What should I know about Chihuahuas?

whatseekye said:

According to the AKC, the breed standard limits a chihuahua to weigh 6 pounds. Those dogs you were holding were probably 5 or 6 pounds, unless the breed standard allows heavier chi's. This is not a big dog by any means!

You should know that if you use the phrase "teacup" with any reputable breeder, you might get your ears ripped off. Conscientous breeders who love the breed chihuahua are very offended by the term because it is not official, and no living animal should be described to fit inside of a ridiculously small object. Because of all the pressure from unprofessional backyard breeders advertising "Tiny! Teacup Chihuahuas!" and all the people who want to buy a smaller and smaller dog, this is a bad trend for the chihuahua. Because crummy back yard breeders are trying to breed a smaller and smaller chihuhua. It is just not healthy for a chihuahua to weigh 1 or 2 pounds. If you want an animal that small, get a pet rat. I have pet rats and they do weigh between 1 and 2 pounds. I hope that puts it in to perspective!

I have heard that because of the pressure to breed smaller dogs, 2 abuses are happening. First of all, the small chihuahuas tend to have tragic internal defects. Who wants to have a sick dog with thousand dollar vet bills that doesn't live as long as it should. (A healthy chihuahua will outlive a cat! You want your dog to live that long! 18-23 years+)

Second of all, I have heard that some of the really disreputable breeders, in order to get the business, are actually starving pups to make them appear to be tiny! This has been known to happen. Maybe where you live, you don't have the worst breeders like we do in Southern California, but we have areas where people are not affluent and the thinking about animals is very backwards.

Find out what the breed standard is for your area's dog club. Also, ask to see the parents of the pup so you can get an idea for size, appearance and temperment. You might just ask what the average size of the pups will be. It's not all about weight but height too. On the other hand, why fake out the breeder? If you care about weight, ask about that. The breeders care about their dogs and want them placed with people who love them even if they get big.

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Starting again said:

That’s just inhuman! I don’t want one that small, 1 to 2 ponds is far too teeny tiny.

Thanks for all your help People, though, now I’m so discouraged, I don’t know what I want, or where to get them.

I don’t want a rat sized one, I think 3 to 4 ponds sounds about right, but I’m confused now, that’s not too small is it?

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JesusRox said:

Hmmm....
From what I understand a Chihuahua that's 3 or 4 pounds is okay just like German Shepherds and Rottweilers who exceed the AKC standard and can be perfectly healthy.

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whatseekye said:

Hi jd,

This is the best advice. A local chihuahua rescue group can also inform you about all the pro's and con's of the breed since they have so many dogs from people who wanted to get rid of them.

I have a Chihuahua, and I have talked with many chihuahua enthusiasts over the internet. I have heard some complaints about the breed, even from people who love them and have them as pets. They tend be difficult to potty train. They can be very stubborn about peeing on the rug once they get a spot started. My husband's chihuahua took two years to break her of the habit of peeing on the rug! Most people would have dumped the dog by then but my wonderful husband just learned to lay carpet and linoleum in the worst spot near the front door (that's where she would get nervous, I guess).

Chihuahua's can be very protective of their owners. That's why they snarl and snap when they are sitting on their owner's lap and another person walks up to say hello. You have to constantly warn people to not touch your dog when on the lap. My dog is more friendly if she's on the ground and not on my lap, but even then you have to approach her cautiously.
She barks if the phone rings. That is pretty annoying after awhile! She barks if anyone makes a knocking noise too. hahaha. She thinks it's the door.
My dog also insists on being on my lap or crammed next to me on the sofa. The reason is that she gets cold really easily. So you absolutely can not leave a chihuahua outside at all, not even for a little while (unless it's a sunny, warm day, and you have a very safe yard. Chihuahua's tend to get snatched since they look so cute and small, so I wouldn't leave mine outside alone at all.)

Most chihuahaus do not tolerate being left alone for very long. They do much better with older, retired people. If you do leave your chihuahua alone for long periods of time (like the normal 8 hours you would be working), the dog is likely to develop behaviorial problems such as defecating on your bed or on your sofa, or peeing on the floor. My dog actually defecated on my pillow on my bed, when I left her alone one night. My husband said she did that once to his bed years previous, when she was really mad at him.

If I leave her alone for any length of time, my chihuahua will bark and run in circles for hours and jump against the wall until there is a stain on the paint. I feel that is very unhealthy for any dog to be running for hours. She is lucky because I am staying at home, perhaps permanently. But I worry for her if I do get a job.

I know this sounds like a crazy dog. Maybe my dog is just more neurotic than most. But you never know what temperment you will get when you get a dog. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that chihuahuas tend to have certain health problems, as each breed of dog is known for different ailments. Chihuahua's tend to have luxating patella's, which means that their rear legs have badly formed knees. My dog needed knee surgery which cost me $1500. Also, chihuahuas tend to have narrow tracheas, so they cough a lot (they call this a reverse sneeze. It is a very weird sound.) Yup, you guessed it. My dog has a narrow trachea too. But thankfully, at this point, she doesn't need to go on medication for it. In some dogs, it's so severe that they need to take a drug that opens up the trachea or something like that.

Good luck in your pursuit of the perfect dog for you! Remember, don't rely on what the breeder says. She wants to sell dogs. A rescue group can tell you more information, as well as the books and web sites out there.

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cntrygrlluvsJesus05 said:

Thanks for This info . MY Father in law gotten Male Chiluhaua for Christmas that just passed. He is having nothing but problems with this Puppy. He got him at age 8 weeks old and I need more info and advice. He has kept him in a cage and wondering why he won't potty train. He wants the dog to run around but, He won't go Number two at all. Thanks for the encouragement.

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