"Ollie" is a beautiful "Burgundy Cream" with an attitude to match! He loved going to shows and had recieved 4 back to back wins before his tragic accident. I can't stress enough the seriousness of not sleeping with your chihuahua.
Oliver had a great show career in progress before I made a decision to break my own rule and put him in bed with me on the eve of one of his "winning" days. I thought it was a treat. I thought I was doing something special. He went right to sleep and so did I. I didn't hear someone going down the hall at around midnight, but he did. He became so excited, (as he loves our whole household) that he started spinning around in circles. I tried to catch him but my hand missed and he hit the wall and floor at the same time.
He didn't move. He couldn't move.
We rushed him to our emergency vet 18 miles away and they did everything they could to treat his injury. We wouldn't know for weeks how bad the brain bleed had been. There would be healing to an extent and Oliver is alive today thanks to Dr. Fulmer at Dallas Animal Hospital here in Oregon. Unfortunately he did suffer life-altering damage that has made him weak on one side, with a head tilt and lots of quirks- the worst of which is a blind spot on his show side eye that makes him unable to see the judge coming until he is right there- too unnervng for this new, more fragile, Oliver.
Yes, he is still beautiful although these days he doesn't keep weight on- he forgets to eat and we have to create a special routine to help him. He is our dearest pet and I have left him intact for the time being, hoping to get something nice from a future breeding. You can be assured that this next one, the stars willing, will be kept on the floor as all of my dogs are now.
I have not repeated the breeding that produced him and his Champion sister, Keepsakes Burgundy Amulet of Quilceda (Trinket) owned by Pam and Tom Hayes of Quilceda/ Charisma chihuahuas. Their mom is our beloved "Mia" and dad is Goldvilles Keepsake Burgundy (Keeper) who has produced severa champions to date- but never another Oliver.
I did try to repeat the breeding once but it did not take. Maybe I am glad for that. Having progeny of Ollie would be one thing, but trying to recreate another Oliver- well, how could that be?
As for my little guy, his happiest moments are still when we take him ringside, and he thinks he is practicing to go in and beat whatever's out there- On those occaisions, when he is prancing up and down the hall, we are stopped over and over again as people admire him and ask why we don't have him in the ring. Oliver just keeps prancing, tail held high, head up (and slightly tilted) but regardless of that or the every so often, slightly faultering gait- Some champions earn their ribbons show by show and others- well they are just born a champion.
That is the story of Oliver- our beloved (almost) champion.
