Bounce Magazine March's 2016

MARCH MARCH 2016 2016 | ISSUE | ISSUE #41 #41 | PETS
Champion
CHIHUAHUA’S...
Our Bounce Editor Rachel went to meet
Beccles based Susan Crowley and her
nine Chihuahua’s, to chat about her
upcoming appearence at Crufts.
As an owner of one dog and two kittens, I know
how hard it can be to look after three animals,
let alone nine! After speaking to Susan Crowley
previously about her Chihuahua’s I was intrigued
to meet them all and to find out more about her
prize winning pups.
After having her first Chihuahua at the age of
ten Susan grew up watching a close family friend
breed them and later on enter them in shows.
She then moved to London and after 25 years
returned to Suffolk and decided to get another
Chihuahua, having loved hers so much when she
was younger.
“When I told everyone I was going to breed my
own dogs and then show them they laughed and
told me it would take me about 10 years, but I
am really proud to say I have some prize winners
already,” she explained.
I asked Susan how she trains for each show. Every
week she attends ‘ring craft’ training in Lowestoft,
which helps to teach the dog (and the owner)
what to do. She believes it is important to support
the local shows in order for them to keep running
as well as entering the Championship shows.
In order to prepare her dogs for the events Susan
follows a strict regime. Every day she lets them
out for exercise, feeds and waters them, but it
doesn’t stop there. Once a week she washes and
brushes them as well as cleaning their teeth and
every three weeks she trims their nails all from
her own grooming table.
This is highly important as the dogs are judged
on their tail set, their teeth (which is why it is
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