I am proud to finally be able to formally introduce the newest addition to our family, Prince!  We've had this loveable little fluff ball for 6 days and it's been killing me to keep it a secret for this long.

As many of you know, the recent loss of Faith was a particularly hard blow to all of us, including Isabella since she loved playing with and chasing Faith.  Our home was far too quiet without a little Chihuahua running around and we were feeling the effects of it with Isabella too since she no longer had a little playmate. So we decided to look around and see if another good fit for our home presented itself, we were really hoping to adopt another Chihuahua.  Our first and foremost criteria for a new addition was that it had to be good with young children and not too young because with a toddler and being pregnant, I just don't have the time to deal with a young puppy that needs to be house trained and all the craziness that comes with a very young puppy. We looked into shelters and rescues first and foremost but none of the shelters have something compatible with our long list of  requirements and not a single rescue would even consider us because of our young child (soon to be children).  Believe me, I really really tried to convince rescues that we were a good home even though we have a young child but they just aren't willing to bend their rules or make an exception on a case by case basis. (I can see why so many people would turn to BYB's in exasperation!)  So our special circumstances (i.e. having a young child) required us to look into reputable breeder rehomes or older available puppies from reputable breeders. 

Along comes Prince, a beautiful 9 month old, 5 lb, long coat Chihuahua puppy.  He is a breeder rehome as the breeder had very high hopes for a successful show career with him.  However his show career ended before it even began due to an off center bite making him better suited for a pet home. He has an amazing head piece, excellent body, beautiful top line and great movement. Prince has also received beginning training in agility and can already hold his own on a course. He has an excellent temperament, is outgoing, very energetic, playful, and most importantly is good with children since we have a rowdy toddler and another baby on the way.  Pictures really don’t do this boy justice, he looks so much more amazing in person.  His coat is so soft and shiny like I’ve never felt on a Chihuahua before which makes it difficult not to pet and cuddle with him constantly.  Prince also does absolutely amazing with our 15 month old daughter.  Prince and our daughter hit it off almost instantly and are best buddies already.  She loves him and plays with and chases him all over the house, and likewise Prince loves to play with and chase her too...they're like two peas in a pod.  Seeing how good he is and how well he gets along with Isabella only further confirms that we made the right decision in getting Prince, we could not have asked for a better fit for our family. 

Crate training and house training are a work in progress, oh the joys!  We are also working on the puppy play bites and mouthing as well as curbing his desire to chew on pretty much everything.  He seems to be a quick study and is responding well to simple verbal corrections.  He's had no obedience training so we get to start from scratch with that....insert a very sarcastic "Yay!" here.  He's very motivated though so I am sure training will be a piece of cake.  He's got soooo much energy and is go go go constantly, he really is a perfect match for our daughter!


Anyway, thanks for listening to me gab about our new little boy and I hope you enjoy the pictures.  We couldn't be happier with our decision to bring him into our home.

Prince's sire, Grand Champion BISS Will-CM Ready 4 Prime Time, aka Primer


Prince's dam, Champion Vallarta's Cuddle Wit Me Zoey, aka Zoey



Prince at approx. 3 months old




Prince at 4 months old


5 months


6 months


And here he is in now in his new home with us at 9 months old:






With our daughter

Oh my goodness Prince is SO adorable !! I am so sorry to hear about you're loss, I had no idea. 

I'm so glad Prince is fitting in so well with you're family and that him and Isabella are such great friends.

Aw he's beautiful! Congratulations! How are Prince and Dakota getting along?

Congrats Val!
He looks quite charming

Congrats!

Congrats... Looks like Isabella may have a prince charming of her own.

Thanks guys! I have been around many Chihuahuas for years and it's amazing the difference in a properly socialized dog with good breeding versus those from BYB. Prince is like no other Chihuahua I've ever met and I am positive it is due to where he comes from. Being such a temperamental breed,  I think with these guys good breeding is paramount to a well adjusted dog, not those stereotypical Chihuahua types that most people hate. After this experience and seeing first hand what a difference it makes in a breed like this I have a feeling that any Chihuahuas we ever might get in the future will have to come from a reputable breeder. I have never been a big fan of Chihuahuas, they are Hubby's breed of choice, but Prince might actually change my mind about the breed. Prince is supposed to be my husbands dog but I can totally see myself claiming him. 

