The Chihuahua |
ICHIHUAHUAS
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| A Look Back The Chihuahua’s history is shrouded in mystery, but some believe he originated from the Fennec Fox, a very small animal with big eyes and ears, which could explain the tiny frame, luminous eyes and large ears on the breed today. Chihuahua’s were used in religious ceremonies and were pets to the upper class. The breed derives its name from the Mexican State of Chihuahua, where the earliest specimens of the breed were found. Right Breed for You? Chihuahuas are alert dogs with terrier-like qualities. They are good with families if the children are gentle and patient. Because of their small size, they require little exercise and are good city dogs, but can be sensitive to cold temperatures. Smooth coated Chihuahuas need very little grooming due to their short hair. Long coats need occasional brushing but still require minimal grooming. |
| Vaccinations- Caring for your Chihuahua starts from the moment you bring your him or her home. One of the first things you should do is schedule a visit to the vet to get his or her next vaccination. Vaccinations are time sensitive and need to be done in a series usually 2-4 weeks apart until 16 weeks of age. Vaccinations are very important to your dogs day to day health. Vaccinations protect your Chihuahua from deadly diseases. Flea, Tic, & Parasite prevention- When it comes to keeping your dog healthy, parasite prevention is key. Dogs can play host to a whole slew of infectious parasites, and these alien invaders are extremely detrimental to their health. Unfortunately many common parasites do not make their presence readily known, and symptoms are so slight, that dog owners have no indication of how bad the infestation is until their dog becomes extremely ill. Speak to your veterinarian about a worming and prevention protocol for your pets. Some of the newest flea and tick coverage also includes heart worm protection as well. Feeding- A good diet is the most important aspect of Chihuahua care. The food you choose to feed your Chi will determine how healthy your Chihuahua will be and how long they will live. Chihuahuas have small stomaches and it best to feed your Chi 2-3 small meals a day rather than one large meal. You should feed your Chi a protein rich diet with only small quantities of carbohydrates and as few “fillers” as possible. High Quality foods can be found in most pet stores and pet specialty stores. Check ratings on dog food at www.dogfoodanalysis.com or http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com to help you choose a good quality food that is available to you. Training- Like feeding, training your Chi is a key part of Chihuahua care. Chihuahuas are smart dogs and are most receptive to training between the ages of 7 weeks and 12 months. Starting your Chi’s training early on in his life will make the process much easier for you. If you have adopted an adult Chihuahua, it is still perfectly possible to train them but it will take a little more time and effort. As soon as you get your Chi you should establish yourself as the alpha pack leader and train your dog with a gentle but firm hand. Consistency is most important here as is socialization with children and other dogs. If you are inexperienced in dog training or have adopted a dog that displays behavioral issues a dog trainer or dog training classes could help you and your dogs relationship. Cesar Milan, an expert dog trainer who has been named as The Dog Whisperer in a popular TV series teaches dog training and behavioral correction in dogs. Below is a link to Cesar's website for free training tips and tools www.cesarsway.com . Exercise- Chihuahuas love to play and explore and caring for a Chihuahua involves exercising them daily. Your Chi will typically have short bursts of energy and because of this, you should keep your walks brief. Some smaller Chihuahuas may not need walking at all if they have a medium size room or yard to play around in. Routine Care- People often ask me how to care for a Chihuahua so they are not at risk from illness. Vaccinations, a good diet, preventative worming, flea & Tic prevention, teeth brushing, grooming, and regular exercise should help you Chihuahua to avoid most common health complaints. Hypoglycemia- Chihuahuas, especially as puppies are particularly at risk of hypoglycemia. Missing regular feedings in a very small chihuahua puppy can be deadly. Chihuahua puppies are small and don't have the reserve to keep them going without a continuous replenishment of nutrients. Clinical signs of hypoglycemia include weakness, lethargy, total lost of interest in food due to weakness, altered mental state, twitching, tremors, vomiting, seizures and coma. If left untreated, hypoglycemia will be fatal. If an owner suspects hypoglycemia, they can help to increase blood sugar by rubbing a small amount of Karo syrup on the pup's gums and tongue. Care must be taken not to administer too much or to get it in the back of the throat, causing aspiration or obstruction of the air way. The pup must then be immediately taken to a veterinarian for further evaluation or treatment. Free feeding in small puppies at an early age will help prevent an incident. If your puppy is not eating be sure to take your chihuahua/puppy to a veterinarian to determine the cause or Hypoglycemia can occur. Too much of a good thing- People often overfeed after puppy hood putting their Chihuahua at risk. It is important