Chihuahua

The Chihuahua (Spanish: Chihuahueño) is the smallest breed of dog and is named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico.



History

The Chihuahua’s history is puzzling and there are many theories surrounding the origin of the breed. Chihuahuas were used in sacred rituals as they were considered holy in pre-Columbian Indian nations. They were also popular pets among the upper class. The breed draws its name from the Mexican State of Chihuahua, where the first of the breed were discovered.

Some historians believe that the Chihuahua came from the island of Malta in the Mediterranean, More evidence for this theory lies in European paintings of small dogs that resemble the Chihuahua. One of the most famous paintings is a fresco in the Sistine Chapel by Sandro Botticelli dated 1482. The painting, Scenes from the Life of Moses, shows a woman holding two tiny dogs with round heads, large eyes, big ears, and other characteristics similar to the Chihuahua. The painting was finished ten years before Columbus returned from the New World. It would have been impossible for Botticelli to have seen a Mexican dog, yet he depicted an animal strikingly similar to a Chihuahua.

Another theory suggests that the Chihuahua was brought to Mexico from China over 200 years ago. Supporters of this theory believe the Chinese were recognized for dwarfing plants and animals, and when rich Chinese merchants moved to Mexico, they brought Chihuahuas with them. The Aztecs had a little dog named the Techichi; however, analysis of the Chihuahua’s mitochondrial DNA suggests that it is of Old World origin such as from a European toy dog. The mitochondrial DNA analysis only looks at what is inherited from the mother; therefore the fathers of the Chihuahua could have been the Techichi.

Both folklore and archeological finds show that the breed originated in Mexico. The most common theory and most likely is that Chihuahuas are descended from the Techichi, a companion dog favored by the Toltec civilization in Mexico.

Historical records indicate that the Techichi hunted in packs. They can only be traced as far back as the ninth century but it is highly likely that this is the Chihuahua's native Mexican ancestor. Evidence of this is that the remains of dogs closely resembling, but slightly larger than the average Chihuahua have been found in such places as the Great Pyramid of Cholula, which dates back to the 2nd century BC and predates the 16th century. There is also evidence to suggest that the Techichi may predate the Mayans.

The Toltecs were conquered by the Aztecs, who believed that the Techichi held mystical powers. In terms of size, the present day Chihuahua is much smaller than its ancestors, a change thought to be due to the introduction of miniaturized Chinese dogs, such as the Chinese crested dog, into South America by the Spanish.

A progenitor of the breed was reputedly found in 1850 in old ruins near Casas Grandes in the Mexican state of Chihuahua from which the breed gets its name. The state borders on Texas, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, where Chihuahuas first rose to prominence and were further developed. Since that time, the Chihuahua has remained consistently popular as a breed, particularly in America when the breed was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1904. Genetic tests place the Chihuahua with other modern breeds originating in the 1800s.

Description of Chihuahua Dogs

Description and Standards

Breed standards for this dog do not generally specify a height, only a weight and a description of their overall proportions. As a result, height varies more than within many other breeds. Generally, the height ranges between six and ten inches. However, some dogs grow as tall as 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm). Both British and American breed standards state that a Chihuahua must not weigh more than six pounds for conformation. However, the British standard also states that a weight of two to four pounds is preferred and that if two dogs are equally good in type, the more diminutive or smaller is preferred. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) standard calls for dogs ideally between 1.5 and 3.0 kg (3.3 to 6.6 lbs.), although smaller ones are acceptable in the show ring. Pet-quality Chihuahuas (that is, those bred or purchased as companions rather than show dogs) often range above these weights, even above ten pounds if they have large bone structures or are allowed to become overweight. This does not mean that they are not purebred Chihuahuas; they do not meet the requirements to enter a conformation show. Oversized Chihuahuas are seen in some of the best, and worst, bloodlines. Typically the breed standard for both the long and short coat chihuahua will be identical except for the description of the coat.



Chihuahua breeders often use terms like miniature, teacup, tiny toy, apple headed, or deer headed to describe puppies. These terms are not recognized by the breed standards and are misleading.

