Well, we have had Chenille for over a week and she is doing so well! She’s adorable and we love her! She is still itty-bitty! Her knowledge is extraordinary! We have learned that it is a shih-tzu thing, even though they all have different yet fun personalities.

Katy’s Discovery:
Well, we had had her for a week and Katy, my totally awesome neighbor, had not yet seen her. That’s strange because Katy usually knows everything, but she has been so busy and without time lately. Remember how Jocelyn guessed "dog" before we saw Chenille? Well...
I called Katy to ask her to meet me outside. She always gets outside before I do and she waits at the garage door. I stepped in the garage with Chenille in my arms. I opened the garage door slightly, only about 8 inches off the ground. The light peeked through and Katy’s black crocs stared at me from under the door. “I have a new friend!” I said. “What is it, a dog?” Katy asked, almost sarcastic. I put Chenille under the door and let her walk out. Katy shrieked in fear and then in excitement. I saw Chenille lift off the ground as I heard Katy’s “Awww!”. I opened the door the rest of the way. Katy was hugging her with the widest mouth I’ve ever seen and huge eyes screaming excitement. She thought she was so cute! We played with her for about half an hour just talking and loving the dog. She later told me that at first she thought it was a rat! That’s what I thought too! After about a second she realized it was a black and white shih-tzu that can fit into a size 4 shoe.

The Other Dogs Reactions:
When we first got her, Birkleigh was scared of her, avoiding her as if he were a week squirrel fearing the creatures of it’s habitat hidden in a backyard. As the days went by, he smelled her more and touched noses with her in her time of loneliness. Just like Birkleigh, she could find entertainment anywhere so that her solitary was scarce but occasional. Now, they wrestle and chase like the best of friends.
Ryleigh, since the first day, has taken on a motherly role, highly unusual. Our little fainting goat who cowers at his shadow was the little dog’s shield and guide. Ryleigh, being a standard size rat terrier, is not used to smaller things or female things for that matter. He would not let her wander too far and always inspected her and watched over her.
Toby has talked to her (in the doggy talk way) but mainly ignored her. He protects her but from afar. A big strong man like Toby shouldn’t show his sensitive side, unless being given a belly-rub by Sissy (that’s me!).

What She Knows
She is a brilliant dog! The second day of her being here she already knew where her bed was! If she got tired, she knew exactly where to go! That’s not very common in dogs. Birkleigh was like that too, but we didn’t see his early signs of brilliance because we did not get him until he was 12 weeks old. Chenille knows where her food and water bowl is and she understands the purpose of grass and why certain reasons for it’s existence replace the carpet. She seldom has accidents. We keep her mainly on the tile, of course. She’s getting along well and really loves her home. I’ll keep you updated.