Archive for the ‘Types Of Chihuahua’s’ Category

Long Haired Chihuahua

The Chihuahua has become one of the most popular dog breeds due to their small size and large personalities. These little guys are great companions because they crave human attention. They make the perfect pet for the apartment dweller or the elderly. If you are looking for your first Chihuahua it is important that you become familiar with the various Chihuahua types.

The first thing we will look at is coat color. Chihuahuas come in a variety of colors. Common coloring includes fawn, chocolate, white, black, silver or blue. A Chihuahua may be one solid color, or he may be a mixture of colors. The shades of these colors will range from a deep shade to a lighter shade.

The Chihuahua will have short hair or long hair. The short haired Chihuahua has a smooth coat in a variety of colors. This type of fur will produce very little shedding. You may prefer to choose a long haired Chihuahua. These little guys have a coat that is very soft and the fur can either be straight or somewhat curly. The ears are fringed with fur and the tail will be furry. Obviously, the long haired Chihuahua will shed more than the short haired Chihuahua. The long hair will also require more grooming to prevent the hair from becoming matted.

Chihuahua types are limited to only two different body types. When you are searching for a Chihuahua you may hear the terms apple head or deer head. An apple head Chihuahua will have a shorter snout and the head will be shaped like an apple. The deer head Chihuahua will have a longer snout and the head will resemble a Doberman Pinscher. If you are planning on showing your Chihuahua an apple head is what you should look for. According to the AKC website, this is the only type of Chihuahuathey will accept.

Now we need to clear up some confusion about the teacup Chihuahuas and the pocket Chihuahuas. These Chihuahua types are unhealthy dogs. Some breeders decided that by giving a Chihuahua a cutesy name like teacup and marketing them as tiny Chihuahuas they could get more money from their puppies. These breeders will induce labor on a pregnant Chihuahua to get premature puppies that will be smaller than normal. They may also breed runts with runts in hopes of getting tiny dogs. One of the most shocking things these breeders do is feed the mothers and the puppies food that has very little nutrients to stunt growth. You should think twice before getting a so called teacup Chihuahua.

When you are shopping for a Chihuahua keep in mind the above Chihuahua types. These little dogs are lovable and loyal, and once you get one you may decide you want a few more.

Teacup Chihuahua – What You Should Know

It seems that the teacup Chihuahua is being much souht after these days. These are the smallest of the small dog breeds and literally fit in a teacup. But what does the name itself denote? Is it another kind of the breed?

Teacup Chihuahua – Unraveling the Truth

By and large, there are only two kinds of Chihuahuas. They are the long-haired and the short-haired. The teacup Chihuahua is used to refer to a Chihuahua dog that weighs less than what is generally acceptable for the breeds standard weight. However, a Chihuahua puppy that is as young as ten weeks old can not be used to determine whether its size is going to be like that of the teacup. More so, checking out if the Chihuahua parents are teacups in size is not helpful as well.

A small-sized dog for a pet can be really cute and cuddly by all means. However, getting the teacup Chihuahua can impose a lot of health problems. Commonly, it can be affected by dehydration, hypoglycemia or improper blood circulation, liver, thyroid, and other respiratory ordeals. Also, being really small makes it prone to injuries which can kill them. Thus, it is not advised to keep such pet when there are little children at home.

Teacup Chihuahua

The Pros

Keeping a Chihuahua as a pet means that you have found the most loyal and affectionate companion. Basically, the Chihuahua bonds with one member in the family. However, it can turn into a jealous creature as well so it is important to socialize your Chi as early as possible.

It is a good and alert watchdog. Thus, you must train it to become quiet when necessary.

They can be easily trained and are great for apartments or condos.

The Cons

Its body is so fragile that it is very susceptible to health problems and injuries. Thus, watch out for any symptoms and go to a veterinarian for check ups reularly.

Overfeeding can lead to obesity and early death.

The Chihuahua can’t bear the cold weather. If you live in a cold climate, you’ll need to invest in some dog sweaters and coats!

Chihuahuas should always be properly trained. For more information have a look at Potty Training A Chihuahua Puppy

Since these small dogs are more fragile and prone to illness you will need to commit to being diligent with their care. While a teacup Chihuahua might seem like a cute and cuddly pet but it can also be a problematic pet.

As the name implies, an applehead Chihuahua has a head shaped like an apple. The upper part of the Chihuahua’s skull is wider than the lower part in the jaw area, thus the term ‘applehead’. This term is used more frequently to describe puppies as this is when the apple shape is more noticeable.

