# New firsts for Gemma - harness and bike ride!



## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Gemma had a big day today. I ordered a hamster/ferret harness for her last week and it was just too small around the chest, and so today I decided I may as well try and alter it rather than let it go to waste (I have NO sewing skills whatsoever). But, I successfully removed and reattached the velcro and made the strap about 1.5 inches longer with some terrible hand sewing! Woohoo! Go me! Lol.

I was so happy that I got the harness to fit, because then we could take her outside on the leash with it and also use it to strap her in for her first bike ride, which she really enjoyed! She's so well behaved in her basket. Here are some pics:




























We rode all the way to my boyfriend's mother's where Gemma met her two cats. She seemed to be really interested in them, but they ran from her, lol. She still doesn't like walking on the leash very much, but she's improving. I can't really walk her a lot since she hasn't had her second vaccines yet. But I put her down for a few minutes on the grass yard behind the apartments to give her a taste of walking on the harness. She did so much better than when I tried to walk her on her collar.

Sorry for my super long post. We had such a great day! Now she's totally wiped out and sleeping on the couch next to me.


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## Mary J (Mar 26, 2012)

So cute! Just got back from taking Benny for his daily bike ride! He loves it.


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## theshanman97 (Feb 19, 2012)

awwww cute!  x


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## momofmany (Apr 23, 2012)

That bike basket with gem a is the cutest thing she looks so comfy in it. Way to go fixing that harrness so it would fit was genius. It looks really nice on her and it looks like it fits her perfectly good for you way to go mom. Wow in the picture of her in the basket you can really see the blue in her she has allot of it maybe she will end up being blue when she grows up they do change color that's for sure Charlie used to be so dark with tons of Sableing and now he's more fawn he still has quite a bit but not nearly as much as he had when I first got him Gemma seems to be getting more blue as she gets older.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Mary J said:


> So cute! Just got back from taking Benny for his daily bike ride! He loves it.


It's awesome that they are so good in their baskets! I really thought she was going to try to jump out or she'd be terrified, but she was totally calm. She actually got excited whenever we started going down a hill. It was so cute.  Going to have to make it a daily thing for Gemma too!



theshanman97 said:


> awwww cute!  x


Thank you! I thought she was so cute that I kept forgetting to look where I was going, lol. I was just staring at her!



momofmany said:


> That bike basket with gem a is the cutest thing she looks so comfy in it. Way to go fixing that harrness so it would fit was genius. It looks really nice on her and it looks like it fits her perfectly good for you way to go mom. Wow in the picture of her in the basket you can really see the blue in her she has allot of it maybe she will end up being blue when she grows up they do change color that's for sure Charlie used to be so dark with tons of Sableing and now he's more fawn he still has quite a bit but not nearly as much as he had when I first got him Gemma seems to be getting more blue as she gets older.


She was surprisingly comfy and calm. She really loved it.

Thank you! I didn't think I'd be able to do it but figured it was worth a shot anyways! I haven't sewn in so many years, not since I was really young, like 14.

Yeah, I know! She does look very blue. I love seeing how she changes. Glad I'm taking lots of pics to document it!


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## Darkessa (May 17, 2012)

That first basket picture!!! 
SQUEEEEEE!!!

I almost just died from CUTE OVERLOAD!!!!!

Congrats Gemma!!


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

OMG! That is too cute! The expressions on her face are awesome!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Darkessa said:


> That first basket picture!!!
> SQUEEEEEE!!!
> 
> I almost just died from CUTE OVERLOAD!!!!!
> ...


Lol, Gemma thanks you! 



Huly said:


> OMG! That is too cute! The expressions on her face are awesome!


Hehe, thanks! She does make the cutest faces for the camera.


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## Rasco (May 16, 2012)

Huly said:


> OMG! That is too cute! The expressions on her face are awesome!


agreed...


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## Jennmay (Dec 31, 2011)

Ahh glad you were able to alter that so you could get some use of it. Gemma is just precious.


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## 2Cheese (Feb 21, 2010)

She is just too precious!!!!


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Caitlin, I could not be happier for you!!! Gemma is truly perfection. You searched very hard for exactly the puppy you wanted and you could not have asked for more. You also love nicknames and on Momofmany's post she accidentally left off the "m" in Gemma and it read Gem a. I immediately thought that little Gemma is truly a Gem! LOL


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Rasco said:


> agreed...


Thank you. 



Jennmay said:


> Ahh glad you were able to alter that so you could get some use of it. Gemma is just precious.


