| Chihuahuas: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Chihuahua personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Chihuahua, including these excerpts:
"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 with all the world, while others loathe every person on the planet other than their owner.
Most 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 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."
History
Legends connect him with the Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations. He takes his name from the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Size
5-8 inches and 2-6 pounds, but larger individuals (6-12 pounds) are common and make sturdier pets |
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Chihuahuas
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- 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 comical and entertaining
- 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 when strangers or strange dogs approach
- An extremely careful search to avoid neurotic Chihuahuas
A Chihuahua may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Chihuahua... |
My major concerns would be:
- 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 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. |
- Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Chihuahua on my Top 10 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.
- Mind of their own. Chihuahuas are not Golden Retrievers. They can be manipulative. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
| To teach your Chihuahua to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Chihuahua Training Page discusses the program you need. |
- Suspiciousness and barking. 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.
- Unstable temperaments. Chihuahuas are a dime a dozen, and most of them are bred and offered for sale by people who don't have the slightest idea of how to breed good-tempered dogs. Obedience instructors and behavioral consultants see LOTS of Chihuahuas with neurotic behaviors, including biting, mindless yapping, and general nastiness.
- Avoiding the hype. Have you heard these phrases? Teacup Chihuahuas? Miniature Chihuahuas? Pocket Chihuahuas? Standard Chihuahuas? Some breeders use these cutesy phrases as "marketing terms" for the different weights that Chihuahuas come in. All of these phrases are made-up. The only classifications that Chihuahuas should be put into is Smooth Coat and Long Coat, i.e. you have a Smooth Coat Chihuahua or you have a Long Coat Chihuahua. But you do NOT have a "Teacup" or a "Miniature" or a "Standard." Yes, certainly, Chihuahuas come in different weights, but they do NOT come in different weight "varieties". Whether they weigh 2 pounds or 6 pounds or 10 pounds, they are called, simply, Chihuahua. Some are simply smaller or larger than others. For the show ring, they must weigh less than 6 pounds, but many individuals weigh up to 8 or 10 or even 12 pounds. These larger dogs are certainly sturdier, so don't dismiss them as good pets.
| In fact, I do NOT recommend a Chihuahua under 4 pounds. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their bones are extremely fragile. There is not enough room in their mouth for healthy teeth. Their internal organs are often weak and can fail suddenly. They tend to have great difficulty regulating their blood sugar and can suddenly fall into hypoglycemic comas.
Responsible Chihuahua breeders never try to produce these tiny high-risk creatures. If a tiny one pops up in one of their litters, they do their best to find the best home that can keep it alive, yes, but they try hard NOT to produce them in the first place because it's not fair to the poor little creature.
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On the other hand, some breeders deliberately breed tiny high-risk Chihuahuas because they can sell them for high prices to unsuspecting owners, or to owners who selfishly demand that they "want" one because it's "adorable" or to satisfy their "mothering" instincts. Don't be one of these people. If you reward these irresponsible breeders by giving them your money, you are encouraging them to keep producing tiny, sickly, short-lived creatures. No, be a responsible buyer and stick with Chihuahuas who will mature at 4 pounds and up, who have the best chance of living a normal healthy life. In this way, breeders will be motivated to produce these sizes. (These individuals, by the way, will weigh at least 2-3 pounds at 10-12 weeks old.)
| Not all Chihuahuas are alike! |
- There are energetic Chihuahuas, and placid Chihuahuas.
- Hard-headed Chihuahuas, and sweet-natured Chihuahuas.
- Serious Chihuahuas, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Chihuahuas, and Chihuahuas who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Chihuahua puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Chihuahua... |
There are plenty of adult Chihuahuas who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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