Coat

The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom and the American Kennel Club in the United States only recognize two varieties of Chihuahua: the long-coat, and the smooth-coat, also referred to as short-haired. They are genetically the same breed. The term smooth-coat does not mean that the hair is necessarily smooth, as the hair can range from having a velvet touch to a whiskery feeling. Long-haired Chihuahuas are actually smoother to the touch, having soft, fine guard hairs and a downy undercoat, which gives them their fluffy appearance. Unlike many long-haired breeds, long-haired Chihuahuas require no trimming and minimal grooming. Contrary to popular belief, the long-haired breed also typically sheds less than their short-haired counterparts. It may take up to two or more years before a full long-haired coat develops.

Colors



The American Kennel Club Chihuahua standard lists under color: "Any color-Solid, marked or splashed". This allows for all colors from solid blacks to solid whites, spotted, sabled, or a variety of other colors and patterns. A few examples are Fawn, Red, Cream, Chocolate, Blue, and Black. Merle coloring is a spotted coat. Patterns, all with or without white markings, include:

• Sable
• Irish spotting
• Dalmatian spotting
• Piebald spotting
• Extreme black spotting
• Brindle
• Masks
• Tan points
• Red
• White
• Black
• Merle
• Orange
• Fawn
• Tricolor
• Dark brown
• Blue
• extremely rare blue brindle

The merle coat pattern is not traditionally considered part of the breed standard. The United Kingdom Kennel Club decided in May 2007 not to register puppies with "Merle coat color in dogs" coloration due to the health risks associated with the gene responsible, and in December of that year formally amended the Breed Standard to say "Any color or mixture of colors but never merle (dapple)." The Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which represents the major kennel club of 84 countries also disqualified merle. Other countries' Kennel Clubs; including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany have also disqualified merle. However, in May 2008 the Chihuahua Club of America voted that merles will not be disqualified in the United States and they are fully registrable and able to compete in all American Kennel Club (AKC) events. Opponents of recognizing merle dogs in the breed standards suspect the coloration came about by modern genetic cross-breeding with other dogs, and not via natural genetic drift.

Classifying Chihuahua colors can be complicated due to the large number of possibilities. Examples would be a blue brindle or a chocolate and tan. Colors and patterns can combine and affect each other, resulting in a very high degree of variation. The classic Chihuahua color remains fawn. No color or pattern is considered more valuable than the others, although blue is considered rare.

Temperament

More than most other breeds, how a Chihuahua turns out depends mightily on the genetic temperament of his parents and grandparents (entire lines are social or antisocial) and how it is raised (socialization and training) when brought home. A Chihuahua must be chosen with care, as the temperament of its owner(s) can make a difference in the temperament of the pup. Ill tempered Chihuahuas can be easily provoked to attack, and are therefore generally unsuitable for homes with small children. The AKC describes the breed as, "A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament." The breed tends to be fiercely loyal to one particular owner and in some cases may become over protective of the person, especially around other people or animals, but may be attached to more. They do not always get along with other breeds, and tend to have a "clannish" nature, often preferring the companionship of other Chihuahuas over other dogs. These traits generally make them unsuitable for households with children that are not patient and calm.

Chihuahuas crave attention, affection, exercise and being petted. They can be hyper and eager to please.They have a reputation as a "yappy" dog, which can be resolved with proper training. Chihuahuas with proper breeding are not "yappy"; the AKC standard calls for "a terrier-like attitude."

Health Disorders

This breed requires expert veterinary attention in areas such as birthing and dental care. Chihuahuas are also prone to some genetic anomalies, often neurological ones, such as epilepsy and seizure disorders.
Chihuahuas, and other toy breeds, are prone to the sometimes painful disease, hydrocephalus. It is often diagnosed by the puppy having an abnormally large head during the first several months of life, but other symptoms are more noticeable (since "a large head" is such a broad description). Chihuahua puppies exhibiting hydrocephalus usually have patchy skull plates rather than a solid bone and typically are lethargic and do not grow at the same pace as their siblings. A true case of hydrocephalus can be diagnosed by a veterinarian, though the prognosis is grim.

