Chihuahua

Breed Group: Toy

"I put the sauce in saucy!"

Breed Profile

These pint sized pooches aren’t short on smarts! While they make lovable and devoted lapdogs, Chihuahuas possess a ninja-like agility, graceful demeanor, and bravery that sometimes gets them into trouble.

Behavior

Chihuahuas are intelligent, graceful, and sometimes too brave for their own good. They usually bond with only one person and become highly devoted, frequently kissing the owner's face (with or without approval). The Chihuahua is suspicious of strangers, and may attempt to defend their owner, usually with little effect. These little rascals are tenacious, proud, and very energetic.

Coat

Chihuahuas can have a long or short coat and come in a wide variety of colors, including sand, chocolate, silver, chestnut, and even blue. A plethora of patterns including sable and masks are also a possibility. It’s this very variety of possibilities makes classification so difficult.

Lifestyle

Chihuahuas can usually live with other dogs and cats without problem. They get along particularly well with other Chihuahuas. Socializing the Chihuahua as a puppy is essential to prevent overt aggressiveness and avoiding World War III with other pets in your house. Small children may regard Chihuahuas as a toy, and their teasing can cause them to snap or bite. So you probably do not want to leave the Chihuahua with children under the age of 12, unless they are well-taught or supervised.

Activity

Chihuahuas can usually get all the exercise they need by running around indoors. If the dog becomes a little chubby, put on the Tai Bo DVD and get down! Actually, these dogs should be allowed to walk everywhere until the desired weight is reached. Sometimes they can be taken outside for play, but they are not very outdoorsy.

Characteristics

Space Needs
Activity Needs
Intelligence
Playfulness
Grooming Needs
Trainability
Watchdog Ability
Affection
Barking
Cat-friendliness
Dog-friendliness
Child-friendliness