To start with, let’s dispel a nasty rumour…
Chihuahuas are not a type of rodent bred to look like a dog. This is an urban legend that has been completely debunked.
The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world and the oldest breed in North America with its origins shrouded in mystery. The dog rose to fame about 100 years ago in Mexico, but many believe the dog originally came from Egypt, while others insist the Chinese first bred it.
Chihuahuas can live up to 15 years of age and make excellent apartment dogs due to their small size. They generally dislike the outdoors and hate the cold, which explains their tendency to shiver. A sweater is often a welcome gift and is well tolerated on cooler days.
Many people wear them, but it’s a good idea to let them walk to stay in shape with several 15-20 minute walks a day, enough to maintain general fitness. It is usually best to wear a harness rather than a collar when walking to prevent choking and throat injury due to their delicate bone structure.
An affectionate dog, they love to snuggle, they make good watchdogs and are safe around children as long as they are not teased. They are also relatively cheap to own because they obviously don’t eat as much food as a larger dog.
Chihuahuas are born with a human-like soft part on top of their heads that doesn’t always close, so care must be taken to avoid serious bumps and repeatedly jumping off a chair, bed, or couch can cause injury due to stress in the leg joints. so you may want to consider purchasing a pet ramp if you have a chihuahua.
There are two types of Chihuahuas that are identical except for coat length, the short-haired and the long-haired, with the short-haired being the most popular, as evidenced by all the TV and movie appearances.