Chihuahuas have moleras, or a soft spot in their skulls, and they are the only breed of dog to be born with an incomplete skull. The molera fills in with age, but great care needs to be taken during the first six months until the skull is fully formed. Some moleras do not close completely and will require extra care to prevent injury. Many veterinarians are not familiar with Chihuahuas as a breed, and mistakenly confuse a molera with hydrocephalus. The Chihuahua Club of America has issued a statement regarding this often deadly misdiagnosis. Chihuahuas can also be at risk for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This is especially dangerous for puppies. Left unattended, hypoglycemia can lead to coma and death. This can be combated with frequent feedings (every three hours for very small or young puppies). Chihuahua owners should have a simple sugar supplement on hand to use in emergencies, such as, Nutri-Cal, Karo syrup or honey. These supplements can be rubbed on the gums and roof of the mouth to rapidly raise the blood sugar level. Signs of hypoglycemia include lethargy, sleepiness, low energy, uncoordinated walking, unfocused eyes and spasms of the neck muscles (or head pulling back or to the side). Chihuahuas are prone to eye infections or eye injury due to their large, round, protruding eyes and their relatively low ground clearance. Care should be taken to prevent visitors or children from poking the eyes. The eyes also water to remove dust or allergens that may get into the eye. Daily wiping will keep the eyes clean and prevent tear staining. Chihuahuas have a tendency to tremble but this is not a health issue, rather it takes place when the dog is stressed, excited or cold. One reason for this may be because small dogs have a higher metabolism than larger dogs and therefore dissipate heat faster. Due to this Chihuahuas often wear coats or sweaters when outside in the cold or in overly air-conditioned places. Chihuahuas often like to dig and snuggle down in blankets for sleeping.
Although figures often vary, as with any breed, the average lifespan range for a healthy Chihuahua is approximately 10 to 17 years.

Chihuahuas are sometimes picky eaters, and care must be taken to provide them with adequate nutrition. Chihuahuas could earn this reputation because they seem to find small unnoticed bits of food all day. Sometimes wet or fresh food can have the most appealing smell to these constant eaters. "They will eat when they are hungry" does not apply as Chihuahuas are prone to hypoglycemia and could be at a critical state if allowed to go too long without a meal. At the same time, care must be exercised not to overfeed them. Human food should be avoided. Due to their small size even tiny high fat or sugary treats can result in an overweight Chihuahua. Overweight Chihuahuas are susceptible to having an increased rate of joint injuries, tracheal collapse, chronic bronchitis, and shortened life span.

Chihuahuas are also known for a genetic condition called 'luxating Patella'. It's a genetic condition that can occur in all dogs, old or young, slim or overweight, particularly small dogs. In some dogs, the ridges forming the patellar groove are not shaped correctly, and a shallow groove is created. In a dog with shallow grooves, the patella will luxate (Slip out of place) sideways, especially toward the inside. This causes the leg to 'lock up' and will cause the chihuahua to hold its foot off the ground. When the patella luxates from the groove of the femur, it usually cannot return to its normal position until the quadriceps muscle relaxes and increases in length. This explains why the affected dog may be forced to hold his leg up for a few minutes or so after the initial displacement. While the muscles are contracted and the patella is luxated from its correct position, the joint is held in the flexed or bent position. The knee cap sliding across the femur can cause some pain, due to the bony ridges of the femur. Once out of position, the animal feels no discomfort and continues his activity.
Chihuahuas are also prone to some heart related disorders such as heart murmurs, i.e., extra heart sound produced due to turbulent blood flow and Pulmonic Stenosis in which the blood outflow from the heart's right ventricle is obstructed at the pulmonic valve.

Basics of Chihuahua Training

Basics of Chihuahua Training

It's essential for Chihuahua parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Chihuahua and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Chihuahua, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Chihuahua to have complete trust in you. 


Let us see how.......
How To Bond With Your Chihuahua

Building a bond with your Chihuahua is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Chihuahua home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence. 

When Chihuahuas are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners' training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Chihuahua. 

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness. 

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Chihuahua is almost impossible. 

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Chihuahua :
  • Spend quality time together;
  • Take him out in the world and experience life together;
  • Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and
  • Develop a way of communicating to understand each other's needs.
Building a bond with your Chihuahua will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Chihuahua calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.
Love Your Chihuahua and He Will Love You back

Once you're succesful in building a bond with your Chihuahua, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.


How Your Chihuahua Learns...

Your Chihuahua's learning period can be divided into five phases:
The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Chihuahua exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Chihuahua what you have just taught him. 

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Chihuahua in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Chihuahua out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've taught him. 

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better . 

The Testing Phase - Once you're sure that your Chihuahua has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope. 

The idea is to test your Chihuahua to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Chihuahua.

