Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is an intelligent, charming, comical, entertaining and loving dog who is devoted to its owner. This breed needs close contact with its family and makes a great companion pet. Chihuahuas or Chis can have delusions of grandeur and will challenge much larger dogs to a fight. These tiny dogs have to be watched carefully or they could be severely injured in any altercation. Chis are good with older children if raised with them. The Chihuahua is too small to be a small child’s or toddler’s pet. Chihuahuas are intelligent and can be trained fairly readily. However, like many toy breeds, the Chi can be difficult to housebreak, especially in bad or inclement weather. An indoor cat littler box is a good solution to winter housetraining. Some Chihuahuas can be overly insecure and early socialization while a puppy is recommended. Chis make good watchdogs but their excessive barking is annoying and they may need some obedience training to break them of this bad
habit. This breed does fine with novice dog owners but enjoys the company of other Chis. Owners may consider getting a pair of Chihuahuas, so they can play together.
The Chihuahua is the smallest of the toy dog breeds and in fact all dog breeds. The Chi has a rounded head with large erect ears and a short tapered muzzle. Chihuahuas can weigh from 2 to 6 pounds and stand from 5 to 9 inches tall at the withers. Small Chis less than 3 pounds can be unhealthy. There are two varieties of Chihuahuas – Smooth Coat and Long Coat. Both varieties of the breed are similar except for their coats. Smooth Coat Chihuahuas are the most popular and have smooth, glossy and soft coats where the hair lies close to the body. Long Coat Chihuahuas have longer soft coats with feathered tail, ears, neck and feet. Any coat color is allowed for both varieties of Chihuahua. The Chi breed is a member of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Toy Dog Group.
The world’s smallest dog was likely developed in Mexico maybe as far back as the time of the Aztecs. The Long Coat Chihuahua was probably developed later in the U.S. Chihuahuas are a superb apartment dog and are very popular with older people and shut-ins. Chihuahuas were ranked 11th in 2005 AKC registrations. Chis usually get enough indoor activity that they don’t need any regular exercise. When you take this breed outside for a walk, they may require a warm jacket or sweater in cool weather. Try not to let this breed jump off furniture as they can easily injure themselves.
Smooth Coat Chihuahuas need occasional grooming with a rubber brush. Long Coat Chihuahuas need regular brushing and trimming. This breed can have a single soft coat which has minimal shedding or a double coat with moderate shedding. Check your puppy’s teeth to see that they are coming in correctly and keep checking adult teeth regularly for tartar. Chis have a life expectancy of 15 or more years and except for small dogs less than 3 pounds are generally healthy. Common health problems may include luxating patellas, dental problems, heart murmurs and collapsing trachea. Chis less than 4 pounds may suffer from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Because these dogs may be prone to collapsing tracheas, harnesses are recommended instead of collars. Before buying a puppy make sure that both parents have been screened for luxating patella.
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