Mini Chihuahua: how do dogs look and how to keep them?

Miniature chihuahua dogs, or as they are also called chi-chi, are classified as companion breeds with pronounced protective abilities. Despite their tiny size, these dogs are very brave and very loyal. In this article we will dwell on the history of the breed, the features of appearance, character, as well as the intricacies of caring for dogs.

Nothing is known for certain about the exact origin of the mini-chihuahua dogs, however, according to archaeological excavations, the breed was known in ancient times in Mexico. Hernan Cortes, who came to the country in 1520, first described these miniature dogs. In his message addressed to the King of Spain, he told that the Aztecs use these miniature animals as food - presumably Chihuahuas were raised on special farms and sold on the market.

Another mystical custom is associated with this breed - when the Aztec was dying, then his dog was also buried with it - it was believed that the Chihuahua helps the soul of the deceased to go to another world. However, animals were introduced to the civilized world only three centuries later - in 1884. Immediately after that, the popularity of miniature animals soared literally to heaven, and all secular ladies wanted to have such a charming companion for themselves.

The breed got its name in honor of one of the Mexican states - Chihuahua, These animals are considered one of the smallest dogs in the world. Growth of an adult pet varies from 15 to 22 cm, weight - from 1.5 to 3 kg.A separate type of “super mini” stands out - the weight of these dogs does not exceed 1 kg. In the middle of the last century, some breed standards were developed, these parameters are considered very strict.

General characteristics: the body is compact, in males the height from the paws to the scruff is approximately equal to the length of the body, respectively, the body proportions are close to square.

In bitches, the body is more elongated, as nature provides for the need to raise and give birth to puppies. The head is apple-shaped, the muzzle has the shape of a sharp shortened wedge, tapering in the direction from the eye sockets to the nose, the nose itself is tiny, slightly upturned, any color is allowed. Lips are light or dark, salivation is absent. There are 42 teeth in the jaws - 20 at the top and 22 at the bottom, scissor bite, in some cases a straight line is allowed.

The eyes of a chihuahua are very large and expressive, mostly brown, less often, but there are dogs with bright eyes. The relative size of the head, the ears are quite long, erect. When the pet is in a friendly mood - it spreads them in different directions so that the tips hang a little. The neck is medium length, near the base of the skull is thickened. In males it is more massive than in females; the withers are practically not expressed.

The back is quite strong, slightly widened. Males are generally shorter than females. Muscle tissue is secreted on the lower back; in females, it is slightly elongated due to a predisposition to childbearing. The croup is even, the slope is practically absent. The sternum is voluminous, formed due to rounded ribs, in accordance with the standards, an excessively massive barrel-shaped form is considered a defect.

The tail of the mini chihuahua is set high, narrowing from the base to the tip. A healthy and active dog always keeps him upright and slightly curved. When the animal is calm and relaxed - the tail drops, but still retains the shape of a crescent.

Chihuahuas are always covered with hair, they can be short and long-haired, but hairless dogs do not exist. Any color is allowed: black, white, fawn, but among exhibition breeds pets with chocolate and bluish-pearl tones of wool are especially appreciated.

Before you purchase a mini chihuahua, you should clearly understand that this dog is quite easy to provoke aggression, so for families with small children they are not suitable. At the same time, they are very smart and intelligent creatures and very brave - they are always ready to defend their master from cars, people and other dogs.

A chihuahua is a monogamous who loves only a single person, his owner. He will try to treat all other family members with patience and even with a touch of indulgence, but he will not tolerate excessive attention and obsession with his person, so he can even bite a child if he wants to play with him.

Many breeders who previously owned other breeds of dogs often consider the Chihuahua to be too intrusive, but in fact, the pet shows exclusively mutual interest. If you have no desire to play or too many chores, then rest assured - your little miracle will not bother, but will take care of its toys or simply go to bed. These dogs are very helpful and sensitive.

Pets always notify their owner of incoming guests and phone calls, so they are especially appreciated by hearing impaired people. These funny animals are able to lie by their owner for several hours when he is sick, but they are ready to go for a walk at any time of the day or night. Small dogs are quite daring, we can say that they have a truly Mexican temperament.

