This group started out of our need to find other small dogs for our Chihuahua to play with. He has taken obedience training and has been around bigger dogs (we have 1 medium sized dog as well), but is really shy and easily frightened around bigger dogs. He has escaped (yes, he's an escape artist!) when faced with big dogs in the training room and as soon as the door opens he's out the door! During training he made a few connections with other friendly small dogs such as Chihuahuas and other non-Chihuahuas but it took some time. By the time he was comfortable with them, the training was over- and his play buddies were gone. So here we are, out of love for Piranha Banana -- and now our new rescue - Daisy!

We try and meet at least once per month in the winter and twice a month in the summer. Unless there are special events we can participate in.


What kinds of things do we do?

We have fun: Dog parks, play dates, doggie cruises, public park visits, Chihuahua walks, costume and holiday parties - anything we find that is dog - friendly

We learn: Veterinarian visits, dog first aid class, training, problem spotting/assistance discussions, health/wellness

We help: Help with fosters/rescues, collections, charitable/volunteer walks and causes


A few things...

1 - All dogs must be current on their vaccinations, friendly and non-aggressive. Shy dogs are ok too! Sometimes the shy ones slowly slink towards other shy ones, and lo and behold - new friends!

2 - We did not create this group to make money. We pay all the meetup group and website fees, do all the research, site set-up and legwork to make our events happen. We are regular people just wanting our dogs to have fun, just like yourself. We do not charge per meetup unless it costs us money. If there is a charge, the $3.00 per meetup covers the events/site, website costs and maintenance. In some cases, part of your $$ will go towards a nearby animal shelter or rescue group. Some events may require a few more dollars - but this is on a case by case basis and you will be notified ahead of time. This can be given to the organizers upon arrival.

3 - This group is not for breeding or dog selling purposes, group events are for play, socialization and recreation only. If you have a chihuahua that needs to be adopted due to rehoming/being given up or is at a shelter - we are fine with that. But if you are just selling puppies/dogs - we do not support that. Meetup.com has a lot of sites for breeders and sellers and so does the internet. Please do not use our site for this purpose.

4 - This site is for Chihuahuas only - if you have a small dog you'd like to socialize, please research meetup.com as there are several other dog recreation groups available in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. On occasion, we attend events that are open to all dogs - and doggie siblings are welcome to attend.

5 - We support, help and assist with rescues. If you become aware of a dog that needs assistance or fostering, please let us know as we may be able to help.

We hope you'll join me for a doggone good time!

- Piranha Banana