to monitor your dogs weight after one year to maintain good health and longevity. Lots of owners do not realize the health risks associated with their overweight dog. There are many health risks associated to obesity in dogs such as heart disease, diabetes, knee problems, and anal gland issues. Too much food or too many treats can greatly affect their health. We recommend rewarding them with something with fewer calories and better for their teeth such as chew toys, other dogs toys, or walks. Grooming- One of the most enjoyable parts of caring for Chihuahuas is grooming. This a time when you can really bond with your Chi and strengthen your relationship. Chihuahuas come in two types: shorted haired and long haired. Short haired Chihuahuas need only a little brushing every once a week or so. It is best to use a soft bristle brush, grooming glove or wipe her down with a soft cloth. Long haired Chihuahua need to brushed more often, 2-3 times a week and in some cases where your Chihuahua has a particularly long coat, it is a good idea to brush her daily. For long haired Chis, use a soft bristle brush followed by a medium steel comb to keep their hair tangle free. Bathing- Opinions differ on how often to bathe Chihuahuas. While some experts say that bathing your Chi too often will remove the natural oils from their coat making it appear dull, others argue that regular shampooing can actually enliven the coat’s sheen. It is up to you to decide for yourself about this, but I would recommend bathing your Chi at least once a month. Some long haired Chihuahuas need to be bathed more and it is important to brush their coat before and after bathing since otherwise, any tangles will be very difficult to remove. Make sure you don’t get any water in their ears as this can result in ear infections. Nail Trimming- Nail clipping is one of the more challenging aspects of Chihuahua care as most Chis don’t like to have it done. However, if their nails become too long it will be uncomfortable for them so cutting their nails is a necessary evil. There are two types of nail clippers you can buy: guillotine style clippers or scissor style. Choose which ever you find easier to handle. Chihuahua puppies have a vein running through their nails which will bleed if it is cut. The trick here is to trim the nail beyond the vein; this can be tricky and it may be best to watch a professional dog groomer do it first before you attempt it. If your Chihuahua’s nails are clear in color you should be able to see the vein easily. If they are darker you’ll have to shine a light on the nail. Your Chi will most likely squirm around, try to escape or may even try to bite you while you are doing all of this and it is a good to ask your dog groomer how best to hold your dog safely. Tear Stains- Chihuahuas have large and luminous eyes so tear stains especially in light colored dogs are very common. So cleaning their eyes stains is part of the grooming process. An easy solution is to clean their eyes is with saline solution and a cotton swab. Depending on the severity of the staining this may or may not remove all staining. There are many products on the market you can use made for removing eye staining. There is also a product that veterinarians, groomers, and breeders give great reviews called Angel eyes. They product can be found at http://www.angelseyesonline.com/ . Teeth- Chihuahuas are not famous for having the best teeth. Most likely due to their size and often shorter muzzle. Teeth brushing and lots of dental chew toys and regular teeth cleanings will prevent tooth loss, decay, and worst case scenario infection. Giving puppies plenty of chew toys will help with the natural process of teething. Some puppies retain teeth and they are later removed by a vet. Giving puppies chew toys regularly can help them lose their baby teeth so that the adult teeth can come in. Here is a all natural product for your pets teeth that you can begin at 8 months of age to maintain healthy gums, teeth, and give your pet fresh breath at the same time http://www.petzlife.com/catalog/oral-care-products.html . Ears- Cleaning the Canine Ear Under normal circumstances a dog's ears will not become a problem as long as they are kept clean. To ensure the cleanliness of your dog's ears, it is easiest to establish a routine that whenever you groom your dog you check your dog's ears for waxy buildup, ear mites, matting of hair in the external ear, redness or inflammation around the ear, retention of dirt, foreign material, or objects, in the ear canal. Should only a gentle cleaning be needed there are some things that you should never do. For the health of your dog, DO NOT use soap and water. DO NOT poke or probe the internal ear canal, or the delicate tissues of the ear. DO NOT use Q-tips, or any other cotton tipped swab. These could push dirt, or foreign objects, deeper into the ear canal, causing a more serious problem. For a gentle cleaning of your dog's ears, you can use mineral oil applied to a cotton square and gently wipe the surface of the external ear. Potty Training- Many people believe it is extremely difficult, or even impossible, to potty train a Chihuahua, or other small dog. Fortunately, it is not as hard as people think, and there is no reason a healthy Chihuahua cannot be house trained. Basically, it's the same as house training any dog, with one difference: Chihuahuas are very small and they have very small bladders, so you have to keep that in mind at all times when