Jill, him and Dakota are getting along quite well. Prince has lived all his life with large dogs so we knew before getting him that he was good with other dogs, big and small. Yesterday was actually the first day since bringing Prince home that he actually instigated play with Dakota. They're certainly not best buds or anything but they're getting along well.

Linda, he was technically named Prince Caspien but I actually wanted to change it to Prince Charming because I think Isabella will probably enjoy that more when she's a little older. Great minds think alike!

He's such an active little guy at only 5 lb, 4 oz and eats so little it scares me. Faith was 6 lbs and ate so much more than this little fella. He barely eats 1/4 cup of food per day and even that I have to hand feed to him or he won't eat it. (He'll eat treats and the food Isabella drops/throws on the floor just fine so I know it's not that he doesn't want to eat, he's being selective.)  I'm taking him in to see my vet tomorrow just to have him checked out and we'll get an updated weight on him then. He's so lean I don't want him to lose any weight, but that is typical of Chi puppies. He's curled up in my lap right now, definitely a lap dog...Faith hated being in peoples' laps.

Congratulations Val! He is too adorable! I'm so glad he's getting along with your family.

I thought you had slipped something in a nutritional thread about a puppy. Glad to see I had assumed right.

Congratulations, Val!  I'm so glad to see you were able to find another Chi who fit so well with your family, and he is absolutely gorgeous!  I can't wait to see more pictures of he and Isabella interacting, that one picture is just adorable

Yay!  So glad this is out in the open!  I've been in love with him since the first picture you sent!  He's such a handsome fella!

Everything for a reason, and this little Prince just stole your hearts at the right time

Thanks!

Meredith, I keep trying to catch pics of him and Isa playing but they move so much all I'll end up with is blurry pictures. I may have to settle on video instead. They really do make quite a pair. It really feels like I've got 2 toddlers in the house now though. Even an older puppy is still a puppy as I've quickly discovered, I remember very well now why I preferred adult adoptions but with kids that becomes so much harder. Prince is worth the effort though.

You are so right Tori, he came to us just when we needed him. It was so close to when we lost Faith but he gave us the distraction we needed to get through it and gave Isa the playmate she was lacking since Faith left prematurely. There is no doubt in my mind that this was all meant to be.

I am so happy for you Val. Hopefully everything will get even better with time. It is great to hear that Isabella is getting along so well with him. You never know Dakota and him might come around with time but it is good at they do well together even if they are not friends.

Congratulations! Prince is such a handsome puppy, I know he has a well-loved him with you guys and I'm sure your daughter adores every moment spent with him.

awww congratulations!!! Prince is such a beautiful dog!!!

He's very pretty, Val!  I'm glad he fits well in your family - the last thing you need is to work with everyone to make sure they get along.  I just want to pick him up and snuggle him!

omg hes so cute!!! chihuahua eyes crack me up they always look surprised :Pso glad hes helping you guys heal from faith

I was a bit SHOCKED to see this post by you Val! did not know you would jump in so fast with a new member of the family but it sure sounds like it was perfect timing! im no fan of Chi's but damn Prince is quite charming Congrats on the newest addition and it looks like you have some time to work on his training before #2 comes along. cant wait to see how dakota and him bond.

You know Jenn, we hadn't planned to get another so soon. But between needing a distraction from Faith, Isabella no longer having a playmate any home (this helps me tremendously by the way so she's not bugging me constantly), and considering we have 5 months to work on training before #2 arrives we decided it was worth looking at whatever was out there. If we found nothing that fit we wouldn't have taken the plunge but fate sent Prince our way. It was really interesting that the breeder already had a home lined up for him deposit put down on him and all. It fell through for financial reasons so she put him up as available literally right before I contacted her. I truly believe it was meant to be.

Congrats!! Im happy for you guys!!! Love his name!! He looks amazing!! Im glad he is fitting in well! I wonder how long or if ever dakota and prince get caught cuddling together lol!

Val, i Love meant to be stories :)happy it worked for you all!

Eric, I've already got a picture of Prince and Dakota sharing a dog bed from Saturday.

And believe it or not but they actually lightly wrestled together this evening! 

I've never pet a long haired chihuahua I just wanna pet his long hair it looks so soft!

Wow he's really cute! 

I'm glad you found a new member for your family and that Dakota and him are getting along. He looks really sweet!

Congratulations, he is so adorable!!! BTW your daughter is precious and the shot of them together is priceless!!!!

Congratulations, Val!  So happy things worked out as they were meant to for you guys.