankly, she is adorable.  She NEVER leaves my side and is my protector.  I compare her bark to the sonic boom when people she doesn’t know come near me.

That’s not to say that we haven’t had issues.  Lola bites and you wouldn’t think it would be a big deal since she’s so tiny, but she’s broken and bruised skin.  We’ve been working with her, but it’s been slow.  Also, she barks at everything.  This is common with Chihuahuas, but since she’s so protective of me, it can be constant.  She once barked at a squirrel that was outside in the front trees.

Don't judge.  This was completely intentional.
You only wish you could be this comfortable.

She’s a door dasher and we have had to Chihuahua-proof our fences and doors.  There’s been more than one occasion where I heard, “There’s no way she can’t fit through that spot” from my husband and the next thing we know she’s squirted out the other side of the fence and heading down the street/alley.

Finally, we have trouble getting her attention.  When she locks in on something, it’s like she becomes a zombie.  No, not even a zombie because you can attract a zombie’s attention just by revealing you have some sweet, sweet brains for them to munch on.

Still, she is my little princess.  With as many issues as we’ve had, she’s usually a little puppy angel.  When she sleeps, she lets out these little sighs and coos that a human baby would make.  She loves my husband and me desperately and is a snuggle queen… Nefi has to work for attention now.

Lola and I are a lot alike.  We both are damaged by our pasts.  Sometimes we lash out and we're not sure why.  In the end, we just want people to love us and we love deeply in return.

There are days we laugh and say Lola will probably be our one-and-only Chihuahua, but I wouldn’t give her back for anything.  She has truly made my life better in so many ways, I could never repay her.  I guess her treats will have to be enough.