Well April is come and nearly gone and we are all enjoying this spring very much.

The puppies from our newest litter are now big enough for a walk on their leash. They also have begun to expand their territory so when outside, please keep an eye on them, they will be off in a minute farther away then you ever expected them to be able to go.

Flee and tic season is here, so,please put your dog on your favorite pest guard. We have a large variety of puppies to go. All ages are available from a few weeks to 2 years old. All of them are beautiful so be sure to get the one that is right for you.

Signing off for now,
Wishing you all Happy Trails,
Steve and Lindy Nearman

Hello Again this fine March Morning!

Once more we have a new litter we are raising. They are five weeks old today! We have four females and three males for sale. Two other males are 15 weeks old from Blizzards last litter and one male is 4 1/2 weeks old from Sam's present litter. This is the first time we have had such uniform colors in our litter. Sam has given us one little tricolor female we are planning on keeping. She also delivered us one white male and one white female. This time the whites are pure white (with just a hint of buff in some little patch) and it is so pretty. The first two born were females and these sisters are nearly twins also. They are both buff colored so much that the first ones kennel name is Buffy. The other Girl is presently called Blaze for the little white patch on her forehead.

We are enjoying the new warm weather this year. Hewie and Lewie are Blizzard's 15 week old boys and they are enjoying their new routine of sleeping in their own crate at night and going out first thing in the morning to toilet themselves. They have their share of accidents and need to be let out often. We put them in their own play yard during the daytime on the sunny days. It would be fine if both these brothers were sold together because they get along so well. However they can be purchased separately also.

Now is a good time to start your favorite tic and flee treatment. With the warmer weather the eggs will be hatching. As more time is spent outside also remember to treat for worms too. Also a good bath and nail clipping if you haven't already is in order.

We here at Happy Trails hope you all are enjoying our new Chihuahua Adoption and Want Ad pages. We have registered 54 Foster Care Volunteers and have rescued and placed three dogs in January and two dogs in February thanks to our new want ads and foster care network. We have much appreciated the positive feed back we hear from you.

Last of all we hope you have a good safe Spring together on your walks and out to the garden. Remember to take a treat with you so that you can reward any little positive behavior so the pups will not be in your garden tearing it apart later or misbehaving on your walk together.

Signing off for now,
Wishing you all Happy Trails,
Steve and Lindy Nearman

Hi!

We have been really moving along with our puppies in their first 12 weeks of life. Four puppies are sold and one is to be picked up on Saturday. This week we are getting them used to their leash training and though it will be awhile before they can go out of doors it should be quite useful to not have them tugging on the lead and biting at it.

Now is the time to teach them to sit and stay instead of just having them continue to react to exclamations of how cute they are. This third month their toilet training is coming into view and should for all practical purposes be carried strictly though until the ninth month in which you can consider them to be completely trained. It has been quite an effort and a big accomplishment and in a way we here at Happy Trails applaud you, for your love and commitment. We hope you all can sit back and relax now; feeling a great sense of accomplishment for the great efforts you all have performed. As you take back every word of "oh you, "you've done it again and I just can't stand it " You can really begin to realize all that floor cleaning is in the past now and not only that your litter box is staying cleaner now also as they begin to prefer going pee outside and receiving their treat for it.

Games are in order as the weather improves. Don't forget to teach your puppy to follow after you and also to fetch their favorite toy. They can also improve their muscle tone in their knees racing after you in your field or the near by park.

The nice thing about Chihuahua puppies is that you can always know it will be a little dog no matter the exact size of your puppy. Any dog between 2 and 12 pounds is a little bit of dog in this world and needs it's special care to not be pushed around and to be encouraged to eat the proper amount of his or her food to maintain good health through all seasons and lots of energy to play and live with you. Becoming a dog is not easy considering all the things that can happen along the way.

Well before I sign off I will remind you to take a peek at our new arrivals for just as we were finishing up Blizzards litter along came Sam's new litter and she and Blizzard are in competition for best Mother. Where Blizzard had all boys and one girl , Sam had all girls and one boy! The puppies and Dame are all well.

Well good luck,
Sincerely yours , Steve and Lindy Nearman
Wishing you all Happy Trails!

Dear Viewers,

This is a busy month for us at Happy Trails!

We are very much enjoying the care of this litter . It is very cold outside and they need a lot of supervision during play time. They are already on puppy chow ground and are just about graduated to whole kibble. This litter also is learning to use the litter box and will require a minimum amount of work to finish training. They should be easy to switch to out of doors using the" sprinkle litter under the bush( or toilet area of choice) system " when spring arrives.