There are only 2 possibilities:
  • Your Chihuahua succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)
  • In case your Chihuahua fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.
Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.
Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Chihuahua does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.
Remember:
  • Never scold your Chihuahua if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!
  • You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.
  • Appreciate and love your Chihuahua when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Chihuahua.


Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

Training Your Chihuahua to Listen to You

Training Your Chihuahua to Listen to You

Why Won't My Chihuahua Listen To Me?

This is a common question that most first-time Chihuahua owners ask me. Before I answer your question, let me ask you a few instead:
  • Do you use cookies, collars, head halters or clickers to make your Chihuahua listen to your commands?
  • Do you have to raise your voice every time you want your Chihuahua to listen to you?
  • Does your Chihuahua always come or sit on command - anytime and anywhere you want him to?
If your answers are mostly in the negative, its time you seriously reconsider your role as a sincere Chihuahua trainer and an ideal pet parent.


Get Your Chihuahua To Listen To You

Before you begin any training, you must first establish yourself as the "ALPHA dog" of your family. Your Chihuahua must know that you’re the leader of the pack and it is YOU who is in charge.
Here is a list of simple DO's and DONT's that you must follow if you want to be the Alpha:
  • Always go out or come in through the door first - remember you are the leader;
  • Always eat first - give your Chihuahua something to eat only after you've finished your meal;
  • Don’t circle around your Chihuahua when he is lying on the floor - make your Chihuahua move out of your way instead;
  • Don't let your Chihuahua set the rules - pay attention to him when you think fit and not whenever he demands;
  • Don’t permit your Chihuahua to sleep with you in your bed - demarcate his sleeping area clearly.
Once you successfully established yourself as the Alpha, training your Chihuahua and making him listen will be a lot easier than you can imagine. Remember, if your Chihuahua does not learn to "listen", all your training efforts will be in vain!

Does your Chihuahua know his name? Does your Chihuahua look at you whenever you call him by his name? This is the first and the most critical step involved in Chihuahua Training. If your Chihuahua doesn't respond to his name, you cannot have his attention for teaching him any other commands.

To make sure that your Chihuahua recognizes his name, take a treat in your hand and hold it away from your body. Call your Chihuahua's name. He is most likely to look at the treat in your hand. Continue calling his name untill he turns and looks at your eyes. Give him the treat immediately. Repeat this exercise by holding the treat in the other hand. Once you're sure that your Chihuahua has learnt to recognize his name, just call his name and reward him for looking at you by petting or with a hug.

You must understand that Chihuahuas respond far better to positive reinforcement than they do to coercion or force.



Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

Is Your Chihuahua Potty Trained Enough?

Is Your Chihuahua Potty Trained Enough?

House Training a puppy or adult Chihuahua is such an essential issue for its owner that even a single exclusive tip turns out to be extremely helpful.

The first step in making your Chihuahua fit for polite company would be to potty train him. Some see this training as a hassle and some as a challenge.

For me, it is part of bringing up a pet.


There are a few things you need to know before you actually start potty training a puppy or adult Chihuahua. I enumerate these below:
  • You need to understand your dog's body language. Watch for signs that will indicate to you when your pet wants to eliminate.
  • If you own puppies, remember that they need to go potty at fairly frequent intervals - as soon as they wake up, after short naps, after play-time, after meals, before and after being crated and finally, before retiring for the night.
  • Take your Chihuahua for walks at the time that he usually does his potty. Take him out to the yard and then to the same place there every time he needs to answer nature's call.
  • Praise your Chihuahua after he eliminates at the right place. Some Chihuahua owners even give treats to their dogs. But remember to do this every time he does it right. He will relate the rewards to his having "done it right" and zero in on the spot where you want him to defecate regularly.
  • With time, you can try signal training. This is so that you know when your doggie wants to go. You can hang a bell at his level near the door and teach him to push it with his nose or pat it with his paw on his way out.
  • Until your Chihuahua has been fully potty trained keep him under strict vigilance. Do not let him roam around the house freely.
  • Use a crate. A crate-trained Chihuahua is usually very happy to get his own den. The advantage of crating is that dogs do not soil the place where they sleep. So, he will naturally not eliminate inside the crate.
  • If you have a small dog and if you live in a high-rise building or in a place that does not have a proper backyard, you can try litter pan training. What you do is create a space for your pet to eliminate in your house itself.
  • Use positive reinforcements while housebreaking puppies or adult dogs. Do not scold or hit him as you will gain nothing by doing that. He will only associate punishment with your return from outside. If you catch him in the act, a stern 'NO' or 'FREEZE' will do. It will startle the Chihuahua enough for him to stop pooping.
  • Be prepared to return to a soiled home if you are keeping your Chihuahua home alone for more than 4 hours as separation anxiety is quite common among home - alone dogs.
  • Accidents will happen. It is unusual for a trained adult Chihuahua to work against its house training. But medical problems or health disorders may lead to sudden accidents.
  • Many dogs mark their territory. These can be a leg of a table or a particular wall. Intact male and female dogs mark their territories by urinating. Use deodorizers to spray on the places where your Chihuahua has marked.
  • If you are patient and are ready to accept that house training a dog takes time, even months sometimes, you will end up having a good housetrained Chihuahua.
Now we will move on to how to potty train puppies and adult dogs.

