Chihuahua owners! Your help?

Well, my dog is only half Chihuahua(other half is Cavalier) and well she is VERY smart, and sociable, she loves EVERYTHING. Loves dog, cats, people of all age, gender, and size. lol

She is NOT a yappy dog AT ALL. In fact our two Pitties barks more than her!

Although my dog is not the snuggliest of dogs, she does like to be in my lap and LOVES to follow me EVERYWHERE. Bathroom, kitchen, everywhere. Lol if I roll the keyboard back into the computer hutch she automatically jumps up because she knows I'm getting up.

My dog is very attached to me, and used to have SEVERE separation anxiety, but I trained her so now it's not nearly as bad. Most Chihuahuas develop that as well. Make sure you train your dog that it will be okay if you leave it alone.

They can be VERY stubborn when it comes to going potty outside in bad weather. lol My dog HATES going out when it's cold or raining/windy.

My dog loves to sleep with me too, and most Chihuahuas that I've known love to do the same thing.

My dog has never had a health problem so far, but I know they are prone to a few things, like patellar luxation, heart murmurs, eye abnormalities/injuries, Transient Juvenile Hypoglycemia, Cryptorchidism, Hydrocephalus, and Cystinuria. Now don't worry MOST well bred Chihuahuas are healthy and won't get these, lol I know it's a fairly long list.

Chihuahuas do NOT eat very much, mine doesn't eat much at all. I just have a constantly filled food bowl ready for her, and she eats when she's hungry, but some Chihuahuas are not like that and need to be watched because they gain weight easily. Feeding a half a cup or for the slightly larger Chihuahuas 1 cup of kibble a day, twice throughout it should be fine. So like give the dog a quarter of a cup in the morning and another in the afternoon!

Mainly make sure your dog is VERY well socialized, and don't let it get away with unnecessary barking or aggression. And like I said before try to train it that being alone can be a good thing, otherwise you will have to invest in a crate, I did for awhile.

My Chihuahua knows many things, and I believe Chihuahuas are very smart, but stubborn, so as long as you can keep control of the dog, they can be a great pet!

I know that there are THOUSANDS in shelters and breed rescues needing a home, and they are the sweetest dogs, I volunteer with a shelter and 95% of the dogs there are Chihuahuas and mixes of the such. So I suggest that you start your search there for a companion. If for some reason to do not wish to save a dog's life, then make sure you buy from a REPUTABLE breeder.

Some tips one what to look for to AVOID BYBs and puppy mills:

No reputable breeder breeds for a specific coat color. REAL breeders only breed for temperament and conformation.

There is no such thing as a "teacup" Chihuahua except in an antique store.

If the dog is a "rare" color, that is not recognized by the AKC breed standard, then it's probably not purebred.

DON'T buy over the internet! Find a breeder close to your home and drive there, see the parents and how the dogs are living, there are wayyyy too many puppy scams going on now to try and find someone over the internet.

Good luck with your new dog!

Chihuahuas are wonderful pets! Almost all my life I've had a chihuahua.

But a fair warning chihuahuas can get very attached to just one person, all the chihuahuas I've ever owned turned into territorial,possesive little guard dogs. If you do get a chihuahua and you treat it with love and affection it will become the best dog you've ever had. They can get very needy if you have just one and you leave it home alone,your best bet is to get two.(both male or both female otherwise they will fight) Chihuahuas do have delicate skin so scented soap or harsh soap can cause rashes, also the flea killer gel thingy(can't think of the name) can cause hair lose. They are also extremely sensitive to heat or cold.For some reason most chihuahuas love to eat chicken, I don't know why.

My chi-mix is 11 yrs old and I have had him simnce he was 10 weeks old. We live in an apartment.

They truly are a 'lap dog'--meaning that they love to be in your lap, and sleep close to you. They are very possessive/protective over their primary caretaker. Mine follows me everywhere, even in the bathroom!

They tend to not do well with kids--the quick movements and noise will make them bark. At least mine does not do well at all with kids.

Remember to socialize your pup well--to other dogs and people! Please have him/her neutered/spayed too!

Unfortunately I cannot leave mine home alone, as he has separation anxiety because I failed to socialize him properly. I do leave him for short periods of time, but less than an hour. Plus we are in an apartment and I cannot have him disturbing the other tenants!

He loves his little toys/stuffed animals and doesn't seem lonely.

HEALTH; No grooming costs--I bathe him once a month, clean his ears, brush his teeth, etc.

Chis are more susceptible to eye problems, and mine has had corneal ulcers a few times, from dirt/crap getting into his eyes--and then him scratching at it.

They are more likely to get knee problems (slipped discs), but mine has never had any problems.

They also are more likely to get hypoglycemia, so be sure to feed twice a day, rather than once, to help keep their blood sugar more stable. Mine has no problem with blood sugar.

