Raising Chihuahuas
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Chihuahuas - Nature's Fierce Babies
Chihuahuas have a legendary dual nature- they're nature's forever babies with a sweet, affectionate nature. They love to be carried and pampered, and most don't mind looking a little silly at times, hence the propensity for some chihuahua parents to dress them up. The chihuahua is perfect for single people for that reason- they're babies who don't need a babysitter or a college fund.
On the other hand, chihuahuas can be one of the most fierce of all breeds. They don't tend to be physically dangerous, however, but instead imploy several ways to intimidate their foes. Chihuahuas are known for scaring dogs 10 times their size with incessant barking and growling, staring down and an aggressive stance. I've seen chihuahuas frighten away a German Shepherd and even a Great Dane.
The dual nature of the chihuahua makes it one of the most popular breeds among people who love small dogs. Chihuahuas make excellent watch dogs, and will aggressively defend their owner. They tend to form strong attachments to their owners and have trouble maintaining attachments to people outside their human pack.
Chihuahuas Need Special Care
As a small dog, chihuahuas are generally easy to care for. They do, however, need some special care because of their size. Chihuahua puppies are extremely small. When they reach the age that they are no longer dependent on their mothers and are ready to be adopted, they usually weigh less than a pound. Their slight weight makes them vulnerable to injuries.
The first danger to chihuahuas, particularly puppies, is falls. A couch or a bed is probably too high for a chihuahua puppy to fall from and escape bruises or injuries. If you leave a chihuahua puppy along on a couch or bed, block him in with a pillow or something else that will keep him from falling.
Another danger is items being dropped on the chihuahua. There have been chihuahuas killed by items being droped on their heads. One young chihuahua was killed when its owner accidently dropped a can of food on its head. When chihuahuas are in the house, be careful when carrying anything remotely heavy. If there's any danger of dropping something, close the chihuahua into another room to avoid the danger.
Finally, chihuahuas are vulnerable to being stepped on. Chihuahuas can be injured by a mistep, particularly if they are young. Puppies can be so tiny that it's possible to simply not see them napping on the floor. When you have a puppy in the house, walk lightly and don't wear shoes inside. This will prevent you from stepping too heavily on the dog if it should happen.
The Tiny Chihuahua
Keeping Chihuahuas Comfortable
Because they are so small, and many have short body hair, chihuahuas tend to get cold in cooler climates. Remember that they are originally from Mexico and were bred for hot weather. If your climate is cold, you might want to provide your chihuahua with a sweater. Though it may look at little silly, a sweater can provide them with some of the warmth they need to be comfortable.
Chihuahua Sizes
Though the teacup chihuahua isn't a recognized breed, it describes some of the smallest chihuahuas. Full-grown chihuahuas that are 3 pounds are not unusual. The average size is about 4-5 pounds, but it is possible for them to get as large as 10 pounds. The smallest chihuahuas are the most vulnerable to injuries and more care should be taken to avoid injuries.
Long Hair and Short
Types of Chihuahuas
There are really only two official types of chihuahua - long haired and short haired. The short-haired variety has short, smooth hair that is extremely easy to care for. Though the shirt-haired variety will shed in the spring and call, most of the year the coat requires little maintenance. The long-haired chihuahua's coat can be smooth or curly. Often the long coat needs a little more maintenance, such as occasional brushing to keep it from becoming matted. The coat may not shed more, but it will seem like more because of the longer hair.
The other "types" that people talk about, deerhead and applehad, are not officially distinct varieties. But, there is a broad range of head shapes within the breed of chihuahua. The ones called appleheads have very round heads with short snouts. Deerhead chihuahuas have longer, thinner heads that do resemble deer.
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Comments
We raise long-coat Chihuahuas and absolutely love them. They are beloved pets who have trained us to be great Chihuahua owners. They let you know what they want and how they should be treated. Their range of vocalizations is amazing. Sometimes you can almost feel as though you are in conversation with them! Our problem - the kids want to keep one from every litter.
Great page. I have two Chihuahuas and love them very much.
I actually have a "Chorkie". She is a mix between a black short-haired Chihuahua and a tan and black Yorkshire Terrier. Her hair is a good 2 and a half to 3 inches long, shorter than her moms and longer than her dads. She is completely black, but has some spots of tan around her mouth. And i know this sounds bad but when i read the part about them falling, that reminded me one time when she was like 3-4 months and she was in a purse and she dropped like 4 feet and landed on her back. she totally freaked me out because she had just jumped, but nothing happened to her, in fact when we got home after that she was running around the house like crazy. Chihuahuas are very speedy dogs :P just another thing its nice to look at both breeds because the picture with the long haired and short haired chihuahuas you could easily see that my dog is slightly taller. shes only 2.5 pounds and fully grown. just felt like sharing good article.
That sounds adorable! I've never seen one before.
