Dog breed Chihuahua – This is what you should know about them!
Table of Contents
Size
Chihuahuas are known to be one of the most miniature dog breeds, and their height ranges between six and nine inches. There have, however, been cases where chihuahuas have grown as tall as 15 inches. The shape of their heads characterizes the different types of chihuahuas.
Chihuahuas can have a skull formation resembling an apple head or dome. There used to be a third recognized type of chihuahua with a ”deer-shaped” head, but they are not considered a separate type. Instead, the shape is regarded as a deformation or a digression from the chihuahua breeds standard head shapes.
Weight
Standards for this breed in Britain and America dictate that even the tallest chihuahuas should not weigh more than 5.9 pounds. No matter the bloodline of the chihuahua, they may become overweight quite quickly if their diet is not monitored.
Color
Chihuahuas are in many colors: black, white, fawn, cream, chocolate, and gold.
Dog Breed Chihuahua Coat
Chihuahuas have thin hair around their head and ears and a ”tight fitting” shiny and smooth coat on the rest of their bodies. They have a patch of more dense, slightly longer hair on their neck. The long-haired chihuahua and the short-haired chihuahua have double coats, an undercoat that hugs the body, helping to regulate their temperature, and a top coat that protects the undercoat from harmful factors.
Dog Breed Chihuahua Shedding
Suppose you’re looking for a dog with minimal shedding, then a chihuahua is an excellent choice. While chihuahuas do shed right throughout the year, they shed light to moderate amounts at most. Since chihuahuas have double coats, they shed more during certain seasons (winter to spring and summer to autumn), but even then, their shedding is reasonable. Brushing them regularly will also help keep their coat smooth and shiny and reduce the amount they shed.
Dog Breed Chihuahua Temperament
Chihuahuas have extremely versatile personalities and can differ immensely from one dog to the next. There is a pop culture based around chihuahuas being aggressive, yet some chihuahuas are the most loving animals you will ever meet. They embody the saying that dynamite comes in small packages, as they are tiny dogs with larger-than-life personalities. Chihuahuas’Chihuahuas’ typical personality traits are loyalty and love.
Chihuahuas are also highly clever animals and do not do their own well. They are prone to suffering from separation anxiety. They will thrive in a home where there is always someone around or where they go everywhere their human goes. Chihuahuas make great family pets if they are treated well.
Chihuahuas can be pretty vocal when they don’tdon’t like something or don’tdon’t agree with something. If they see a stranger in your yard or find something out of place, they will bark until the situation changes to something that they find more favorable.
Dog Breed Chihuahua Health
Chihuahuas are genetically predisposed to neurological issues like muscular dystrophy, congenital deafness, and neuroaxonal dystrophy. They may also struggle with gum disease and joint problems like ”trick knee” better known as patellar luxation.
Dog Breed Chihuahua Lifespan
Chihuahuas tend to live for around 12 years, and the oldest recorded chihuahua, still alive in this article, is twenty-three years old.
Best Diet for Dog Breed Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are known for having sensitive stomachs, so it is wise to research the best food for a chihuahua before you get one as a pet. Knowing what chihuahua foods to avoid is also a good idea. A good diet for a chihuahua consists mainly of the muscle meat of certain animals: lamb, chicken, fish, and beef.
They can also enjoy the meat of turkeys and bison. They can also enjoy fruits, eggs, and vegetables. Many wet foods or dry kibbles have already been made from these ingredients. If you prefer, however, you could always feed your chihuahua homemade dog food from these ingredients. Thankfully, the internet provides easy access to multiple recipes and instructions on making homemade healthy dog food for your chihuahua.
The best food for chihuahuas can be a mixture of different elements, as chihuahuas are omnivores meaning they eat both meat and vegetables. However, the main ingredients in their diet need to be fat and protein. Chihuahuas don’tdon’t have a high tolerance for any ”added extras” in their food, such as chemical additives. Chihuahuas thrive when they eat small portions multiple times throughout the day. Giving them snacks and feeding them three solid meals daily is a tried and tested practice.
Chihuahuas don’tdon’t need a lot of food to thrive, and overfeeding can cause health issues for your chihuahua. It would be best to consider their size and activity level when deciding how much to feed your chihuahua. The average chihuahua needs to consume about 50 calories a day to thrive; however, if you have an extremely active chihuahua, you can increase its calorie intake to the amount they thrive. It is also essential to know which chihuahua foods to avoid.
Chihuahuas are prone to have sensitive stomachs and allergies, so if you notice them being lethargic or any other strange behaviors pop up, you should start by making changes to their diets. Chihuahuas can also be quite fussy about what they eat. Their teeth are sensitive and relatively small, so they should be fed softer foods rather than exceptionally tough foods.
There are lists of foods dogs breed chihuahuas and many other dog breeds should avoid, like chocolate, coffee, and onions. Doing your research before getting any pet to ensure you know how to care for them properly and give them the best diet possible. Some plants are even fatal to animals and should be removed from your garden if present before you get any pets.
Origin of Dog Breed Chihuahua
It is said (and shown through DNA testing) that chihuahuas derived from a much earlier breed of dog from Siberia and only entered North America a couple of thousand years ago. After this breed of dog entered North America, they were still in isolation from other dogs for another couple of thousand years before the Europeans arrived in North America.
The DNA from this historical dog breed is almost completely wiped out, and a small portion of their DNA lives in two species of Mexican dogs. One of those breeds of Mexican dogs is the chihuahua. The first chihuahua was registered in 1904. The ancestor of the chihuahua breed, the Techichi breed, was bred for many different purposes.
One of these purposes was quite similar to why chihuahuas are produced today. This purpose was companionship. Other breeding goals included rituals and religious ceremonies, and sometimes they were even bred as food. Interestingly, the breed chihuahuas are derived from wasn’t known to be very vocal. They have been thought of as ”mute” dogs, yet the chihuahua breed is so extremely vocal that it makes an interesting contrast compared to their ancient ancestors.