Yeah, me too! Glad I gave it a shot. Still anxious to see how the denim one that you sent me fits. If it's just as small as this one, I will probably just pass it along to another person instead of altering it too. I don't want to risk ruining it if someone else could get use out of it for their tiny pup. But if it's bigger, I might alter it later on and try to keep her in it until she grows into her XS Puppia vest.



2Cheese said:


> She is just too precious!!!!


Aw, thank you! 



lulu'smom said:


> Caitlin, I could not be happier for you!!! Gemma is truly perfection. You searched very hard for exactly the puppy you wanted and you could not have asked for more. You also love nicknames and on Momofmany's post she accidentally left off the "m" in Gemma and it read Gem a. I immediately thought that little Gemma is truly a Gem! LOL


Thank you so much, Tina. She is such a great little girl. I could not be happier either! Not only did I find the exact look in a Chi that I wanted, but I found the perfect personality as well. She's everything I could have hoped for!

I saw that too! I call her "Gem-Gem."


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

LittleGemma said:


> I saw that too! I call her "Gem-Gem."


Very cute nickname. Let us know when more pop up!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

lulu'smom said:


> Very cute nickname. Let us know when more pop up!


I certainly will.


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Gemma is gorgeous, I'm very happy to hear all is well and you are enjoying her. 

I wish I had the courage to try out the basket idea, I'm too paranoid and worried
Chanel will fall out. For example if I lose control of the bike or something.  I'm crazy, I know.


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

Awww, she's growing so fast! I love the pics of her in her basket. I've always wanted one, but I'm not a very experienced biker, and I'm so scared I'd bail. Haha.


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## KritterMom (Mar 17, 2012)

AAAWWWWW!!!! This makes me want to get a basket for my little one and try biking with her. It took Daisy a bit before she would walk on a leash just this month she got the grasp.


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

My Bijou loves riding in his bike basket!  there's pics somewhere on here from when he was a puppy in my bike basket as well.


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## Finn (Sep 14, 2010)

I am so jealous! She is darling in that basket.


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## okchic (May 4, 2012)

She is so adorable!


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## nabi (Nov 25, 2004)

I have said it before but I'm going to say it again...she just might be the cutest chihuahua I have ever seen....love her ! she must have stopped traffic being so darn cute !


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

~LS~ said:


> Gemma is gorgeous, I'm very happy to hear all is well and you are enjoying her.
> 
> I wish I had the courage to try out the basket idea, I'm too paranoid and worried
> Chanel will fall out. For example if I lose control of the bike or something.  I'm crazy, I know.


I was a little nervous about it too, but I had her tied in on her harness with a very short amount of leash so she can just stand and turn around. We hit some bumps and she popped up a little but she was never trying to hang over the edge to look out, so she wasn't ever at risk of falling out. It's a really fun experience. Gives me some exercise and gets her out of the house while she can't yet walk around on the ground very much.



KrystalLeigh said:


> Awww, she's growing so fast! I love the pics of her in her basket. I've always wanted one, but I'm not a very experienced biker, and I'm so scared I'd bail. Haha.


Lol, you definitely have to be able to trust yourself! I'm not a pro biker either, so I just take it really slow with her. It's so much fun. 



KritterMom said:


> AAAWWWWW!!!! This makes me want to get a basket for my little one and try biking with her. It took Daisy a bit before she would walk on a leash just this month she got the grasp.


You gotta try it! Especially if Daisy is well-behaved and she doesn't try to bail out of the basket, it will be really fun and enjoyable for both of you. I'm going to take Gemma everywhere on the bike now. I'm even thinking about getting a back basket for my bike so I can carry around supplies and toys for her so we can go on long trips with the bike. 



KittyD said:


> My Bijou loves riding in his bike basket!  there's pics somewhere on here from when he was a puppy in my bike basket as well.


Oooh, I will have to go dig them up! 



Finn said:


> I am so jealous! She is darling in that basket.


Lol, aww, don't be jealous! Finn would look just as darling in a bike basket! 



okchic said:


> She is so adorable!


Thank you! 



nabi said:


> I have said it before but I'm going to say it again...she just might be the cutest chihuahua I have ever seen....love her ! she must have stopped traffic being so darn cute !


Aww, that is such a sweet compliment. Makes me really happy when people adore her so much. She gets a ton of attention in public, which is really good. I want her to meet as many people as possible right now so she's people friendly when she's grown up.


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Caitlin, Gemma is just sooooo adorable. I just ride all over town with my first chi "Rusty" in my bike basket. Then I did crash one day, he was a little hesitant after that. I'm glad you got the harness to fit her. It looks adorable on her.


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## Hollysmom (Nov 26, 2011)

Awww, too cute! Gemma looks quite at home in the basket. Like it was made just for her.


