Poe and Panzer Puppies!
If you came to see the puppies, this is it!
The Poe Beast
Poe (short for Poedunk) was born 7/18/2003 at the Heddins Simmental Ranch and Kennel in Bowie Texas. He is supposed to be a chihuahua/toy poodle mix, but given the markings on him and several of his litters, we wonder if they got the pups mixed up and he's really chihuahua/mini pin instead.
He is an intelligent dog and an absolute bundle of energy. He spontaneously started playing fetch at just 11 weeks old and is very fond of toys and stuffed animals. His personality varies depending on the weather, sunspots, and butterfly migrations, and as such he has earned the rather opposing nicknames of "Battle Squirrel" and "Floppydog." He is totally unaware that he is roughly the size of a football with legs, and has no qualms of playing "Mr. Protector" when strangers come to the house -- from a safe vantage point far under my husband's desk of course
Poe's personality contributes to puppies that bond easily to specific people and who are *always* ready to play. Given toys and/or a companion, Poe's pups have shown considerable ability to amuse themselves if left alone by those who need to spend the day working, unlike many small-breed dogs who show separation anxiety.
Momma Panzer
Panzer (not short for anything) is of uncertain origins but is roughly a year younger than Poe. We believe she is half mini-dachshund and half chihuahua. She was given to us by a friend who was moving and couldn't keep her. She is a very loving dog who doesn't understand the concept of stranger at all and she automatically embraces everyone she meets as family. She was given her name as a joke because there is not one trait in this dog that would normally merit such a moniker.
Panzer is more of a traditional lapdog than Poe, and has not shown any particular interest in toys (except when she's stealing them from him just to be a brat). Unlike Poe, she is quite happy to be "dressed" in doggie outfits (which he finds demeaning) and she likes to "nest" in blankets or pillows even on warm days. She enjoys walks outside and prefers to spend her non-mommie time just "hanging out" on the couch or at the feet of someone in the household. Oddly, while she is usually more of a snuggle dog than a play dog, she always "brightens up" when there is a litter and she plays with her puppies A LOT.
Panzer's personality provides her offspring with a calm friendly attitude that mixes very well with Poe's energy. Her puppies so far have largely shared her quiet nature (she rarely barks at anything), while still having the bouncy playfulness of their father. She usually passes on her very laid back response to the world and this makes the puppies both up for anything and willing to "chill" as the situation requires.
Are we breeders?
The short answer is, no.
We only have our two dogs, Poe and Panzer.
About twice a year, Panzer has a litter. We have the great joy of loving them, cuddling them and playing with them until it's time to send them on to their new homes.
So, this is not a business. We charge enough to cover the costs of taking care of the puppies but a quick comparision of our prices to those of breeders will tell you that we... are a breed apart.