training them. They just cannot "hold it" as long as a bigger dog of the same age, and this is especially true when they are puppies. These instructions are geared towards potty training a young Chihuahua puppy. If your Chihuahua is older, and still not fully potty trained, you should follow the same instructions as if your dog were only 8 weeks old, in order to finally get your older Chihuahua trained. With an older puppy or dog, remember that the dog already has bad habits, and it will take some time and effort to break those habits and replace them with new good habits. Here are some simple steps you can take. 1. Set up a potty schedule. A typical 8 week old puppy has to go potty approximately every 2 hours, plus whenever puppy eats, drinks, wakes up, or finishes playing. Yep, that does kinda turn out to be all the time! An 8 week old Chihuahua puppy needs to go potty approximately every 45 minutes to an hour -- plus after eating, drinking, playing, sleeping. So you can see that a strict schedule and vigilance is absolutely key to house training your Chihuahua. Some of the tinier Chihuahuas may need to go potty even more frequently at first. With proper training, a healthy puppy will gradually gain more control and be able to wait longer with no ill effects. 2. Stick to your potty schedule. Take your Chihuahua puppy out, or to his potty area if you are training him to potty indoors, at each of the designated times you set in step 1. If your puppy doesn't go potty at this point, you should put her in her crate for about 10 minutes and then try again. Repeat as needed 3. Supervise your Chihuahua puppy carefully. She should be confined to her crate whenever she cannot be supervised completely, but not for a longer time than she can wait. Every accident is a bad habit in the making. Every accident is also your fault, not your Chihuahua's. Dogs are creatures of habit. They thrive on habit and ritual and they love knowing what is going to happen next. Stick to your schedule, supervise your puppy, and soon you will have potty trained your Chihuahua. 4. Increase the time between potty breaks very slowly. Your Chihuahua puppy needs time to learn his new habits, as well as time for his muscles to develop so that he can control himself better. Eventually, you'll have a little more freedom -- and a clean house -- if you are diligent with the training now. Tips & Warnings Use your puppy's crate as you would a playpen for a toddler: to keep him from mischief when you cannot closely supervise. Never punish your Chihuahua puppy for an accident. Doing so will only lengthen the entire process of house training and teach your Chihuahua to fear you. If you cannot make it home on schedule every day, as an alternative, you can set up an enclosed area, on a washable floor, such as a part of the kitchen or laundry room, where you can place a bed, toys, and pee wee pads, along with water and food for the length of time you are away at work or shopping. Alternative Potty training methods- Chihuahuas are small dogs. Indoor potty training or indoor/Outdoor combination training has become a popular choice for people without yards, have extreme weather, who live in apartments, who are housebound, and have unpredictable work schedules. Some people choose a combination of inside and outside training while others choose inside or outside only. Potty Pad training Steps 1. As soon as you bring your chihuahua puppy or new dog home, place her in a confined area. A puppy pen or a gated area is perfect. You don't want to allow your new chi to run free (and out of sight) before understanding where she is to relieve herself. Make sure this space is visible to you, and preferably in a tiled or easily cleaned area. You don't want your dog to feel punished or left alone in this area, and you also don't want to be cleaning up "accidents" on carpet. 2. At one corner of the confined area, place a good quality pee pad. These pads smell like pee to the puppy (not to humans though!!), which makes her want to go there. The pad should be as far away from their sleeping and eating area as possible within the space as your puppy will instinctively want to keep the sleeping and eating area clean. 3. Know when your chihuahua is about to go - and direct her towards the pad at these times. This may sound like it's easier said than done, but if you are able to spend time watching and playing with your puppy throughout the day - at least for the first week or so - and you're consistent with eating and playing times, you'll quickly learn the times (and signs) when she needs to go. Chihuahuas are small, and will have to pee frequently (puppies - about every 2 hours, adults - every 4). As soon as she gets up from sleeping, right after (or even during) a play session, and about 20 minutes after a long drink of water (like during meals), your chi will have to pee. Place her on the pad at these times and tell her to "go potty". When she goes, praise her quietly until she's done (you don't want to startle or scare her - and possibly stop the flow of events - with a loud celebration). Then when she's done, give her lots of love, pats, play time, etc. 4. If you catch your chihuahua in a squat off her pad, interrupt her quickly (not negatively - just a simple "ah-ah" will do), lift her up and move her to her pad. When she pees there, praise as above. Clean up any mess off the pad quickly and quietly - being sure to use a urine smell removing cleaner. 