At first I wasn't sure I would like having a Chihuahua, preferring the very large dogs instead but where we lived at the time we weren't able to have a large dog so we adopted our first Chihuahua, Toto in 1993 when he was 3 yrs old. When he was 8 1/2 yrs old we got Rocky(Monster). Toto passed on in June 5, 08. Just recently we adopted our 3rd Chi.
The baby was born on July 3, 08 and the adoption took place when she was 6 1/2 wks old. We named her Kandi and what a sweet little ball of energy. Our other adopted kiddo's, Rocky(Monster) and our Russian Blue kitty - Ms Beasley, get along very well with her but at times they feel the need to 'warn' her not to come too close.
Toto and Rocky(Monster) have changed my mind concerning Chi's and that's why we searched for another after our Toto passed on. Kandi promises to be a good example of the great breed that Chihuahua's are.
A lot of people are converted after they get their first Chi. They get a bad rap with so many people that I think too many people are reluctant to get one and find out how wonderful they are.
i like chihuahua's. i played with it when i was i my friends home..
i have 2 chis,
they're the most adorable, healing dogs i have ever had. They sleep in my, or one of my my 4 daughters beds, they understand everything and can feel our fealings. After being a long time lover of larger dogs, i am totally converted to these armpit nuzlers. Soon i hope to breed my tea cup sized chi's, our chi's are always fashionatable because my 4 daughters love to buy them the most adorable little outfits. lots of love lisa from the Soth Africa
They really do feel your feelings. They sense what's going on and they love to comfort you when you're feeling low. I've never had another breed of dog that could do that.
who ever thinks these types of dogs r ugly is da most stupidest person in da world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I luv Chihuahuas!! I have 1 myself she has had puppies 1 time now shes pregnant again i so excited
Chihuahuas are definitely my favorite dog breed!
I also have a Chi I adopted just over a year ago and am actually clueless on what you all are saying. My boy is one of the worst dog's I have ever had and does not understand my feelings what so EVER! He knows right from wrong and still tends to do bad and dis-obey all that I say.
my 8 week old chihuahua is such a swwetheart! she loves my kids and my cats. sh is such a joy to have!!
I just got my first Chi 4 days ago. his name is Leonidas. I hurt my shoulder real bad in a Motto Cross accident so I have been healing up at the house. Leo & I have been having a great time getting to know eachother. he is just over 6 weeks old. I never thought I would own a Chi. I am real glad a friend of mine gave him to me. Told me having him around would make me feel better. We are having a great time, I hope we have many years together.
dude these dogs are like amazin but i dont hav a dog so i am trying to get u no the old folks into getting me one man!!! i hav ALL cats man its its not that cute anymore so i want one dang DOG! teeeee he hee!
i want a chi so bad theyre adorable i read this and now i no whut to do with my new dog if i get one i doubt tho well ill get one when i mi=ove out ugh! i such a cluzts so ill have to be carefull
i have two cute chihuahuas and i love them to death!!!!!!
They are very inexpensive right now because of the ercession, as strange as it is to say that. I got a new Chihuahua puppy two months ago for about a third of what they normaly go for locally. It's a good time to get purebreeds in general because of the lower prices.
Great article-- I have a good friend who has two teacup chihuahuas rescued from a puppy mill raid. They are now therapy dogs working in a truancy prevention program, and they are both hugely popular with the children, and extremely effective in their work- the program has had an amazing success rate! That over top top cuteness factor never hurts. . .
i have a male and female chihuahua that i am thinking of breeding, any tips would be greatly appreciated! they make life more exciting and definatly put a smile on my face! especially when they think its christmas when u come home!
i have two chi. i luv them to death
i want 1
chihuahuas are adorable
My little Princess Fiona recently suffered from a fall. Poor Fiona fractured four small bones in her left paw and wore a cast for eight weeks! It was incredibly sad and unfortunately way over priced. Poor thing was practically sedated for a month. She is doing great now and especially loves wearing clothes! She loves camping, taking baths, and listening to your every word. Simply irreplaceable!
hi ich liebe hunde
hey i have a really cute chi named bruno like the mafia bruno he wakes me up all the time.
i love them alot...........LOVE IT
Hi
Some lovely photographs on your hub!
Another thing to be aware of, particularly with the smaller chihuahuas are blood sugar disorders. Their blood sugars can fall sometimes after playing and so it can sometimes help to offer them something to eat or drink if they look more lethargic.
Wat een lieve hondjes zeg!!!
echt schattig:D
the white chihuahua in the oink sweater is so adorible.is she free? poor thing:(
awwww so cute .in the pink sweater. LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
just got a chi yesterday shes sooooo tiny nd cute:) nd not so bad $700
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Whitney05 says:
2 years ago
That second picture is too cute. The pup's head is too big for its body. Ha.
I like the breed, but I'll stick with yorkies as my small dog of choice. They have similar temperaments as chihuahuas though.