If they believe that something threatens their master, then they will enter into the most dangerous conflicts. These are real “knights”, brave, but with a kind and soft heart. Chihuahua does not tolerate loneliness, in any stressful situation, the animals begin to shake with a small tremor.

Until the age of three months, Chihuahuas are considered to be "children", from 3 to 5 months, they begin to grow rapidly, then it slows down, and the pets begin to slowly gain all the remaining grams and centimeters, if a pet is destined to become a very small dog whose mass does not exceed 1.5 kg, then at 5 months, its growth stops altogether.

At this time, the teenager is more like awkward awkward animals, in which literally all parts of the body seem to need improvement: the head is too small, it is disproportionate, the sternum is small, the legs are long. From the outside it seems that the dog is all composed of only one corner. If your pet is a long-haired breed, then at the age of five months it does not much resemble that beautiful dog, which will turn into over time.

In the same period, the teeth begin to change in animals, first the sharp incisors change, and immediately after them the fangs. At the same time, the very first molt is going on, some individuals begin to lose their hair literally in shreds to bald patches and bald spots - at this moment it is extremely important to ensure that the animal receives vitamins, minerals, and biotin in the body.

Very often, after replacing the teeth, the ears of a young chihuahua fall, so special calcium components must be added to the feed.

By 8 months, the change of teeth is completely completed. Keep in mind that chichi often grow molars at a time when milk has not yet fallen out, they seem to grow an extra row. In this case, you should contact your veterinarian in order to tear out milk fangs that have become unnecessary.

Do not try to do it yourself, otherwise instead of dairy, you can snatch out the permanent ones and thereby damage the health of your pet. It is undesirable to delay a visit to the doctor, if you do not get rid of milk teeth in time, then young chi-chi will bite, and besides, fangs growing in two rows begin to accumulate food debris, which leads to inflammation and caries.

In females, the first estrus occurs by the age of 8–9 months, males at about the same age begin to be actively interested in the female representatives and put “marks” throughout the territory. From this moment, animals can already give birth. After the very first estrus, growth in females most often stops; in males, this process ends by 9 months. But, the final appearance is formed only 1.5-2 years.

Mini Chihuahuas usually live from 15 to 20 years, in this parameter they are significantly ahead of dogs of many other breeds. A whole range of factors affects the life span of a pet:

• balanced diet;
• normal weight;
• full care.

Of no small importance is the genetic predisposition, which is individual for each dog, and regular veterinary examination. According to statistics, the smaller the dog, the more health problems it has, any veterinarian can confirm this. Mini Chihuahuas are prone to the following pathologies:

• hydrocephalus:
• obesity;
• hypoglycemia;
• heart disease;
• bronchitis;
• tracheal collapse.

At the same time, most of the problems that chi-chi face, with the right approach and timely treatment, quickly disappears, without giving any complications.

Officially, there are two types of chihuahua:

• Shorthair

• longhair

Depending on the weight category, the following classification parameters are established:

• standard - animals weighing 1.5-3 kg;
• mini chi chi weighing from 1 to 1.5 kg;
• super mini - These are animals whose mass varies from 500 g to 1 kg.

It is noteworthy that the less the dog weighs, the higher its cost, however, in this case we mean the mass of an adult dog, not a puppy. The fact is that puppies are born into the world at a weight of 75-100 g and grow for almost a year, it is not possible to predict in advance which class the animal will belong to. Although with a certain degree of probability it can be assumed that if both parents weighed less than 1 kg, then the offspring will be limited to this weight category.

Do not forget that the lifespan of mini-pets is less than that of standard-sized animals.

Be sure to look at the photos that the breeders show, many unscrupulous sellers are deceiving and place photos of someone else’s pet or one of their most successful ones in the ads, but in reality they offer a completely different one.

Usually, those responsible to the seller meet the wishes of the potential buyer, and unscrupulous people try to evade in every possible way and not send a new image.

To minimize the risk of buying a chihuahua, it’s best to contact to specialized breeding nurserieswho are registered Kennel Federation of the Russian Federation. Dog prices vary depending on the class of the puppy: show, pet and brit.