5. As your chi seems to be getting the hang of peeing on the pads in her confined area, you can expand her space. You may want to put multiple pads around the areas you want to let her explore, so that if she needs to go now, she can easily find a spot. This will also allow you to move her quickly if you catch her going off her pad. 6. If you want to eventually have a chihuahua that pees outside, you can use the same methods as above and gradually move the pad closer and closer to the door, with the end result being her "telling" you she has to go by sitting by the door! Litter Box Training Steps 1. Place a small litter box in a quiet area with a non-absorbent floor. Chihuahuas are social dogs and can become distracted if the litter box is located in a busy area. This distraction can lead to problems with training. Place the box in a rarely used bathroom, laundry room or basement. 2. Spread newspapers or puppy pads around the box. Doing so will catch any litter that is on the Chihuahua’s feet and also will provide for easy clean up if the dog goes outside of the box. 3. Take the Chihuahua to the box at the same times every day. Dogs usually have to eliminate before they go to sleep, and after they eat and wake up. Take it to the box whenever it shows signs it needs to go, such as sniffing the floor or walking in a circle. Putting the Chihuahua on a schedule will help it to learn how long it has to hold its bladder and bowels before it can release them in the appropriate spot. 4. Reward your Chihuahua with treats and praise. Chihuahuas thrive on attention and petting. After your Chihuahua has eliminated in the box, pet and talk to it enthusiastically as its reward. You also can give it a treat it especially likes. Providing this type of reward encourages your Chihuahua to keep up the good work. 5. Clean up any accidents with enzymatic cleaner that is designed to eliminate dog waste odors. If your Chihuahua can smell where it relieved itself previously, it will likely return to that same area. Enzymatic cleaners, however, completely eliminate the smell, which can prevent the dog from returning to go potty again. Our Best Wishes to you and your Chihuahua! |
| Chihuahua Care & Training |
| General Appearance A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament. Size, Proportion, Substance Weight - A well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds. Proportion - The body is off-square; hence, slightly longer when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks, than height at the withers. Somewhat shorter bodies are preferred in males. Disqualification - Any dog over 6 pounds in weight. Head A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera. Expression - Saucy. Eyes - Full, but not protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby. (Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.) Ears - Large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose, giving breadth between the ears. Muzzle - Moderately short, slightly pointed. Cheeks and jaws lean. Nose - Self-colored in blond types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored. In blond types, pink nose permissible. Bite - Level or scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault. Disqualifications - Broken down or cropped ears. Neck, Topline, Body Neck - Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. Topline - Level. Body - Ribs rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped"). Tail - Moderately long, carried sickle either up or out, or in a loop over the back, with tip just touching the back. (Never tucked between legs.) Disqualifications - Cropped tail, bobtail. Forequarters Shoulders - Lean, sloping into a slightly broadening support above straight forelegs that set well under, giving a free play at the elbows. Shoulders should be well up, giving balance and soundness, sloping into a level back. (Never down or low.) This gives a chestiness, and strength of forequarters, yet not of the "Bulldog" chest. Feet - A small, dainty foot with toes well split up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.) Pasterns - Fine. Hindquarters Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm and sturdy. The feet are as in front. Coat In the Smooth Coats, the coat should be of soft texture, close and glossy. (Heavier coats with undercoats permissible.) Coat placed well over body with ruff on neck preferred, and more scanty on head and ears. Hair on tail preferred furry. In Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Ears - Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Tail - Full and long (as a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff on the neck desired and preferred. Disqualification - In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness. Color Any color-Solid, marked or splashed. Gait The Chihuahua should move swiftly with a firm, sturdy action, with good reach in front equal to the drive from the rear. From the rear, the hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and rear, will tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity as speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and plenty of reach in the front, with head carried high. The topline should remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves. Temperament Alert, with terrier-like qualities. Disqualifications Any dog over 6 pounds in weight. Broken down or cropped ears. Cropped tail, bobtail. In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness. |
| The AKC Chihuahua Standard |