The other day we spent the whole afternoon giving them their first shots and recording their health information. They all went to sleep after and we don't even see any difference in them, they are their usual playful self .

None of these puppies have been out of doors yet and you and your new puppy can experience the great out of doors together for the first time. What a marvelous experience.

If you purchase a puppy please keep it warm the rest of this winter; for they are use to their litter mates and a large fluffy pillow. A heating pad if available would be a good choice to fit under their bedding and please keep it turned on low heat only. Please make sure the cord is not accessible to chew on.

We now have photos and videos of this litter.

Signing off for now.

Sincerely yours,
Steven & Lindy Nearman

Dear Viewers,

Everyone will be busy for the holiday season and we here at Happy Trails do hope that you don't forget about your dog or puppy. Along with being a responsible loving owner and getting them a gift or stocking it would be wise to also remember to pay attention to them regularly as they can be put aside to often.

Our puppies are sleeping most of this month away . We are especially pleased with them that they all are of a fairly uniform size. Aggression towards the food bowl will be the only left factor for sizing. Because chihuahuas are finicky eaters you should let them eat at their chosen rate. They are all little ,but tiny ones will be the most pushed around at meal time. How early a chihuahua sets its eating habits is a remarkable wonder. Also they do not complain but do go on eating less and not caring most of the time if that is the way they have begun.

Our new mother "Blizzard" is a very protective mother. She is very good at "sounding the alarm" whenever anybody comes to the house. We had an emergency in which Blizzard went into seizures because of a calcium Titany and the vet had to put her on I.V. for awhile. We picked her up in 4 hours and she has been fine since. The vet at the animal hospital said that it was a common happening for lactating bitches to under go. The hardest part was supplementing the puppies for two days. Keeping mother quiet without her litter was difficult also. She was so happy to be returned to the whelping box. Well signing off for now and wishing you all Happy Trails as usual!

Sincerely yours,
Steve and Lindy Nearman

Here at Happy Trails we are preparing for a very busy winter.

With Blizzards puppies on the way there will be plenty to do. We already have her whelping box out and have given her the last bath she will have before she whelps (late this month).

Bell is the sire this time and we are really looking forward to his medium compact build combined with Blizzard/s light 5 -6 lb. weigh in our puppies. All her puppies should be champion stock.

The rest of our dogs are all full grown now and have really settled down to some quiet adult behavior.

Now is the time to make sure you have enough sweaters and coats for all your Chihuahuas before winter sets in if you live in a colder climate.

Sincerely yours,
Steve and Lindy
Wishing you Happy Trails!

Nov. 23 - Blizzard delivers her pups! Five boys and one girl. Mom and pups all doing well. View the three day old Chihuahua pups.

Tip or the Month!

Halloween will be here soon and all of you will do great if you remember to feed your dogs their regular diet instead of feeding them chocolates; also remember to include a treat for Rover when the children trick or treat. A few of your favorite kibble or a milk bone or rawhide will certainly rescue Rover from to many candies!

Tip of the Month

If you have obtained a new puppy that your school age children have been companions to all summer, bear in mind that you will be the sole companion and caregiver while your children are at school. It is important to keep working with your young dog or puppy for the same time period or arrange new play activities. The reason for this is so Rover's socialization will continue without interruption. A dog left penned up or isolated for long periods of time without companionship most often will develop behavioral problems such as excessive barking, excited urination upon owners return, hyper activity like jumping up on people and even biting because of excitement or fear. It is much easier to train and socialize pups and young dogs then to correct behavioral problems that will arise later.

Tip of the Month

August is usually the hottest month of the year and dealing with the heat can be a challenge for you and Rover.

It is better to not heavily exercise your dog in excessive heat.; just take him straight to the toilet area and then back to his shaded area. If your dog always stays outside please have a pool available for a quick swim if he so chooses. He probably will go lay down and sleep comfortably till he is dry.

Remember all the car tips you have heard . If you should have to leave Rover in the car please be prompt, have a travel bowl of water and leave the windows on each side of the car open several inches in order to provide a little cross ventilation! Always park in the shade if possible. Better yet take the dog in with you or leave him at home. Places like Petsmart are a great retreat from the heat on a hot day; however Walmart as well as most stores will make you do an about face if you you try to enter with your dog.

