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, entertaining, and loyal little dogs, absolutely brimming with personality -- often a quirky and eccentric personality unmatched by any other breed.

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.

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

Chihuahuas have a reputation for being noisy/suspicious/threatening toward strangers, and this is partly deserved. Some Chihuahuas do loathe every person on the planet other than their owner and are more than happy to to let everyone within earshot know it.

However, many other Chihuahuas are standoffish, but will eventually approach people in their own good time, especially if the person isn't pushy or insistent. And some Chihuahuas are very friendly and will go to anyone.

Most Chihuahuas live peacefully with other dogs and cats in their own family, but they tend to raise a ruckus when they spy a strange dog. You have to put a stop to this from day one or it will get out of hand.

Chihuahuas do seem to recognize and prefer their own breed, so it's a great idea to keep them in pairs. They keep each other company when you're gone, they play together, clean each other's ears (Chihuahuas can be obsessive ear-lickers!), and keep each other warm by snuggling together.

Chihuahuas adore warmth, oh, yes! They will seek out the tiniest sunspot in which to bask, and they tunnel under blankets and towels. You have to be careful whenever you sit down on your sofa or bed, as there could be a Chihuahua tucked under there!

The most difficult thing to teach a Chihuahua? Housebreaking. Chihuahuas can be VERY difficult to housebreak, especially in cold or wet weather. Consider an indoor litter box, or a doggy door that leads out to a covered potty area.

If you want a dog who...

• Is small and easy to carry
• Comes in a variety of sizes, coats, and colors
• Is comical and entertaining in eccentric ways (hard to describe -- you gotta be there!)
• Takes himself seriously (which makes his antics even funnier!)
• Makes a great watchdog
• Doesn't need much exercise
• LOVES warmth
• 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)
• The fine line you need to walk with toy breeds, where you need to protect their safety, yet require them to stand on their own four feet and be well-behaved
• Notorious housebreaking difficulties
• Suspiciousness, shrillness, and highstrung temperaments in some lines, or when babied or spoiled or not socialized enough or made to behave

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. A covered potty area is strongly recommended. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary so your dog can run outside the moment he feels the urge in his tiny bladder. And some owners, unfortunately, never do get their Chihuahua fully housebroken.
3. Providing enough socialization. Suspicious by nature, Chihuahuas need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural suspicion can become shrillness or downright nastiness. Many Chihuahuas will put on a display of excited ferociousness (in other words, they pitch a fit!) when other people or animals approach what they consider to be "theirs." Which, for some Chihuahuas, extends to the entire street. It sounds funny, but it's not, 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 them when they unwittingly instrude on "his space."
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. Chihuahua shed! Because they're so small, their shedding is not usually a big issue for people, but I did want to mention it (Chihuahuas shed!) since many potential owners have been misinformed that Chihuahuas are "hypoallergenic" or "light shedding." This is not true at all. I have an apricot Miniature Poodle, a tricolor Papillon, and a dark gray Chihuahua (officially, this color is called blue), and if you come to my house on any given day, you will leave with dark gray hairs on your clothes. Chihuahuas shed!
   
   Now, how MUCH they shed depends on what kind of coat they have.
   
   Chihuahuas, you see, come in four coats:
   
   
   • Short coat, double. This is a short outer coat (somewhat harsh to the touch), plus a woolly undercoat for insulation. Because of the two layers of hair, this coat sheds more than
   • Short coat, single. This short coat has no undercoat, so it looks and feels very sleek.
   • Long coat, double. Just like it sounds -- a long outer coat, plus a wooly undercoat. This coat needs the most brushing and combing, takes more blow-drying after a bath, and sheds a good deal. (Some double-coated longhaired Chihuahuas are so bushy they occasionally resemble Pomeranians.)
   • Long coat, single. A single long coat has no undercoat, so it lies closer to the body and is quite pretty. It's much easier to groom and sheds less than a double coat. (Many single-coated longhaired Chihuahuas actually have a shortish body coat, with their feathering restricted to their ears, the backs of their legs, their stomach, hindquarters, and tail.)
   
   
6. Finding a healthy one and keeping him healthy. Chihuahuas are more prone to injury resulting from their tiny size, rather than to illness or disease. But they ARE very susceptible to dental disease (their mouth is often too small for healthy teeth) and loose knee joints. Other health issues in Chihuahuas include corneal ulcers, collapsing trachea, and liver shunt.
   
   
   My dog buying guide, How To Buy a Good Dog, will teach you everything you need to know about finding a healthy Chihuahua. 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.

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