Chihuahuas: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find about Chihuahua temperament, personality, and behavior.

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Chihuahua Temperament
What's Good About 'Em,
What's Bad About 'Em

By Michele Welton. Copyright © 2000-2010

Chihuahuas are comical and entertaining.

Other than that generalization, Chihuahuas are extremely variable: You can find individuals who are lively or placid. Bold or timid. Feisty or mellow. Confident or nervous. Stubborn or eager to please.

Some Chihuahuas are friendly, while others loathe every person on the planet other than their owner.

Most Chihuahuas live peacefully with other pets, though they usually raise a ruckus when they spy a strange dog. They do recognize and tend to prefer their own breed, and it's a good idea to keep them in pairs so they can play together, clean each other's ears (they can be obsessive ear-lickers!), and keep each other warm by sleeping on top of each other.

Chihuahuas are very difficult to housebreak, especially in bad weather. Consider an indoor litter box.

More than most other breeds, how a Chihuahua turns out depends mightily on the genetic temperament of parents and grandparents (entire lines are social or antisocial), how thoroughly he was socialized by the breeder, and how you raise him (continued socialization and training) when you bring him home.

If you want a dog who...

• Is the smallest and easiest of all breeds to carry around
• Comes in a variety of sizes, coats, and colors
• Takes himself very seriously (which can be amusing to watch)
• Is funny and entertaining in eccentric ways (hard to describe!)
• Makes a keen watchdog
• Doesn't need much exercise
• Lives a long time

A Chihuahua may be right for you.

If you don't want to deal with...

• The fragility of toy breeds (see below)
• Notorious housebreaking difficulties, especially in cold or wet weather
• Suspicious barking and threats when strangers or strange dogs approach
• An extremely careful search to avoid neurotic/antisocial Chihuahua lines

A Chihuahua may not be right for you.

If I were considering buying or adopting a Chihuahua

My major concerns would be:

1. Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed puppy without understanding how incredibly fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure or kill a Chihuahua by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he's curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Chihuahuas can seriously injure or kill THEMSELVES by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Chihuahua and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what's going on around your tiny dog. Chihuahuas must always be kept on-leash -- they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control.

   Chihuahuas are NOT suited to young children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Chihuahua who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Most Chihuahuas feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and fearfulness (even defensive biting) may be the result.

2. Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Chihuahua on my Top Five List of "Hard to Housebreak." Consistent crate training is mandatory. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary. And some owners never do get their Chihuahua fully housebroken.
3. Providing enough socialization. Suspicious by nature (their terrier heritage), Chihuahuas need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural suspicion can become shrillness or nastiness. Many Chihuahuas will put on a display of excited ferociousness (i.e. they "pitch a fit") when other people or animals approach what is "theirs." It's not funny, because if you don't curtail it, your Chihuahua may end up suspicious of everyone in the world, which is a short step to biting.
4. Barking. Chihuahuas are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them.
   
   
   To learn more about training Chihuahuas to be calm and well-behaved, consider my dog training book,
   Teach Your Dog 100 English Words.
   
   It's a unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program that will make your Chihuahua the smartest, most well-behaved companion you've ever had.
   
   Teaches your dog to listen to you, to pay attention to you, and to do whatever you ask him to do.
   
   
   
5. Shedding. Chihuahuas SHED. Because they're so small, their shedding is not a problem, but I include it here because some people have been misinformed that Chihuahuas are "hypoallergenic" or "light shedding." This simply isn't true.
   
   
   My dog buying guide, How To Buy a Good Dog, will teach you everything you need to know about finding a healthy Chihuahua puppy. Health problems have become so widespread in dogs today that this book is required reading for ANYONE who is thinking of getting a purebred, crossbred, or mixed breed dog.
   
   

   If you'd like to consult with me personally about whether a Chihuahua might be a good dog breed for your family, I offer a Dog Breed Consulting Service.

   
   Once you have your Chihuahua home, you need to KEEP him healthy -- or if he's having any current health problems, you need to get him back on the road to good health.
   
   My dog health care book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy is the book you need. Raise your dog the right way and you will be helping him live a longer, healthier life while avoiding health problems and unnecessary veterinary expenses.

Please consider adopting an ADULT Chihuahua...

When you're acquiring a Chihuahua PUPPY, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important.

But when you acquire an adult dog, you're acquiring what he already IS and you can decide whether he is the right dog for you based on that reality. There are plenty of adult Chihuahuas who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics that are "typical" for their breed. If you find such an adult dog, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you. Just be happy that you found an atypical individual -- and enjoy!

Save a life. Adopt a dog.

Adopting a Dog From a Dog Breed Rescue Group

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