A dog that is panting heavily with a dripping tongue is an indication that your dog may be over heated. The tongue acts as the dogs built in air conditioning system evaporating the moisture on the tongue by panting. Evaporation is a cooling process which cools the blood flowing in the tongue then through the body. Make sure your dog has an ample supply of drinking water to replenish his salivary flow. On days where there is a heat alert it is best to bring your pet indoors to enjoy the air conditioning with you.

Tip of the month

Fireworks are the big attraction this month. Puppies like to chew almost anything. All fireworks have harmful chemicals in them (sulphur, nitrates and different metals to add color)so to keep him from harming himself keep your holiday stash off the ground and safely on the shelf. Please make sure where you leave your hot trash so Rover does not burn his soft pads or mouth! Also make sure that your dog is a safe distance away from active fire crackers and rockets. See you all next month.

Hello!

It's June already! We are enjoying our warm spring weather with the remainder of our puppies. We still have Bandit and Blizzard with us and they are really growing.

Bandit is one of the most perfect male Chihuahuas you will ever want to see or can possibly find. Although he is little he is quite deep chested instead of tubular allowing him to still stand for stud! He comes when he is called every time and is litter box trained. He also will use the out of doors; but do not leave him thinking he can go out of doors when he can not get to the litter. This is an easy mistake and can be prevented.

Blizzard is still up for sale also though we hope to have one breeding from her at least. She is perfect standard size and with gold splash is so pretty; her little bit longer legs give her a good carriage and she is very inquisitive.

Now a word on those puppy ears. The situation is you sold them all by eight weeks and didn't get quite as much as you wanted because you thought the puppy's ears weren't going to be erect. Little did you know how perfect those little ears are at 11-14 weeks of age. We have proof positive that a good diet and gentle handling with nothing harder than litter mate play is enough for the ears to stand on your smooth coat chihuahuas . We also have found that just a little encouragement at treat time such as "There's Blizzard, Good Girl ! " when she has her ears up reaching for her snack is very beneficial.

Anyway we had better sign off for now and remember that we have lowered our prices some but the current prices on these two puppies will remain firm! With the exception of show and win increase. Title takes time to make so don't hesitate to purchase one of our new show ring blood lines unless you really just enjoy showing him yourself.

Sincerely yours,
Steve and Lindy wishing
you all Happy Trails!

Hello Everybody!

We are really enjoying the warm weather this spring. Our puppies are enjoying their daily romps and are becoming house trained. However we hope this will not delay your purchase because we and they are becoming attached. We feel it is better to start your relationship with your doggy during his first year of life and really the sooner the better.

Make sure you start you flea and tick treatment and also heartworm program if you have let your dogs system rest this past winter. Remember that heartworms are a type of round worm and can be ridded with regular nemex or pyrantel pamoate as usual. This with a good diet of your favorite kibble and some chew snacks with plenty of fresh water should keep your dog healthy even through the summer heat .

We here at Happy Trail are planting a garden and the puppies just love running and digging in the garden with us. Of coarse we have to clean them up a little more often but it is well worth spending the time together out of doors if you want them to be more settled inside and of coarse they get a good dose of praise for going "pee outside". They also enjoy walking right by our feet and staying together. This type of training is very important . We hope you all enjoy our beginning training with your puppy and have a good spring together!

Sincerely yours,
Steve and Lindy Nearman,
Wishing you Happy Trails!

Hi! Happy April to you.

We are excited about our puppies being weaned this month and ready to go to their new homes. This coming Wednesday they will be eight weeks old and they are as cute as a button!

Now that it is April your puppy can spend a little time outside with you and we hope you both enjoy it. However do not leave puppy out alone to long as April can be very wet still and puppy might get damp even when it is not raining out. In fact a deck area is a good place for puppy to play instead of the grass at all.

We have enjoyed taking pictures of our puppies this month and hope you will like all the new ones.

We hope you will take your puppy on hikes geared to his age this spring and summer and picnics are fun for puppy also if you bring along the cottage cheese and a toy to fetch. Remember to give the puppy adequate flea and tic protection when you are out of doors. Some of the herbal remedies are best at this young age or just a good flea and tic mist, right as you get out of the car.

Sincerely yours,
Steve and Lindy Nearman,
Wishing you Happy Trails!

Hello again! March has found us here at Happy Trail Chihuahuas happy as ever with Sam and Bell's growing litter . We really appreciate the good mother that Sam is proving to be! She always cleans her puppies thoroughly and is full of milk. Today is March 12, 2010 and we are proud to announce that our puppies all have been using the litter box regularly and are awake today most of the day. The puppies are sitting up and playing a lot with each other . My how they have grown.

