The Washington Post

Listen in on the chat at a Chihuahua owners' Meetup

By Meaghan Wolff
Started as social outings for pups, Meetups often turn out to be as much fun for the pet owners. Here are comments from a few dogged fans at a recent Chihuahua Meetup (which welcomes other small dogs):

Owner: Katherine Buchholtz, 28, Washington

Dog: Goliath (aka Golly G), a six-pound, 7-month-old Chihuahua

Toy-Dog Tidbit: Buchholtz takes Goliath shopping, sometimes with mixed results: One time at a Borders, the dog had been sleeping until they arrived at the checkout. ''He was wide awake and ready to get out, and he wasn't ashamed to tell the whole store about it. Everyone in the line and behind the counter jumped about a foot, then most of the customers began to laugh. The poor cashier, however, was so startled he charged me twice for one item and failed to give me the discount advertised, and I was so embarrassed I didn't even notice until I got home.''

Owner: Danny Lopez, 38, College Park, Md.

Dog: Kiki, an eight-pound, 2-year-old Chihuahua

Toy-Dog Tidbit: Lopez says he's often the victim of dog-owner stereotyping. His wife, Renee, says people expect him to have a Rottweiler and have burst into laughter when they learn that his ''baby'' is a Chihuahua.

Owner: Venessa Mendenhall, 26, Washington

Dog: Lil' Killer (aka Lily), a five-pound, 1-year-old Chihuahua

Toy-Dog Tidbit: Mendenhall has some coy ways to carry her pooch around. ''Those pashmina shawls are wonderful for getting into the movies.''

Owner: Fontella Pankey, 37, Arlington, Va.

Dog: Tidbit, a four-pound, 2-year-old Pomeranian

Toy-Dog Tidbit: Pankey got busted after taking Tidbit into a Nordstrom dressing room: ''All of a sudden she started to get anxious and let out this high-pitched noise. I tried to quiet her with these little treats. … Next thing, I hear another woman in the dressing room asking around, 'Did you hear that? Is that a dog?' But we made it out of there, and I still managed to make my purchases.''

Owner: Chris Prendergast, 29, Washington

Dog: Scout, a six-pound, 11-month-old long-haired Chihuahua

Toy-Dog Tidbit: Prendergast's wife, Christy, has a collection of beach bags to tote Scout around.

Owner: Lanoy Soumpholphakdy, 23, Woodbridge, Va.

Dog: Xena, a three-pound, 7-month-old Chihuahua

Toy-Dog Tidbit: It's all about fashion: Soumpholphakdy and her boyfriend, Omar Espana, have taken Hercules and Maximus, the larger pair in their four-Chihuahua family, to Home Depot in handyman costumes — complete with hats that look like helmets, workmen's vests and tool belts.