Brit has good breeding data, so it is often used for breeding.

Dogs from the pet category can become good pets, but they are unsuitable for participation in international exhibitions, as they have pronounced deviations from the accepted standard, they are no longer used for breeding, they cost less than others.

Before buying, be sure to determine why you need a puppy. If you intend to take him to competitions and expect to receive prizes, you will have to invest in a show class, always with titled parents and a good pedigree.

Be sure to preliminarily study exactly how the puppy should look, and even better, when choosing, invite an expert to evaluate the puppy's category. A pedigree will also be needed in the case when you buy a dog for the soul, if there is no such document, you run the risk of buying the most common mestizo or even a thoroughbred dog. The presence of a pedigree is always a guarantee of a stable psyche of the animal and a good pet exterior.

Unscrupulous breeders often resort to one more trick, playing on the desire of any buyer to save. So, puppies whose cost is close to 20 thousand, they offer for 10, arguing that the low cost of the fact that his parents - titled dogs had an “unplanned mating”. This term is used today to justify the absence of a pedigree.

Usually, the buyer creates in his head a picture of how two high-class dogs did not mate at the right time and it is not possible to straighten such a puppy a document. In practice, more often than not, under this vague wording is nothing more than the intercourse of dogs of different breeds. As a result, animals of various sizes and colors are obtained, which most often, with all desire, cannot claim the name Chihuahua, most often the buyer receives “pug chihi” or “chiho-toy”.

When choosing a dog, it will be useful to take the advice of experienced breeders.

Do not believe the claims of the breeders that your dog will certainly belong to the show class only because both of his parents are champions. Statistics say that There is no direct connection and even the most famous dogs may have a puppy with pronounced differences from the standard.

It’s easy to take care of chi-chi. Due to its super-miniature size, the Chihuahua dog perfectly coexists both in a spacious private house and in a small city apartment. Keep in mind that these animals are unable to restrain their desire to go to the toilet for a long time, so if you are not able to walk the dog 2 times a day, then it is better to immediately buy a tray for it, so that the pet can already cope with it.

The baby must certainly have his own personal space where he will sleep and rest, feeling completely protected. In the first few days of staying in a new house, it is best to keep the dog in a small aviary.

As you get used to it, the radius of walks can be expanded - for a start, leave the animal in a closed room, then let it out into the corridor, and then completely allow it to walk around the living quarters.

It is best to choose small designs so that the dog does not freeze in them. As the dog grows and develops, the tray with saucers will need to be gradually moved away and set in the final place after a couple of months, for example, the bowls can be placed in the kitchen, and the tray in the bathroom or on the loggia.

Caring for the fur of four-legged pets of this breed usually does not create any difficulties for the owner, the condition of the animal's hair directly depends on the type of food the dog has. It is recommended to comb the pet 2-3 times a week with a special massage brush and, if necessary, select all the fine litter. The hair is combed in the direction of hair growth. Long-haired dogs should be cut from time to time in areas near the anus and between the fingers, this is necessary in order to maintain the dog in a hygienic condition.

Chihuahua's wool is contaminated quite slowly, it is a very clean animal, so dogs do not require frequent bathing. All washing procedures are carried out only as greasy perspiration occurs, if you arrange this more often, then this can cause overdrying of the skin. Chihuahuas are usually bathed 3-4 times a year, and you need to use specialized shampoos for this.

They dry the pet with cold air from a hair dryer, then wrap it in a warm towel so that it absorbs the remaining moisture and warms the pet. After bathing, you must definitely comb your doggie, since bath procedures usually cause a little moult.

Chihuahua ears tend to accumulate a lot of dust and excrete earwax, therefore, periodically Carefully clean the inside with cotton wool soaked in ear cleaning fluid or ordinary warm water. Convex eyes should be washed a couple of times a week with tea leaves or a weak solution of furatsilin - this will save them from tear sediment and various mucous secretions.

Do not forget to regularly cut the claws, but you need to do this as carefully as possible, since they grow together with the vessels that feed them and, with careless movement, you can damage sensitive paw pads.

