Tag Archives: Diego

Happy Gotcha Day, Diego!

Diego, our chihuahua, came into our lives on this day many years ago. He’s a little older now, and maybe a little wiser too, especially when it comes to treats and getting cuddles.

He loves playing with toys. He has a strong fetch instinct, and he will run back and forth across the kitchen to fetch those toys for you. For at least 5 laps anyway, and then he gets tired and looks at you as if to say, “What? You expect me to get that toy again?”

Like many small dogs, Diego is very reactive. Don’t rub him. Don’t be that person who says, “It’s OK, I know dogs.” He’ll just snap at you, sorry. But, earn his confidence and trust, and he will adore you for it.

Recently, he’s slowed down a bit. A trip to the vet confirmed a bulging disc in his spine, but pain medication and taking it easy is helping him recover. He has his own buggy for longer walks, and well, he loves when we carry him up and down the stairs too.

This is Diego. He’s a tiny dog, but he’s all dog. He’s full of life.


Apertureƒ/1.8
CameraSM-G998B
Focal length6.7mm
ISO50
Shutter speed1/390s

Diego in his blanket

Diego in his blanket after waking up from a sleep. This is an old photo of him from 2017, but I’m posting it today because he’s at the vet’s office after getting an x-ray.

He hasn’t been himself for some time and let out loud yelps from time to time but he was diagnosed with Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) by the vet this afternoon.

It’s the very early stages of the disease and with lots of care we can treat him. No jumping off sofas, beds, or chairs. No walks even. We have to wrap him in cotton wool for the next six weeks.

He’ll get better.

My comfortable Pets

First up is Hoppy. She’s around 13 and only has three legs but she’s a fast mover. In the past she didn’t mind the cold but now she likes to avoid it.

A cat on a bed looking at the camera

Here’s Mommy Cat. She’s Hoppy’s mom.

She’s around 16 as best we can guess, as she was around for a few years before she brought her kittens in to us.

For years, she would never come into the house, but now she spends 99% of the day inside, asleep. She doesn’t go any further than the garden now.

We can’t touch her as she’ll take a swipe at us if we do, but we still love her.

A chihuahua in a bed looking at the camera

Then there’s Diego, our chihuahua. He was 8 this year. A middle aged dog with a special diet and who absolutely loves cuddles.

The cats and him sort of ignore each other, but if the cats get a treat, Diego makes sure that we know he wants one too.

A small ceramic dog embedded in frosty grass
A small ceramic dog embedded in frosty grass

It’s so very cold outside but Hoppy, Mommy Cat and Diego are inside in the warmth and putting up with me taking photos of them.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO20000
Shutter speed1/60s

Diego, king of the castle

Who rules this house? The animals do! Diego, our tiny chihuahua, sits in a bed sometimes claimed by one of our cats, Hoppy. She was very unhappy that Diego was in there. He’s the king of all he sees.

Isn’t he handsome in his new jacket? It’s lovely and warm and made with love by Jo!


Apertureƒ/2.4
CameraSM-G998B
Focal length9mm
ISO640
Shutter speed1/35s

Diego in Town

Dogs don’t need to wear masks around people, thankfully. He hates being left at home. As soon as he has an inkling that we’ll be going out he will sit by me looking directly at my face. If I’m not looking at him he starts jumping up looking for attention. He’s a small dog, but he makes his presence known!

Aperture ƒ/3.5
Camera ILCE-7M3
Focal length 28mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/800s

1,000 Days of Photos

Somehow I’ve managed to post a photo a day (with only one or two interruptions, one of which was because of a DDOS on my hosting provider) for 1,000 days. To celebrate I give you not one, but two photos of my dear dogs.


Oscar was a cranky old soul, but we discovered his teeth were very bad and likely made him argumentative. He was a rescue and when we first got him he wouldn’t trust anyone. He always was on alert. He could not relax. We hired someone to help him, and after a short session his mood improved immeasurably. We discovered he had an amazing fetch instinct. He’d run after a tennis ball anywhere and seemed tireless. Old age caught up with him though, and our vet warned us he had to take it easy because of his heart. In time we carried him with us on journeys in a child’s buggy. He *adored* my wife. Anywhere she went, he was likely walking next to her. He died in 2014.


Diego came into our lives in 2015, shortly before I started on this marathon 1,000 photo marathon. He’s a rescue too, and for such a small dog has a big heart full of love for all of us. He loves us all, and loves his toys. 🙂

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 6D
Focal length 105mm
ISO 640
Shutter speed 1/320s
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