Potty Training A Puppy:
Irrespective of breeds, housetraining a puppy is considered to be one of the biggest challenges by dog owners. If you think housetraining your puppy simply involves a steady supply of old newspapers, then think again.

A puppy does not develop full control over his bladder until it is over 4 or 5 months old. Since they are growing and developing rapidly at this time, puppies eat more, burn more calories and need to eliminate more frequently than an adult Chihuahua.

After each nap, meal, drink or play, take your puppy to his designated area (indoors or outdoors, wherever you have decided) and stay there until it eliminates. Then bring him to his crate.
Repeat this situation every day until he has developed a habit out of it.


Potty Training An Adult Chihuahua:
The best way to housetrain an adult Chihuahua is to begin all over again.
Observe him very closely. Maybe even maintain a diary of where he goes and when. Whether he is pooping when you are home or only when you are outside; whether you can time yourself to be home when he feels the need to go outside.

You can try dog crates, but be careful to introduce him gradually to them. 


Remember, commitment, consistency and intelligent use of positive reinforcement will make you the owner of a perfectly housetrained Chihuahua. Don't expect miracles. You will only be disappointed.


Get this unique Housetraining guide and start Housebreaking Your Chihuahua Today.


Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

How Well Is Your Chihuahua Groomed?

How Well Is Your Chihuahua Groomed?

The reason one should groom his/her Chihuahua is simple - your dog's physical state influences the way he feels and the way you look at your dog. Extreme cases, where lack of proper care, cleaning and grooming can directly affect the behavior of your Chihuahua, are not rare.

Proper grooming not only infuses a healthy glow to your dog's appearance, but also helps develop his self-esteem; while it makes you a very proud parent, when you show off your Chihuahua to others.
The first step involved in dog grooming is: Brushing!

Brushing has been universally acknowledged by expert dog groomers as the single most important step in grooming.

The benefits of brushing are many. To name a few:

  • Better blood circulation

  • Shinier and healthier coat

  • Better bonding

Even if you know how crucial brushing is for your Dog's health and well-being, we all know that there is a right way and a wrong way of doing anything. And without doubt, you would like to do everything the RIGHT way when it comes to your Chihuahua. 

Yes, there's a method to follow while brushing your Chihuahua.

Here are FIVE steps to successfully brushing your Chihuahua that will prove to be extremely useful:
  • Brush against the growth of the hair first with a slicker brush and then with a medium or wide-toothed comb.

  • The slicker brush removes all the loose hair and the comb takes care of the tangles.

  • Brush your Chihuahua along the hair growth and make sure you reach the skin as you brush his way.

  • Then use a flea comb over the coat to get the fleas and remove any remaining tangles. Part the coat and start from the root and then comb through.

  • If your Dog's paw pads are hairy, then clip them using electric clippers. Do not clip the hair in between the pads. Clip only the excess hair.
Brush your Dog's hairs to prevent it from matting. Matting can be a very painful experience. 

Regular brushing untangles the matted hairs on your Dog's coat. Since this is a risky job to do, the best way out is to prevent them from forming in the first place. And doing this is simple: just brush and comb your Chihuahua regularly. If and when you see any mats or tangles, use a detangle solution and a medium-toothed comb. 

Don't wait until your Chihuahua is dirty or matted to introduce him to grooming. That would make him associate the experience with unpleasantness. Moreover, many dogs learn to see their routine brushing as an alternate form of petting, i.e. another source of affection and attention.



Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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