When carrying out the haircut procedure, be sure to look at the nails - they are transparent in the light, so you will immediately notice the border of the pulp from the inside.

At a young age, it is strictly forbidden to leave your pet unattended, the fact is that his bones are quite fragile, while the fontanel on the skull is large, in this regard, all sorts of jumps from the chair to dense surfaces can, at best, result in fractures, and in the worst, severe injuries.

During this period, wear a chihuahua with one hand under the tummy, and the other under the ass. Keep in mind that the dogs are brisk, they always turn out and try to jump, and this is fraught with head injuries, therefore the grip should always be soft, but tenacious.

To make the movement of the animal around the house safer, the first time, while you are not used to the dog, you can put on a small bell, so the pet will be able to inform about its approach every time. This will reduce the likelihood of stepping on a tiny dog ​​to a minimum.

All packages, wires, as well as packaging must be removed from the floor. Animals of this breed have great love for them and uncontrollably gnaw everything that comes under their teeth, while they can swallow pieces of plastic that are not naturally excreted from the body.

It is necessary to walk the dog in a tightly fixed collar, if the fixation is weak, then the pets begin to get scared, get out and run away. On streets with high traffic, as well as in crowded areas, it is better to hold your pet in your arms.

On the street of these formidable, but small dogs, another nuisance awaits - crows and other large birds. The fact is that small chihuahuas often remind them of mice and rats that birds hunt, so they can get closer to the dog and even start to bite. In the cold season, take your pet out into the street exclusively in clothes, he needs jumpsuits and boots. The fact is that these dogs have impaired thermoregulation, so they very often freeze.

Even the smallest dogs nevertheless remain carnivorous creatures, and the diet for your pet should be so that the share of meat products in it is at least 80%. Chi-chi are very capricious and fastidious dogs, so you will have to proceed not only from the usefulness of the product, but also from the taste preferences of the animal. The dog should get protein from lean meats (veal, beef, chicken or turkey), it will be useful to occasionally introduce a menu of lactic acid products, eggs and fish.

The meat is only boiled, a couple of times a week it is allowed to eat offal, it is best to use the liver and heart. The source of carbohydrates for the pet is porridge - dogs like buckwheat, oat, corn and rice. It is best to cook them in meat broth, and add a little grated cheese for taste. Vegetables are added to the feed as a useful vitamin supplement: carrots, as well as pumpkin, potatoes or zucchini, always in crushed form with the addition of sunflower, linseed or sea buckthorn oil.

Chihuahuas respond very well to fruits, so they can safely give strawberries, bananas, raspberries and apples. In winter, fruit purees can be offered to pets instead of fresh fruits.

In conclusion, we should focus on the pros and cons of this breed. The advantages of a chihuahua include:

• compactness - with such a pet, you can even enter those shops and institutions where the entrance to animals is usually strictly prohibited, whether it is a smooth-haired or fluffy dog;
• comfortable walking - this dog does not feel any need for long walks, in order to warm up properly, it is enough for the pet to jump along the corridor, animals can stay indoors for months and not feel any longing for fresh air;
• economy in nutrition - Chi-chi eats very little, so it takes a little money to feed him;
• good health - almost no breeding work was carried out on dogs of this breed, therefore they preserved all those qualities and the immunity that they inherited from long-standing ancestors;
• accuracy - Chihuahuas are not able to harm the home environment, they are more likely to harm themselves, but will never bite on slippers or tear furniture in the house.

Of the minuses, the following can be noted:

• injuries - dogs are quite fragile, if you fail to grab them, then you can do harm, so when living together with such pets you have to be extremely careful;
• breeding difficulty - unfortunately, Chihuahuas almost never give birth on their own and without the help of a veterinarian, since the miniature size does not allow them to push the cubs out of the womb;
• difficulties of training - these animals cannot be called incongruous in any way, but nevertheless they cannot be trained, these animals primarily perceive intonations and only after voice phrases, therefore each team requires a long memorization.

In the next video, you can watch 4-month-old mini chihuahua puppies.