Moreover, you will notice that just like in an apple, the top part of the skull of a Chihuahua has a slight sunken part. This part which is a bit depressed is called molera, a Spanish word for fontanel. This is considered similar to the ‘soft spot’ that human babies have on their heads after they are born. However, you might not observe this depression in every Chihuahuas because not all applehead Chihuahuas have it.

There has been a long standing debate regarding molera. One group said that it is not a good thing and that it should be a minus point for assessing lineage or breed. But just recently, the other group stated that molera should have no effect whatsoever on a Chihuahua’s breed and pedigree.

To clarify these kinds of disagreements, the American Kennel Club developed some key standards for the Chihuahua to be called a breed on the 30th of October in 1990. They are similar to the Chihuahua breed standards that were created and submitted on April 14, 1943. The description of the ‘head’ of a Chihuahua includes an apple domed skull with either the presence or absence of molera. This established the fact that molera does not have anything to do with pedigree.

The standard weight set by the American Kennel Club is 6 pounds. The applehead look will disappear not because of dog aging but more likely because of gaining weight. However, don’t feed your Chihuahua too much food if you want to remove the applehead look. Excess in weight can put too much strain on all areas of the body such as the heart. So control yourself when feeding your Chihuahua. Try not to give them scraps of food from your dinner because this will not be healthy for them.

Furthermore, applehead Chihuahuas have small legs that can only carry the ideal weight. If your Chihuahua is obese or too fat, he could have a knee injury called slipped stifles. You can have your pet undergo an operation, painful to your dog, and usually expensive. The best thing to do is to prevent it from happening.

Because of this weakness in Chihuahua’s legs, don’t make them jump from a high place or from your arms while you are carrying them. Their joints are too weak to take this kind of stress.

Also, make sure that you buy your applehead Chihuahua from a reliable breeder. Ask him if the breeding stock where your Chihuahua came from have any diseases or weaknesses that your pet could inherit.

Be very responsible and keen when taking care of Chihuahuas. Limit his food to the specified ideal amount and let him do some light exercises. Chihuahuas can live for up to 15 years, give or take a few. Just follow these tips and your pet will have a long, healthy life.

Long Haired Chihuahuas

Long haired Chihuahuas are one of two types of the breed. Chihuahuas are known as the smallest dogs in the whole world. They come in many different colors and 2 types of hairstyles. There are short haired and long haired Chihuahuas. But this article will focus on the latter, since it is less well known than their short coated counterparts.

You might confuse long haired Chihuahuas with Pomeranians because they look similar. Most people are enthralled by the appearance of this group of Chihuahuas because of their smooth and long coats, heads with the shape of an apple, huge eyes, and pointy, tasselled ears. They simply look adorable and are perfect to have as pets.

The long haired Chihuahuas have a fluffy yet smooth physical appearance because of their hair, which made them a favourite among some Chihuahua fans. The best thing about it is that their long hair requires very little maintenance. You don’t have to trim the coat. It takes about two years to grow completely and it needs very minor grooming.

Of course, this type of Chihuahua does shed hair, but not as much as the short haired group. Moreover, because of their unique characteristic of having a long coat, long haired Chihuahuas are more prone to diseases or illnesses related to respiratory system. What you can do to prevent your pets from acquiring a disease is to always clean your house or the place where they usually stay. You should vacuum regularly to make your place dust-free and be diligent in picking up shed hair from beds or sofas. The key is to clean and vacuum your house regularly.

Chihuahuas are considered toy dog breeds. Chihuahuas can survive in warm temperatures but not in very cold places. They need this kind of environment to live comfortably. They like to stay indoors than to play outside, especially long-haired Chihuahuas. This group loves playing with small toys inside the house and love to sleep in a warm, cozy, and comfortable place. They are very sweet especially when they snuggle up to you. But be very carefull since Chihuahuas are very small, they might be covered with blankets while sleeping and you could roll on them which can cause serious problems, or even death to the dog.

Like their short haired counterparts, long-haired Chihuahuas are loyal to their family. But when it comes to other people, they are not so friendly and sociable. They can also interact well with other Chihuahuas but not with other dog breeds. They can become aggressive when joined by an unfamiliar dog of a different breed. It is also not advisable to give Chihuahuas to young children as pets since they are very small and fragile and delicate to handle. Children might crush their bones or injure them without meaning to.

Moreover, long haired Chihuahuas are very smart and they learn fast. However, they can be stubborn sometimes, which makes them hard to train. The secret in training Chihuahuas is to always give them positive reinforcement especially when they do something right or correctly. You should always be patient and diligent when it comes to taking care of all your pets, not just long haired Chihuahuas.