Chihuahuas are one of the smallest dog breeds in the world!
The Chihuahua is a dog with a personality that is far bigger than his small size. Thare are super alert and amusing with a big-dog attitude. A national symbol of Mexico, they are one of the oldest breeds of the Americas, with a lineage going back to the ancient kingdoms of pre-Columbian times. They love a lap as much as they love ruling a household. Their small size makes they great for city living although they do not like cold weather but we see that as an opportunity to buy her some cute clothing.
Fun Facts about Chihuahuas
The Great Dane towers over his small Chihuahua friend in size but not in personality
Chihuahuas Stay Small
If you want a dog that stays puppy-size forever than a Chihuaha may be for you. These cuties should not get above 10 lbs and can often be found curled in a donut position on your lap or burrowed under the cover.
Chihuahuas Have Long Lifespans
The Chihuahua dog has a life expectancy of between 14-16 years making them one of longest living breeds.
Chihuahuas are Loyal and Loving
Chi’s love their people. They want to be with you all the time, everywhere. They are happiest curled in your lap or on your pillow next to you. Their small size makes them very portable.
Chihuahuas Have Fun, Playful Personalities
Chihuahuas have much bigger personalities than their size. They are quirky, funny and extremely aware of everything going on around them. Watch out or they will rule the roost!
Basic traits of the Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are Smart & Easy to Train
Chihuahuas are intelligent and quick learners and eager to please. They also tend to respond to positive reinforcement (aka food) so have plenty of treats on hand nad your Chi should be relatively easy to train.
Chihuahuas are Great Guard Dogs
Chihuahaus are extremely alert and intelligent while also tending to mistrust strangers. These attributes make them great guard dogs. They are small but mighty.
Chihuahuas are Affordable to Feed
Depending on their size the Chihuahua dog needs between 4-10 oz of food a day.
LEFT: Long Coat Chihuahua, RIGHT: Short Coat Chihuahua
Do Chihuahuas all look the same?
The AKC recognizes 2 types of Chihuahuas - Short Coat and Long Coat. To the undiscerning eye, all Chi’s may look the same when in fact there are 7 noticeably different subsets to the above 2 varieties.
What are the different coats of The Chihuahua?
Short-Haired Chihuahua
Also known as smooth Coat, this is the most common type of Chihuahua and the one you are most likely to see walking around the hood and at the local shelter. They are easy to groom and shed minimally.
A Short Coat Chihuahua sporting the Christian Cowan x Maxbone JumperDon’t forget a sweater in winter months as the short-haired Chihuahua can get cold in winter months. Remember these dogs come from Mexico! Our personal fave is the Christian Cowan x Maxbone. #Justsayin’.
Long-Haired Chihuahua
The Long-Haired Chihuahua simply has long hair! They can sometimes look like a Papillon. It take up to 2 years for the full, beautiful coat to develop. Make sure to keep the coat clean and groomed.
To keep their coat silky smooth try THE SHEDDER by PRIDE+GROOM. It’s all natural and contains a unique blend of beneficial essential oils.
LEFT: Apple Head Chihuahua , RIGHT: Deer Head Chihuahua
What are the Different head shapes of The Chihuahua?
Apple Head Chihuahua
This is the most common head shape. Apple-head Chihuahua means her head is rounded and shaped a little like … you got it… and apple with a shorter muzzle!
Deer Head Chihuahua
The deer head is slightly longer with no slope on the nose. They look more “deer-like” than the apple head. Deer head Chi’s often grow a little larger than their apple-headed cousins.
The Pear-Head Chihuahua
In fashion terms, the pear head is a collab between the apple-head and the deer-head. (Apple-Head Chihuahua + Deer-Head Chihuahua = Pear-Head Chihuahua). The skull resembles a pear with flatter skulls and larger muzzles. There is nothing special or exotic about this shape so don’t be taken in by a breeder who tries to up-sell you.
3 Teacup Chihuahuas modeling their name!
The Teacup Chihuahua
The Teacup Chihuahua is not a different breed than the aforementioned Chi’s they are simply smaller. As the name implies they are breed to be small enough to fit into a teacup as a puppy. When fully grown they must remain under 5lbs and below 9” tall to be considered teacup. Their small size causes them to be prone to many health issues such as bone fractures, heart disease and other painful disorders.
The Fawn Chihuahua
Fawn refers to the color of your Chihuahua. Fawn is a beautiful light shade of brown but can range from tan to reddish-brown to yellowish brown to bluish-brown.
Chihuahuas come in lots of different color ways
What else do you need to know about owning a Chihuahua Dog?
Are Chihuahua’s hard to groom?
Given their small size, Chi’s are relatively easy to groom. A sink makes a good bathtub for these small creatures. The bottom of a sink can be slippery so think about a small rubber matt so they can hold their footing.
Long-haired chihuahua’s need more brushing to help with shedding. We are partial to THE ONLY BRUSH by Pride+Groom.
On one side, the ONLY BRUSH has natural boar bristles; on the other, it has steel pins. In addition to smoothing follicles, releasing natural oils, and improving circulation, pins loosen dirt and hair and remove mats and tangles.
Chihuahua’s are fragile
Chihuahuas may act like a big dog but their small size makes them a little more fragile. Even if it seems like your chi has springs on his feet, jumping on or off the sofa can cause injury or leg issues.
Chihuahua make great apartment pets
Talking about their size again! Their small size makes them a good option for apartment living. Just walking from room to room can be a workout for their little legs.
Chihuahuas are loyal
Chihuahuas are such a loyal breed that it can sometimes work against them. They are so devoted to their person(s) they can get snippy and nippy with strangers.
Adopt don’t shop
Adopting is always a great option as it saves a life, not to mention lots of $$$. Chihuahua’s are a ver popular and sometimes overbred breed so they often show up in shelters. If you are looking for one check out Petfinder where you can search by breed, location, age, gender … Chihuahuas one of the top 10 breeds abandoned to shelters.
Tagging your Chihuahua
All dogs should wear a collar with your name and number on it and be chipped if possible. Because of their size chi’s can often get through that small space in even a fenced in yard. Because of their loyalty and devotion to you, if you go out they may try extra hard to find you and get lost in the process.
Chihuahuas have small fragile necks so always walk your Chihuahua with a harness as opposed to a collar as it is more comfortable for them and if you have to tug them back from a dangerous situation you will not hurt them.
We love the soft, step-in harness from Dog line as it's light and super easy to use.
We hope you found this helpful. Have any more questions on Chihuahuas? Feel free to reach out we love chatting with out customers or future customers.
Also Read - Why You Should Choose a Chihuahua as Your Emotional Support Animal
WHO IS PRIDE+GROOM?
PRIDE+GROOM was born because 4 New York City dog lovers wanted the same level of grooming products for their dogs that they themselves enjoyed. They looked (hard) but nothing was up to snuff. Or sniff. Like so many, we love our families and take pride in our homes, and we consider our pets to be integral parts of those entities. That said, we could not find an effective way to coif them that was on par with the way we tended to our children, our homes, or ourselves. These beloved pets are allowed on the furniture and in our beds, and yet even when fresh from the groomer, we knew they did not smell or feel as good as they could.
With the development of our coat-specific shampoos, conditioner and deodorizing spray, we think we found just the way to say thanks for being the best and the sweetest MVP of the house.
PRIDE+GROOM is the first dog grooming brand launched under a beauty platform, with formulas made in a clean beauty and scent lab. We know beauty is not only skin deep. We did a ton of research to create the entire line. Each product is formulated with its own unique blend of essential oils sourced from around the world.
Also Read - How to Groom a Bichon Frise?
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