Chihuahuas have very delecate tracheias. Knowing this, I knew right away that Poppy would have to have a body harness instead of a collar. Little did I know, this would be a real scavenger hunt for me.
My first attempt at a body harness was a trip to Walmart for a small $5 option. Unfortunately, the harness was too small for Poppy. I exchanged it for a medium size, which was too heavy for Poppy to tote on his body. As I've mentioned before, the size jump from small to medium is a ridiculous leap in size. Ah, the search continued.
While searching for a proper harness, Poppy was using a loop-over choker-type leash. This was convenient for quick potty trips because it simply slipped over his head and didn't require a lot of time in the groggy mornings, when Poppy really has to go. He'll lick us to death when he has to go and barks if licking doesn't wake us. A barking fit means LET'S GO NOW!! in Poppy-talk. I bought Poppy a very stylish leash when I intended to switch out small for medium. It says, "Bad to the bone" and will be useful at a place like the vet's office because I don't want him getting very far.
My neighbor (downstairs, not the butt people) helped me fit Poppy with a PetSmart recommended body harness. I must add that this is also the neighbor who washed my foster kittens in Dawn for me, picked the kittens fleas with me, and informed me of the peroxide puker trick. He's awesome! His wife insisted I try her dog's zip line leash. My son wanted a zip line leash because he'd walked their dog, Mr. O and both of them really liked the usage. I was a little afraid Poppy would run further than I could safely tote back from danger. Everything is danger to a 6 pound dog; they just don't know it! Still, I tried the zip line and it was really great. No more under-the-body wrapping or dragging on the ground...though I still hold it up like it's not going to retract. My neighbor showed me how she could tug Mr.O away from danger rather quickly. She even picks him up by locking the retracted leash when roaming cats or 'scary' strangers are around and Mr.O does not complain or care. We bought Poppy's retractable leash at walmart for $9. They were priced at about $16-$20 at PetSmart.
Poppy still needs an ID tag. After all, how many people have a microchip scanner in their pocket?! He needs a very small lightweight tag with his name, my cell number, and our apartment address on it. This could hook to a collar, but will hook to his harness instead because I don't want to mess up his neck hairs. Mr.O's owners told me about a kiosk in the enterance of Walmart. Apparently, the cheaper quality is ideally lightweight and only $5 to engrave whatever will fit on the tag. Must Have!
FINANCIAL OBSERVATION
I compared store prices and customer care for my petco and petsmart before setting foot in either store and found that PetSmart's customer care is well worth the few dollar(s) more. There are certain things I'd only buy from PetSmart, like food and maybe certain treats. I'm also interested in the check-up center they have located within the store. It's not affiliated, but I'd like to learn more since we'll go there anyway for food.
I know everyone hates Walmart, but I live across the street from it. I checked out their prices and selections and here's what I found out between PetSmart (PS) and Walmart (Wally):
Retractable leashes - PS $16-$21 Wally $9-$11
Body Harnesses - PS $11+, Wally $5+ both depending on brands and styles
Tug Rope of the exact brand PS $3, Wally $0.97
Stylish Cat Food Bowl PS $16+, Wally $6+ depending on brand
Kongs PS $6 best selection, Wally $3 least selection
Kong Filler PS $10+, Wally offbrand $5+
Doggy Sweaters PS $about $15+ best selection bst fit, Wally Sale $2 least selection poorer fit
I would definitely recommend going to Walmart for things like toys, cages, beds, feeding bowls, leashes, harnesses, collars, and possibly carefuly-selected treats and clothes that you don't mind altering a bit. I would suggest going to PetSmart for anything you need any help purchasing and pretty much anything ingested by your pet. If you're confident with your purchase choices and don't care for Walmart's selection, I'd suggest a trip to Petco, which will save you a few dollars per trip. A lot of folks say that PetSmart and Petco are equally great and that you should go to whichever is closer to you. They say that large ticket items, such as giant dog food and big ticket items are well worth comparing ALL of these stores rices. I'll agree with that.
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