I am in middle school and I LOVE dogs. I have a Lab right now and she is about as hyper as dogs can possibly get. I am looking to adopt a baby chihuahua and the owner said that he will be 4 1/2 lbs. when he is fully grown. My family can definetly aford him and everything he needs, but are they usually really hard to take care of?
Answers:
Chihuahuas are a real "ify" breed. You really never know what you are gonna get. Maybe one could say that they might have the tendency to be a bit radical at times. They are the only canine that can actually experience a psychotic episode. The chihuahuas that I have known were pretty cool dogs. If this one will only be 4.5lbs, that is tiny! One thing you may need to be aware of is the fact that little dogs can get injured easily, especially when a big playful lab is getting a bit too roudy.
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YES! I have a little girl chihuahua and you have to constantly carry them arround 24/7.
They do not like to be left alone and are very sensertive.
no more than any other baby animal. just give them lots of love and attention.
Heck no. they are no different to care for than a larger dog except they may get chilly easier and a sweater or blanket will rememedy that. they are much more fun
my parents have a chihuahua and they're still having problems house breaking it 'cause they're so skitish that he wets wherever he's at.
Well, it depends. My friend has two chihuahuas and one of thems SUPER hyper and the other one is calm and gentle.
Chihuahuas are very lovable and loving dogs, I have a 9 month old teacup chihuahua. But there are definately some things you should look into before getting a chihuahua.
First of all, it is best to get one when it is a puppy. Because they are so small, they are very wary of small children and other dogs. If you do decide to get one, you should socialize it with as many children, other dogs, and people in general as possible. I got my puppy when she was already a few months old, and she lived with 2 large dogs before so she is pretty good with dogs, but unfortunatley I cannot bring her around children that often because she was not introduced to them early or often enough. Also, they have very sharp little teeth, and when they feel threatened, they will NOT hesitate to bite!!
Also, chihuahuas are very tiny and fragile. If you have younger brothers or sisters, or smaller kids that frequent your house, be sure to teach them to be very nice and gentle with him/her. Also be sure to watch your lab and him/her interact so she doesnt accidentally hurt the puppy. In my experience, larger dogs are very careful with mine, but she has been nearly stepped on on more than one occasion.
Thirdly, chihuahuas are prone to many health complications- I wont go into too much detail about them because I am not a vet, but be sure to get a book on chihuahuas at your pet store so you can be aware of the symtoms if you do decide to adopt one. Hydrocephalus (water on the brain), Patella Luxation/ Luxating Patella (a problem with their knee), Seizures, a Collapsed Trachea (windpipe), and Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), just to name a few. Because of their large ears and eyes, they are also more prone to infections in those areas. Many of these problems can be quite costly if your chihuahua develops them- my puppy has a fluxating patella on her right leg, and our vet says that the other one is loose also, so most likely both will need surgery. In the end, it will cost me more than $3000.
Other than that, chihuahuas are fairly easy to care for- they don't need much excersize at all- playing fetch for a few minutes a day is usually plenty. If you do bring him/her on walks, remember that they have tiny legs and it is difficult for them to keep up, so walk at a slow pace. She/he will become very attatched to her owner also, so dont be surprised if he/she trys to follow you everywhere. If you live in a colder area, they dont do well in the cold at all. I live in the midwest with very harsh winters, so I have a poddy pad i keep in the laundry room for her to use in the winter, and i keep one there in the summer too just in case. It was very easy to teach her to use it- she pretty much figured it out on her own actually! They dont eat much at all, so be sure the food you feed him/her is quality. They LOVE to beg, but if you give him/her human food, make sure you put it in their food dish so begging doesnt become a habit, and also dont give them too much. Many human foods are not good for any dog either- i mostly just give mine meat scraps.
So, if you do decide to adopt a chihuahua, they are wonderful, loyal, intelligent little creatures. Just be sure you are up for the challenge of training, and if anything happens to it that you and your family are prepared to take care of it. Good Luck!!
My family just got a chihuahua puppy, when we got him he didnt weigh 1 pound, he is now about 2 pounds, and is the greatest dog.... the one and only issue we are having is house training him. Because he was so small we had to use pee pee pads at first, be was so small he wouldnt move if we put him outside, and now were having a bit of trouble getting him to keep going outside.
I have 3 kids, one of them being a 13 month old baby, and he does great with them, they carry him around and he even happily plays with our older lab/collie mix lady, he loves to play ball, and or with any small toy that makes some sort of noise, he likes our cat toys better than they do. LOL
They are very easy to care for, and his small size is made up by his huge personality.
He doesnt freak out too much when we leave the house. we put him in his kennel and that helps alot, or when its really nice out we'll put him out with the older dog. He complained for the first day of being in his kennel but he doesnt mind it now, he doesnt want to come out when we come home and open the door, he just lays there content.
Hope this was helpful.
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