Now would be a good time to contact us and leave a down payment on your new puppy! Even our pick of the litter is for sale this time. Puppies should be very timely for Easter this year!

We are looking forward to the milder weather this month and the rest of the time with our puppies so that we can take them for a hike in the park. This is one of our favorite activities with our dogs. They look forward to it as much as we do. Well I'll be signing off for now.

Sincerely yours,
Steven and Lindy Nearman
Wishing you Happy Trails!

Hi all Chihuahua lovers!

We have been enduring a long hard winter and our chihuahuas learned all their snow survival skills . Lindy had fun knitting dog sweaters and Steve kept busy shoveling walkways and paths for Sam and Bell to toilet themselves out of doors! *Both of them enjoyed going under the eves on the house. There is a little space between the house and the front hedge there and we hope you remember this for the future . It comes in very provisional for the dogs to relieve themselves during severe weather conditions.

We also found they were quite companionable during shoveling and sweeping the front stoop off ; so much so that you really have to watch that they don't burn their feet on the salt you use for melting the snow and ice. It can burn their little paws. If this happens ; please lead them to the nearest snowy area to wipe their paws on and/or put them in the house till you are finished and don't forget to shovel a little area just for them; even if it remains a little icy.

The new litter was born on February 10 and we enjoyed a good morning with Sam showing her first signs of labor at 10:30. She was so calm all we noticed was a little panting and by 11:10 she threw the most beautiful pure white puppy we had ever seen! Then one after the other 11:34 , then 11:56, 12:30, and lastly 12:41, she delivered our long waited litter just that fast. The pups did slip right out and even though puppy 2 and 3 were breech births they came as easy as the others. We did try not to help too much and we found we only had to help with one sack removal and one cord cutting as "Sam" learned what to do . All at once we realized that her long body we had tried so hard to keep trim was a real asset in whelping just as Lindy had proposed to Steven it would be when the time came. Sam confidently then picked up and did the rest of the work herself and finished with still a good amount of energy which Lindy credits all to Steven for feeding her Iams canned food along with her Harmony ration starting two weeks before delivery. They have a higher protein content in their feed and it is easily found at any grocer or department store that has a pet section. Also she took a snack in between each whelp. we gave her "Pupperonie" bit by bit and it really did boost her energy for birthing! If this has seemed unheard of to you, you might try it the next time as it has worked and is recommended by us when your Dog is under stress at any time.

Well the puppies slept and grew for the next two weeks and on day 11 the Black pup we call Sheba was first to open her eyes and also Bandit had his open. I noticed that you will know their eyes are going to open within the next 24 hours when you see a tear glisten along the line the closed eye forms. This is when the eye first begins to tear. How good it is to share your puppies first tears and know their eye is healthy and that they can see well. Enjoy them as they become more active as they begin to take in their surroundings with their new sight sense. Their little ears followed opening within the next 3-7 days and life began moving at a faster pace as their hearing matured. We believe that even though the puppies ears have just opened their hearing has been improving ever since birth threw bone conduction; and then becomes more keen as their little ears open.

Well the snow is finally melting and we are beginning to smell Spring in the air! We hope that you will visit our website again next month and enjoy our March news.

So long for now,
Steve and Lindy Nearman
Wishing you Happy Trails!

Greetings to you!

We would like to let you in on the news of our Kennel. Happy Trails has their oldest Dam Samantha, expecting a litter in February . She actually conceived in December and we are really looking forward to her litter.

They are predicting a lot of snow this winter and perhaps it will be better for everyone. That way Sam can feel at home since she has to stay inside more and take it easy as everyone else will be inside also.

I guess I will take a minute to let you know Steve will be making a covered whelping box for her. Which will be of half inch flake board with a 1 inch foam rubber cushion and tapestry covering. The actual birthing will taking place in a temporary cardboard box with newspaper and old sheets. About four hours after the last pup is born we move the puppies and mom to their new box to grow in. Anyway all is in readiness!

January is a little early to be buying a new Chihuahua puppy as so much of the winter still lies a head. We really do recommend waiting till at least March if you live in a colder climate or colder region of the country before bring one home, unless you plan to keep the Chi as an indoor pet and train him to use a litter box.

Signing off for now.

Sincerely yours,
Steven & Lindy Nearman