Chihuahua

This breed comes in just about every color and pattern you care to imagine, in either long or short coat. However, if you are looking for the "Mexican Hairless", please realize that this is a misnomer. Though some of the smooth coats carry less hair than others, they are still not as hairless as a Chinese Crested.

Next to it's size, the this canine's most distinctive features are it's apple shaped head and large soulful eyes. Once you get a good look, it's hard to resist this very cute breed.

Personality Traits

The Chihuahua, also known as a Chi, may be the smallest breed of dog, but it certainly packs a wallop in the personality department. Though many may still have that image of the trembling Chi so prevalent decades ago, today's Chihuahua is a different customer. Thanks to the wonderful work of responsible breeders, the Chi fancy has been able to greatly improve the temperament of this adorable breed.

This member of the toy breed is more likely to be the King/Queen of all it surveys. They are quite robust and even terrier-like in temperament, and full of self confidence. Of course, every dog is an individual, but overall, the improvement in personality has been amazing. It should be noted that while these dogs have a natural love for children, the tiny size of these dogs does not make them the best pets for young children.

This breed is territorial, believing deeply in the pecking order, and will bully each other to establish their place in the order of dominance in their family group. Normally these issues resolve themselves, but if you find two of your pets are Alpha males/females, you'll likely have to resign yourself to keeping them separated.

Trainability

Training does seem to be the Chihuahua's one weak point. That's not to say they are not intelligent enough to learn, because they are. However, this animal is driven by strong territorial instincts. This results in wetting around the house to mark territory, and females seem to be no better than males in this respect. This means you must be absolutely diligent when commencing potty training, and be sure to thoroughly clean up any accidents so your pet isn't drawn back to that spot. Some owners find a litter box or Wee Wee Pads helpful.

Chihuahuas do actually take well to obedience training, and can learn to follow commands given consistently. This may actually be of some help with the potty training issues many owners face. Agility training also seems to appeal to their mindset, and there is nothing so adorable as the sight of one of these little mighty mice racing around the course at full tilt.

Due to their affectionate and gentle nature with humans, these toy dogs also make wonderful therapy dogs, brightening the atmosphere during nursing home visitations.

Chihuahua Grooming

Grooming a pet Chihuahua is fairly straight forward. The breed comes in two varieties; Smooth Coat and Long Coat. The smooth coated variety is a breeze to bathe and dry, and even though the long coat carries more hair, it is still fairly easy to maintain as long as you take care to comb through the fringes and the skirt at the rear. You can bathe as often as once a week if you wish.

Toe nails and ears do need to be checked more regularly on this breed. Because they do not spend the amount of time running around as other breeds, they don't have the opportunity to wear their nails down, so keep them clipped. Ears should be cleaned out twice a month with a cotton swab dipped in a little alcohol.

Health Concerns

The biggest health concern is presented by this breed's unusual head. While puppies of most breeds are born with an opening in the bone at the top of their skull, it closes with maturity.

The dog's opening, called the molera, is meant to remain open all of it's life. This means that you will always need to have some care for your pet's head, but this almost never presents a problem unless the opening is unusually wide. An exceptionally wide molera at birth could be a sign of hydrocephalus, and though very rare, it's worth examination by a vet.

The Famous Taco Bell Chi

This dog brought a great deal of attention to the breed, though it was not the best representative of the standard. However, a Chi is a Chi, and Gidget made her mark. Her influence was also felt at Chihuahua rescue programs across the nation, when hasty owners surrendered their pets after realizing the amount of attention the breed requires.

External links

• Chihuahua Club of America
• Chihuahua Owner Forum
• Chihuahua Rescue