Welcome to 
JOVIVA CHIHUAHUAS

Viv Cotton & John Bowbrick
Canberra, ACT, Australia

Firstly, a short history on us and our beginnings in the wonderful world of the Chihuahua.

We are members of the ACT Canine Association; Royal NSW Canine Control; Chihuahua Club of NSW; Chihuahua Club of Victoria; and the Canberra Toy Dog Club.  I will try and give you a short insight into us as a “Chihuahua” Family.

I (Viv) had shown and bred very successfully German Shepherds but had always had a  Poodle or a  Chihuahua  since a young age as a house pet thus my interest in the smaller  breeds. I love the attitude of the Chihuahua, they have no earthly idea of just how small they are, they all think they are “Jack the Giant Killer”.  John had always had chihuahuas as pets and loved the “large dogs in a small body” and was hooked before we met on the “Chihuahua” as a breed.  

When we met up with each other I already  had two very aged dogs, one being a  Smoothcoat Chihuahua named “Pee Wee” who had the reputation of hating men (thank goodness not John)  and a Mini White Poodle named  “Rambo” who loved absolutely everyone. After our relationship developed we often talked of more dogs to enlarge our family, and both decided the Chihuahua suited us both as a breed we could relate closely to and love.  Then sorrow - Little Pee Wee died in her sleep, we were both totally heartbroken, but decided to go ahead with our original idea of purchasing a new baby Chihuahua.

We  decided if we wanted to purchase a new “Chi” baby we would do ‘ALL THE RIGHT THINGS’:

We contacted the Secretary of the Chihuahua Club of NSW, who in turn put us in touch with three registered breeders whom we duly contacted. After lengthy conversations with all we again talked to Mrs Nancy Gate  (who had been showing and breeding Chihuahuas since Adam was a Boy), we figured we couldn’t go far wrong- Ole!   We began to get excited, elated and very apprehensive. Were we doing the right thing?   Would our old dog Rambo get upset?   Did we know enough of the breed?   A million doubts flooded our thoughts.  Nevertheless we went ahead - with one of the best decisions we have ever made-- we are now totally obsessed and in love with the tiniest dog on earth with the biggest heart of all and all the love in the world to give to any one needing it! (whether they want it or not)!

We placed a telephone order with Mrs Nancy Gates for a Show quality smoothcoat  “Bitch” puppy from her breeding program;, we had to wait five long months, then we had the good news, a baby girl was available.  We began the long drive to Sydney to collect her,  very excited, arrived had a “cuppa” then proceeded to pack our precious cargo,  then as we were leaving Nancy said “take this Little Dog also,  he is Tess’s brother, and he is too good to stay in my backyard and not be shown”.

Ch. Gates Lil Pablo or PB

(CH Gates Jeffery x CH Gates Tess)

It was this Little Dog that got Viv’s dog showing veins going again,  and we started showing once again!!  Some of his wins were:-

At Chihuahua Specialty Shows:

 All Breeds Level

 PB now resides in Calcutta,  India very happily with a  wonderful  family and is now an Indian Champion and a much loved member of his new family.

Gates Contessa or Tess
(CH Gates Jeffery x CH Gates Tess)

The Little Girl “Tess” Gates Contessa,  we went to originally purchase had no tendency to showing and hated being shown. So we pulled Tess  from the show ring at 11 months on 59 points and Tess enjoyed the life of the Matriarch and stayed at home to enjoy this life . (Tess pictured at left with her first litter Missy and Boss).

CH Joviva Ay Little Miss & Joviva Ay Little Boss
(Gates Contessa x CH Gates Eric Simms)

 This mating produced Ch Joviva Ay Little Miss & Joviva Ay Little Boss (below):

Missy” has always been our consistent winner at Specialty, Royal  and All Breed Shows, she is the love of our life. Boss never made it big time in the show ring as he was a tiny specimen and too short in leg to win at Specialty level, and now is the very loved pet of a lovely couple in Pymble NSW.  

Ch. Joviva Ay Little Miss - Missy’s wins have been:-

All Breeds Level

Missy made The Canberra Times in October 1999

Specialty Level

Chihuahua Club of SA - First National Show

Chihuahua Club of NSW Shows

Royals

Our Missy has had a wonderful show career giving herself and us a great time in doing so. She will only be shown at Chihuahua Club Shows or shows with International Judges in future - she deserves a time to sit back , relax and reflect on her past glories.  

Joviva Ella Senora

CH Vayacondios Play Misty or Mia
(CH Ohawe Master Harley (IMP NZ) x Peejaymini Returntsender)

Our next purchase was a lovely little Blue Fawn Smoothcoat - Ch. Vayacondios Play Misty or Mia as we call her, from Mrs June Anderson South Australia. Mia has a lovely pedigree her father is NZ import Aust. Ch. Ohawe Master Harley and her Mum is Peejaymini Returntsender.

Mia gained her Australian Championship very easily with many Group Wins. Mia was mated to Australian Ch. Arizona Starbuck which produced two Smoothcoats - a dog Joviva Dan the Man (whom we kept) and a little bitch Joviva Daisy Hill and two Longcoats Joviva Dirty Dancer a lovely red dog and Joviva Donna the Diva a Blue Fawn who has just gained her Australian Championship at 14 months.

We have bred and shown a lot of wonderful dogs since Tess, PB, Missy and Mia, and have done our share of winning,  and have  puppies at home who show great promise - we are  enjoying our wonderful little friends for what they are :

These are our “Chihuahuas”.  We have found over the years there is a “Right Chihuahua for the right person or family” and we haven’t been far wrong, we have been very fortunate in finding wonderful homes for all our puppies we haven't kept ourselves.  

Since our start in Chihuahuas we have an awful lot of people to thank for our learning process a lot of people we are grateful to for helping us gain our wonderful family of Chi’s. Everyone interprets the Breed standard differently but what we are all striving for is for us to  “LEAVE THE BREED A LOT BETTER FOR OUR INVOLVEMENT”.

That is our story on how we began keeping and showing our beautiful Chihuahuas - we have travelled our wonderful country, met many great people and their dogs, learnt a great deal about our canine friends, and enjoyed hospitality that you could not understand unless you have campaigned a “show” dog.

Happy Chihuahua times.

Viv Cotton & John Bowbrick 
Joviva Chihuahuas - Canberra Australia

Last updated 11/05/04 . Copyright Joviva Chihuahuas 2001.