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

Aww..she looks sooooo very happy. Glad she likes the bike. Rico rides inthe same sort of basket--he loves it.


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

Omg the pics of her in the basket is toooooo cute!!!!!!' ahhhhh


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## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

great pictures  She looks so relaxed.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

KayC said:


> Caitlin, Gemma is just sooooo adorable. I just ride all over town with my first chi "Rusty" in my bike basket. Then I did crash one day, he was a little hesitant after that. I'm glad you got the harness to fit her. It looks adorable on her.


Thank you! Yikes, I hope I never crash with Gemma on board. Then she'll probably never ride a bike or wear her harness again. 



Hollysmom said:


> Awww, too cute! Gemma looks quite at home in the basket. Like it was made just for her.


She acts like it was!



rubia said:


> Aww..she looks sooooo very happy. Glad she likes the bike. Rico rides inthe same sort of basket--he loves it.


I'm glad she likes it too! It's fun to ride around with her.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Chihuahuasloveme said:


> Omg the pics of her in the basket is toooooo cute!!!!!!' ahhhhh


Thank you!  It was even more cute watching her while we were riding!



teetee said:


> great pictures  She looks so relaxed.


She was totally relaxed being tied in the basket on a moving bike, but then she was terrified being on the ground with the leash. Weirdo.


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## Lazuliblue (May 4, 2012)

Aw she's lovely! I think I may have to get a basket for Milo so he can go for a bike ride


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## quinnandleah (Sep 28, 2011)

She is a cute. She looks like she loves the bike ride.


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## Kayota (Nov 29, 2009)

My girl does it the hard way... Runs alongside! Meaning to get her a basket though but she's almost too big lol! But if I get a basket I can go further than 3 miles in a day with her  Just put her in when she gets tired. Your pup is really cute!


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## bavarianedelweiss (Feb 17, 2012)

She looks beautiful and the expressions she has on her face are just darling! She must be a lovely little lady.
I think it´s wonderful how you include her in your daily life and activities. Chi´s absolutely love that. 
Do you know how big she is predicted to get?
Greetings from Germany!


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

When I was a teen ager (many years ago!!) I had a sheltie mix baby in my bike basket, tied down; I thought. Well she jumped out and was hanging, and stuck her leg into the still moving spokes. Broke it in 3 places. I was heart sick. The vet fixed her up, but my Mom gave her back to the family that had the mother. They said she went to a farm? Mom said I wasn't mature enough to care for a dog. I waited another 2+ years until she let me have a go at dog ownership!! Bless her, she was right! I sure didn't take any chances with THAT dog! Sue


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Lazuliblue said:


> Aw she's lovely! I think I may have to get a basket for Milo so he can go for a bike ride


It's fun!  Give it a try! He might love it like Gemma! Then you can take him all over the place riding your bike in the summer.



quinnandleah said:


> She is a cute. She looks like she loves the bike ride.


Thank you! She really did love it. It was great!



Kayota said:


> My girl does it the hard way... Runs alongside! Meaning to get her a basket though but she's almost too big lol! But if I get a basket I can go further than 3 miles in a day with her  Just put her in when she gets tired. Your pup is really cute!


Damn! Gemma would never run alongside, lol. There's some pretty large dog specific baskets made for bigger dogs up to 20 pounds. How much does she weigh?



bavarianedelweiss said:


> She looks beautiful and the expressions she has on her face are just darling! She must be a lovely little lady.
> I think it´s wonderful how you include her in your daily life and activities. Chi´s absolutely love that.
> Do you know how big she is predicted to get?
> Greetings from Germany!


Aw, thank you! We try to take her everywhere we go and include her in fun, new activities every day. We love having her with us!

I don't know how much she's supposed to weight yet, or how much she weighs now. She has a vet appointment this week so we'll find out then. I'm guessing she'll be around 4 lbs as an adult?



susan davis said:


> When I was a teen ager (many years ago!!) I had a sheltie mix baby in my bike basket, tied down; I thought. Well she jumped out and was hanging, and stuck her leg into the still moving spokes. Broke it in 3 places. I was heart sick. The vet fixed her up, but my Mom gave her back to the family that had the mother. They said she went to a farm? Mom said I wasn't mature enough to care for a dog. I waited another 2+ years until she let me have a go at dog ownership!! Bless her, she was right! I sure didn't take any chances with THAT dog! Sue


Oh god, that's a terrifying story. I'm sorry that happened to you both. Gemma is so calm in her basket. Even when she tries to stick her head up a little over the edge I slow down and put my hand on her back to make sure she doesn't go any further. I have the leash tied very short so she couldn't even stand up and get over the basket edge. I don't feel she's at risk of jumping out.


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