Adopting Lulu: One year ago today

Today marks one year since I adopted Lulu. It feels like I've known her furever and yet it feels like just yesterday that she came home with a scraggly coat, skeletal little body, and a million rotten teeth. Understandably, she was frightened and sad and wasn't sure what kind of family she was being brought into. Luckily, for her (and for us) she fit right in and these days, you'd never guess she once suffered so much. She's a feisty 5lbs of pure delight. She loves chicken and egg more than she loves me and she loves teasing Djinn Djinn (who also loves teasing her).

What I wish my dogs could understand

In honor of National Pet day (April 11), I wanted to share some of the things I wish I could make my dogs understand. Sometimes I feel super mean for not giving them that extra treat or I feel guilty for not having time to walk them every single day. But when all is said and done, I just want to be the best pet owner I can be because they deserve that and much more.


Dear Djinn Djinn & Lulu,

Sometimes I wish I could make you understand...

That I would give you all the chicken and treats in the world if I knew it wouldn't hurt you in the long run. I'm not being mean, I'm just selfish and want you to be in my life for as long as possible.

I wish I could make you understand that car rides are fun and 99% of the time we're going to a fun place (only 1% of the time we are going to the Vet). Speaking of the Vet, I wish you could understand that they only want to make you feel better even if sometimes needles are involved. But a simple nail trim will not hurt you (ahem, Djinn Djinn) so please don't freak out.

I also wish I could make you understand that you don't need to bark at every little sound you hear outside- I appreciate you wanting to be the tough guard dogs that you are, but it's only the mail lady and she's harmless.

I wish you could understand that grass and dirt are very different than blankets and pillows and therefore, you mustn't pee on every blanket or pillow (ahem, Lulu)

Please understand that I keep trying to find the best food to feed you but there's literally a million brands to choose from and all I can do is hope that I'm feeding you the best.

I wish you'd understand that sometimes it's necessary to wear a sweater because you both are naked in the fur department and I don't want you to freeze.

If you could only understand that I don't mean to ignore you sometimes but as a human, I'm forced to have other responsibilities- it doesn't mean I love you any less. I often wish that for one day, you could be fluent in English and I fluent in dog just so that we can be completely honest with each other  about everything (although I'm pretty sure I already know what it means when you're sitting and waiting right by the refrigerator...no words are needed for that).

I'd love to make you understand how happy I was the day I adopted each of you- they are two of the happiest days in my life and I hope that everyone who wants a pet can experience an adoption day.

Above all, I wish that you could understand how much I love you. If there are still people in this world who think animals are "just animals", they have no clue and we don't need them in our lives. I wish I could make you understand, but somehow, I think you already do...

This is what happened when I adopted a second dog

It's hard to believe it's already been one month since I introduced Lulu to the world. When I adopted her, she was scrawny, her fur was disheveled and she just had this huge cushion of sadness surrounding her. It makes me sad to even think about it. Flash forward to the present and I can't even imagine life without her now...

Lulu's improved so much and honestly, it's all just due to love and a bit of food. In the month she's been here, I have made sure to give extra love and patience to her because I know she has had to endure so much change within her lifetime. I'm also so glad Djinn Djinn seems to be accepting her well. I think he knows that's she's here to stay so he's dealing with it. ;)

She's a normal weight now and her fur is growing in nicely. In fact, I just gave her a bath today, which she hates so we'll have to work on that. I had bathed her on the first day I adopted her because she had that kennel smell but it was definitely time for another bath today. 

I love her little personality- she's gentle and sweet but feisty. She's playful and curious and does great on walks. She actually motivates Djinn Djinn to walk, which is so nice because sometimes he's difficult on walks. I think the hardest thing about Lulu is just making sure to not step on her accidentally because she is so tiny. I'm very cautious about how fast I walk now and I don't make any abrupt movements. In this aspect, it's actually helped me to become more conscious of what I'm doing and to not hurry through everything. Lulu also follows Djinn Djinn around everywhere and wants to be just like him, the grumpy little old man that he is. She learns quickly, even the things that she shouldn't learn (like digging through the trash can or begging). I'm so glad she's a part of my life now. I have so much love to give her.

Have you ever owned more than one pet at the same time?

The newest family member

Her very first day at home- I can't imagine how stressful and scared a shelter dog's life is but I hope Lulu will feel nothing but safety and love in my household.

On Saturday morning, I woke up at the spur of the moment- a lot earlier than I normally would've anyway- and decided I just HAD to go and adopt this little chihuahua I had seen online at the local humane society. However, this definitely wasn't a spur of the moment decision. I had been wanting to do this ever since I first adopted Djinn Djinn 6 years ago (I have always felt guilty about the fact that I wasn't able to adopt his little sister and his mother who were also at the pound-- the POUND--animal shelter is too kind of a description, in my opinion).