He is healthy, spunky, affectionate, clever, loving, faithful and my little love. he has changed m,y life, truly.

it depends on the owner mostly. Mine loves people shell bark at first but then she's friendly. She's great with my kids and will run around with them. She's not a lap dog but she sometimes loves to be picked up and loved on. Chihuahuas are very hard to potty train. She took about 5 months to get fully potty trained. My dog loves the company of other dogs if one of the other dogs leaves without her she will make these little yowling noises. She's alright with cats loves to play chase with them. She doesn't really like to go on walks but will run around with my other dogs. Be very careful with their legs the tiniest amount of pressure on them will have them limping around for a few minutes.

because of their size a small apartment will be fine for one or two at the most. one to start off with but if you have the money to care for two then go ahead. make sure they are spayed and neutered and have their shots take them out regularly and put up all trash when you leave the house. each one will require 1/2 to 1 cup of food a day as they have tiny tummy's if you don't wish to be woken up at night for potty breaks put up their food and water after 7:00 at the earliest, and take them for a nice long walk before you go to bed. when you wake up put food and water back down after you take them for a morning walk. they are sociable critters and require love and attention. most are very good with other small dogs and kids over the age of 6 kids under that age tend to pull on their tails and legs which causes discomfort to them now you can teach them not to but if you have kids that young monitor them when around the dogs because Chihuahuas tend to be possessive and latch on to one person.if they do go in the house do not rub their nose in the mess they won't associate it with anything they did take them out immediately and keep a better eye on them. now if you have to leave the house for any length of time longer than 30 mins keep them centralized to one area with their food and water. shut doors to all rooms now if you have to leave them longer than a day have a trusted friend stop by to check on them and take them out. good luck and remember dogs can be your best friend if you treat them right

I have had a dozen or more Chihuahuas, two at a time, over the last 56 years. I have a fine little neutered male and a cute spayed female rescue. He is a four lb.handsome former stud with a fine pedigree. Good breeding establishments usually retire their breeders at about six years of age, some times they sell them. I was very lucky to get Trevor at a very low price. I am old and disabled. They are too delicate to be with children less than six years of age. They have a Moliere on top of there heads, that is a soft spot like human infants. They can be dropped very easily by small hands. They chase any thing that runs and little children do run. They like to be carried in your arms next to your body and often attempt to jump down. They are independent thinkers and very smart. Their head is about 1/5 of their body weight. They are often carried in bags and large purses as it easier to confine them and they feel safe. They do not like to be held in place and always try to jump away if you are not used to them. My Trevor loves everyone but as a stud he was not socialized early and therefore tends to bark at strangers especially men. Men are most often the ones that assist the little males when introducing them to breeding females. Chihuahuas have excellent hearing and learn easily if you start early. Chihuahuas that do not understand that you do not want them to bark are the best watch dogs they are the ones that give little dogs a bad name. The only dog said to bark more is the Dachshund. I have trained the ones that I got as ten week old puppies to not bark and to love everyone. It seems that they only bark one at a time. They are getting better and the ultrasonic whistle has helped the most with these older dogs. They hate being left alone. They bark then to get attention. My little Trevor does the barking and Gidget lets him. Especially if I have told him NO barking. My Gidget is a rescue. They told me that she and her sister were taken from a puppy mill out of state. I taught her her name in one afternoon. That is very fast. Both of them only come if it is their Idea or they think it is worth it. Real meat or carrot will get Trevor, Gidget will come if Trevor does. Because I am disabled if they choose to not come there is little I can do about it. Trevor is very good about baths and nail cutting. Gidget is not, although she is getting much more sociable and less frightened of my friends and the regular delivery people. These are the first Chi's That I did not raise from puppies and I have had Trevor two years and Gidget one year. My care givers walk them and they are slowly but surely socializing. They can not stay in the yard as they are prey size to owls and eagles, both of which we have very close by. I have had owls sweep down very close when I was walking my 4 1/2 lb.Mia early one morning in the park. Mia lived to 17 1/2 years. They are Chihuahua snobs. They do not always get on well with other breeds. Mia at the dog park sat under my chair or on my lap. My friends have tiny poodles. Trevor ignors other dogs but does poke his nose through the fence to the small dog division. Other Chi's do come up to them as well as some other small dogs. I do not take my dogs in the park only out around it. Kennel cough has been rampant there. Chi's are naturally small and were not bred down as other dogs. They live to close to twenty years. They are very healthy and very sensitive. They never forget if you are harsh or careless with them. They like their own quiet cave like secure place. My dogs each have their own heated beds, Gidget has a big pink house slipper shape bed under my key hole desk. Trevors masculen plaid bed is under a built in make-up table. I have a small microwave and my pill organizer there. I feed a high quality high protein meat based dog food. There are advantages to no Veterinary bills. I have fed Natural Balance for twenty five years. Both Mia and Gidget have food allergies. Wheat Corn and cereal grains are common allergies. Dogs should also not have milk, sugar and spices. Chia's favorite is plain boiled chicken. Do be very careful that they never get any bones. They do have very bad teeth and should not chew really hard big dog food or ice. They are very hard to potty train if you do not start early. They are notorious trash can raiders. They need to be weighted with lids. Trevor uses a small plastic red fire hydrant on a wee wee pad. Gidget stands on the pad she does not always get her whole body over the pad. They prefer seperate pads. Love being outside.

I don't own a Chihuahua, and never have.

Please don't buy, what some people refer to as, 'tea-cup' Chihuahuas...

They are NOT a breed... they are very sick dogs, usually with heart conditions.

Beware of rip-off artists.