In 2001 I was looking for a second Chihuahua, which was to be a
birthday gift from Pete and Stephen. I was working at a dog-training
school, and a few of the customers who signed up for classes told me
of a breeder in San Jose who “has nice dogs”. I called her and found
out she would have puppies available soon. After they were born, I
arranged to see the dogs, but I had to cancel the appointment. When I
called again to reschedule, I was told that all four puppies in the
litter had been sold. I was disappointed, but I figured we would find
another dog somewhere else. Then, a week or so later, the breeder
called to tell me that a woman who had bought one of the puppies
discovered she was pregnant, and decided it would be best not to get a
dog at that time. We immediately drove to San Jose and met the tiny,
one-pound puppy who would become Chato. He was truly meant to be ours.
Chato was most frequently described as a “character”: he was very
intelligent and had a happy, loving personality but he also possessed
a naughty, mischievous streak, as well as some eccentricities. He
invented a strange game where he pushed a golf ball around on the
floor with his cheek, and barked at it. It took him a while to trust
people, but once he did, he loved them wholeheartedly. He accepted new
dog and cat additions to the household quickly, and he was a devoted
friend. Oversized at nine pounds (he didn’t fit the two-to-six-pound
Chihuahua breed standard) and far from show quality, Chato was a big
dog in a small body; he liked to wrestle and play and guard the house,
often patrolling the back yard for hours. He was the most curious,
interactive dog I have ever known, and he was interested and involved
with whatever I was doing. From the day that we brought him home at
seven weeks of age he was a ‘working breed’: he accompanied me to my
various jobs until he died. He also went many other places—on walks,
to parties, the homes of friends and family, some out of town shows
that my band played, my family’s cabin in the mountains, even on a
road trip to Nevada and the studios where The Tantrums recorded. He
loved riding in cars, watching TV (looking out the front window of the
house), playing with his toys, going to the dog park, cuddling with
his people and the other dogs, and sitting in the sun on the back
porch. We were not aware of how serious his condition was because he
never lost his puppy energy— he was chasing a cat in the backyard and
playing fetch the weekend before he passed away. In true Chato style,
he went out with a bang. I hope he knew how much he was loved, and how
important he was to us. I am immensely grateful that we had such a
wonderful, amusing, interesting, adorable, loving, loyal and unique
friend for over ten years. He brought us all so much life and
happiness, I don’t know how I am supposed to go on without him. And I
didn’t know it was possible to be this sad.
Buanystudio, aquietlife~M, spins LPs, Thomas Hawk, and 6 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Herz Au Glas
View 20 more comments
The Real Devil Doll 7 months ago | reply
Lovely dog; she looks great for 14 years old.
Storeadventures 7 months ago | reply
bunchadogs & susan 6 months ago | reply
they live on in us.
what wonderful memories.
We who choose to
surround ourselves with lives
even more temporary than our own
live within a fragile circle
easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we still would live
no other way.
We cherish memory as
the only certain immortality,
never full understanding
the necessary plan.
******Irving Townsend, "The Once Again Prince"
--
we are honored to have your photo posted in our pool.
found admired and loved in the little dog laughed
--
( ?² )
The Real Devil Doll 6 months ago | reply
Thanks Susan.