The desire to adopt another pup was particularly strong lately. I feel like Djinn Djinn is calmer and more adaptable than he's ever been even though I was still pretty nervous about how he would react to a new little friend since he has never been around dogs much. It might sound ridiculous but the whole night before, I couldn't stop thinking- should I go and adopt the little chihuahua? Should I? After all, this would be the first time I'd ever have 2 pets at the same time. What'll it be like having 2 dogs? Should I? Should I? I literally had dreams of it throughout the night and when I woke up that morning, I knew I had to go and be first in line to adopt this little girl.

Her second day at home- she's started being a bit more playful. I can't believe how adaptable dogs are.

Weighing in at a little over 4lbs, I have decided to call her Lulu after one of my favorite childhood cartoons, Little Lulu. I also wanted her to have a short 2 syllable name like Djinn Djinn's but somehow, thinking up female dog names is a lot harder than male names, at least for me it was! When I saw Lulu's listing online (formerly, her name was 'Si'), she sounded like everything I was looking for in a second dog: tiny, calm, friendly, and gets along with other dogs & what a coincidence that she's about 6 years old (same age as Djinn Djinn!).

So... why did I decide to adopt a chihuahua? For many reasons. I know lot of people tend to think most chihuahuas are hyper and annoyingly aggressive but I could never rule out an entire breed simply because of such stereotypes. I wanted a dog that fits with my lifestyle- with Djinn Djinn being on the medium size (20lbs) I wanted a second dog who wouldn't overwhelm him and one that would be very easy to travel with or basically just easy enough to carry around everywhere. Also, I've heard that chihuahuas are hugely overpopulated here in California so if I could have a hand in helping to make one less Chihuahua homeless then I feel that much better. They are wonderful little creatures.

Lulu already seems to be adjusting well to her new home- she sleeps a lot and she needs to gain maybe half a pound. She has some dental issues and that makes me sad when I think of how neglected she must've been. Her fur is a bit scraggly right now but I think she'll grow a healthy coat in no time. I feel like she was meant to be in this household- she is just perfect and I love her so much already, it feels like she's been with us forever. I hope Djinn Djinn will warm up to her eventually. So far he's keeping his distance like a sulky little child.

I don't mean to sound like a crazy dog lady (too late, right?) but, life is just so much better with a dog(s).

The best little buddy

The other day I started realizing that something just wasn't right with Djinn Djinn. I took him to the Vet and it turns out he has some sort of infection. We're still in the process of having him thoroughly examined especially hoping that it won't turn out to be kidney stones or anything worse. The day I took him in, it was quite traumatic for him and at one point I even heard him yelp out in pain in the back room where the Vet was working on him. It made me feel horrible. But it would've made me feel even more horrible if I hadn't taken him to get checked out at all. Later that day, after the Vet visit, I came home and felt so scared and worried. I couldn't stop crying because I just wasn't sure (and am still not entirely sure) what is the exact problem. I won't know for sure until he gets his X-ray next week. I feel like everything is going to be okay because he is definitely showing signs of recovery. But I just can't imagine- well, I don't even want to think about it -but I can't imagine life without Djinn Djinn. He is the best little furry friend in the world. I can't even describe in comprehensible words how glad I am that he is in my life (I'm sure most of you with 4 legged pals know exactly what I mean). I know one day he won't be with me anymore (far far far away in the future) but he's still so young (he's only 5) and I am trying so hard to have him lead the healthiest life possible (minus a sneaky little chicken flavored treat here and there). Literally every chance I get I take time to love him even if it's just a quick little belly rub (even when he's been a sneaky little brat). I'll never be able to give enough love to my best little buddy.

Djinn Djinn, the model

Took Djinn Djinn on a little walk today to do an impromptu photo shoot because I have plans to enter his head shot in AAA's magazine photo contest. I haven't decided on a photo to enter yet but I've gotta say, the little guy is being a good sport about all this. He must've heard that the winning prize consists of dog treats.

DIY: a dog house for Djinn Djinn

I first saw THIS beautiful little Nantucket colonial-inspired dog house a few months ago floating around the web but had immediate sticker shock when I saw the price. I started brainstorming and with a little help from Pinterest, I became inspired to try to make a similar dog house with my own two hands. My dad also enjoys projects like this so I enlisted his help and in a matter of two days, we had completed the perfect little home for my rat terrier chihuahua Djinn Djinn. Below, is a picture of the dog house I loved so much but not enough to spend over $300 on!

