The Chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world, adorable but big in personality. They are a very varied breed. Some are timid, some are bold, and they come in many different coats and colours. They make fantastic companions for life.
Known for being handbag dogs, they love nothing more than hanging out with you, they may be small, but they can easily compete in agility. They often become attached to one person, but be aware that spoiling this breed could end up with a very demanding dog.
Chihuahuas are good with older kids and love to play, so they will spend time running around the garden with them. They can try to dominate smaller children, so don’t get this breed if you have young children who may not treat them respectfully.
Remember, a bored dog is a destructive or barky dog, a Chihuahua may be tiny, but they will soon find a gap to escape from if they are left out in the garden.
Chihuahua requires minimal exercise and love to be carried around being a couch potato. They will still need a short daily walk, at least around the block.
They make for excellent watchdogs, one of the best breeds. They will be alert to everything little thing going on. They mistrust strangers, and you will need to ensure they are socialised early to combat this.
Chihuahuas are intelligent and relatively easy to train. You must identify their reward motivation early on to get the best results. They won’t respond to harsh or forceful tactics so keep training fun and playful. They are notoriously tricky to house-train. You have your work cut out!
They will usually be OK with other dogs and pets in the family, as long as they are brought up with them. They recognise their breed, so getting two together is a great idea. They will be ordinarily adorable with each other. They are not too keen on strange dogs and other animals, they may be small but they don’t think they are!
They have short coats but still shed a little all year round. You will need to brush them weekly to keep them nice.
Chihuahua Dog Stats
The Chihuahua is the world’s smallest dog and its history is mysterious. Some believe that it originated in Asia, others that it came from Europe. But no matter where the breed got its start, it really is a dog of Mexico. Figurines found in Chi-Chen-Itza, Colima, and other ruined cities of the South American continent are very much like the present-day Chihuahua.
- Size – 15cm –20cm
- Weight –1.8kg –2.7kg
- They live for 12-15 years