I knew right away I didn't want a house made of wood because Djinn Djinn is an indoor dog and wood is just not really practical for inside (too heavy to move, might damage floors, etc...). I came across an empty cardboard toilet box (who knew a toilet box would be the ideal size for a dog house!?) and set to work creating a "masterpiece". I literally just used materials I had around the house and didn't need to buy a thing. Bonus: using the empty toilet box proved to be ideal because it has little built in handles which makes it super easy to move the dog house around when needed.

What I used:

Cardboard boxes of different sizes

Glue gun

Acrylic paint/Interior wall paint

Shelf liner paper with back adhesive (for the interior wallpaper)

Scraps of white cardboard (for window trimming)

If you're thinking of making a house for your pet, I'd encourage you to be creative and just make whatever shape of house you think your dog might like best (usually dogs like to be able to stand/or stretch out lying down so make sure it's nice and roomy and appropriate for the size of your dog). I originally intended to make one similar to the colonial dog house but it turned out more like one of those pretty little houses by the water in Amsterdam.

I measured everything as well as I could though not perfectly. I get a bit impatient trying to measure- it seems like the ruler always moves! I knew that Djinn Djinn wouldn't mind if a few of his windows were a little off. ;)

I definitely felt more rewarded after I completed this little project. Not only did I save a ton of money, I also got to customize it just the way I thought Djinn Djinn would be most comfortable. It was also super fun to make. I have plans to add a little chimney, as well.

Have you ever made a house for your pet?

Happy Birthday Djinn Djinn

This face. This little guy. This little 4-legged creature. I call him Djinn Djinn ("Jinn Jinn"). He also has many silly nicknames- I often lovingly refer to him as "Feet Ears" because like the name suggests, his ears tend to smell like feet (his feet, by the way, smell like corn chips). He has turned me into a crazy dog lady (I was terrified of dogs when I was younger) and today is his 5th birthday (approximate- we don't know the exact date). It feels like yesterday since I first adopted him but at the same time, I can't even imagine I ever lived life without him.

The photo above was taken the day we adopted him. He was 8 weeks old and slept and slept and slept. Whenever he was awake, he would always find a way to get into trouble. Not much has changed since then...

Djinn Djinn's first bath! He smelled like a little puppy (you know the smell?) straight from the Animal shelter so we decided to bathe him. He only weighed about 2lbs- we were sure he was going to grow up to be a chihuahua (even the Vet thought so)! I had plans to put him into a basket on my bike and ride around with him so he could happily enjoy the fresh air. He had other plans, though. Now, weighing in at 19lbs, it turns out he's a little too big to put into a bike basket. Plus, he's a grumpy old man who doesn't enjoy things that "normal" dogs do (i.e. walks, other dogs, dog kibble without fresh meat in it).

Obviously as a crazy dog lady, this post could easily turn into the length of War & Peace. But, I know, I know...ain't nobody got time for that. So to sum it up, I put together a few of my favorite photos of him in this collage. You can get a good feel for his personality in every one of these photos. 

Basically, I just wanted to tell the world how much I love my little buddy. I hope he has a great 5th birthday...but who am I kidding? EVERY DAY is his birthday...

P.S. STILL trying to figure out the HTML stuff so that I can change the ugly colors of the comment section on this blog. Thanks for being patient with me!

Girl and dog

I love my dog. And he loves me (mainly when I have meat in my hand but that's beside the point). I adopted him as a puppy from the local animal shelter 3 years ago, and my life has improved so much because of him. He is a rat terrier mix and his name is Djinn Djinn (pronounced Jinn Jinn), named after the little dog on I Dream of Jeannie. He is my little companion and although he acts more like a cat than a dog, he is the greatest. 

 

Sweater: Forever 21/Shorts: Kohl's/Tights: Marshalls/Shoes: Gap/Bag: Vintage

Before I got Djinn Djinn, I actually was afraid of dogs...but not anymore. He's helped me to realize how loving, gentle, and fun they can be. Because of him, I've become aware of the alarming number of homeless pets in this country and whenever I can, I try to help or inform others of how big this problem is. If we could all save just one animal, it would make a huge difference. And we don't have to save them by adopting them. We can volunteer our time at animal shelters, donate money, or, here's an option I absolutely love: Forever 21 currently has tops for sale and $1 of the purchase price is given to the ASPCA. You can find the tops here. So not only can you look stylish, but you're helping to make a difference in the life of a creature who has nothing but unconditional love to give. What's better than that? What do you think of dogs? Would you wear one of these tops?