Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed in the world, but it has some mighty characteristics. This dog breed is traced back to the ancient kingdoms of the Columbians, making it one of the oldest dog breeds in America.
Most people breed dogs for protection and hunting, but for Chihuahuas, things seem to be totally different. These dogs were believed to be bred for sacrifices, and people believed that these small dogs could help ferry a human soul into the afterlife when they die. Interesting, right?
According to American Kennel Club, Chihuahuas were buried together with dead nobbles so that they would help their souls cross the river in the afterlife. So after the nobbles died, the Chihuahua was cremated and buried together with the body.
Why Are Chihuahuas Special?
Chihuahuas are special dogs because they make the best companions. Besides, these dogs are easy to train, bond fast with their owners, and are loyal.
Another advantage of these dogs is that they are easy to handle, especially if you’re a first-time dog owner. Also known as lap dogs, Chihuahuas get pretty active and can easily exercise in the house without you having to take them out on a walk.
While you might feel that these small breed dogs are timid compared to the larger breeds, it might surprise you that Chihuahuas are highly aggressive when treated badly. They also bark a lot and hate to be intimidated (I guess they feel people poke them because of their small stature).
Besides their look and behavior, these small breed dogs took the world by storm when celebs like Peri Hilston and other popular personalities were seen holding these dogs at special events.
What Is The Best Chihuahua Breed?
It depends on your needs and preferences. Chihuahuas come in a wide variety of breeds, and as a dog owner, you pick them depending on what you want for a pet.
However, some breeds are more loved and popular than others, like the short-coat Chihuahuas and the long-coat Chihuahuas. These two breeds are popular; you can easily spot them in a dog park or on the streets with their owners.
As their names suggest, the short-coat Chihuahua has short hair, and the long-coat Chihuahua has long hair. Maintaining a short-coat Chihuahua is easy for grooming and best for people with dog hair allergies.
Chihuahua Prices Based On Breeds
The price of a Chihuahua will depend on the breed. Rare breeds are more expensive than common breeds. So, if you’re looking for a rare Chihuahua breed with a championship in its bloodline, you’d expect to spend thousands of dollars to acquire one.
Luckily, for people looking for Chihuahua breeds that come at a friendly cost, some average breeders breed these tiny dogs and sell them at a friendly price. A reputable breeder can sell these exotic dogs from $1000-$3500. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot get yourself this small dog for less than $1000.
You can adopt one for $380-$2500, depending on the type. The adoption fee might not be cheap as expected, but it all goes down to how hard it is to breed these dogs.
Below is a chart showing the cost of buying a Chihuahua from reputable breeders like AKC.
| Type Of Chihuahua | Price |
| Short Haired Chihuahua | $1000-$3500 |
| Long Haired Chihuahua | $1000-$4000 |
| Pear Head Chihuahua | $1000-$2500 |
| Deer Head Chihuahua | $1000-$2500 |
| Apple Head Chihuahua | $1000-$3500 |
Chihuahua Colors
Although American Kennel Club only talks about five common Chihuahua colors, there are many other colors we don’t hear about. In this section, we will talk about all the Chihuahua colors and patterns.
Most Common Chihuahua Colors
1. Fawn
You can easily come across a fawn Chihuahua, commonly known as the little yellow dog. Their brown coat also resembles a fawn, and they have big ears. The fawn Chihuahua also has different variations ranging from red to brown.
2. Cream
You might confuse a cream Chihuahua with a white one, but the cream one retains some reds in its fur, creating a creamy hue. In most cases, cream Chihuahuas have black noses and rims with pale skin. When buying a puppy, you might pick a white-colored Chihuahua and then notice the color getting creamy as you age.
3. Black
Although the black-colored Chihuahuas are rare, we had to include them in this list of common because AKC recognizes them. Although black is a dominant color in Chihuahuas and other dog breeds, it’s hard to see a true black-colored Chihuahua.
However, because black is a dominant color, it can be easy to get a black Chihuahua with a few splashes of white or any other color.
4. Chocolate
Chocolate is a rare color because it results from breeding from a dilute gene that washes out the black pigment. Although the color is acceptable, you might have difficulty coming across one because they aren’t popular among breeders.
Since they come from a dilute gene, you can expect chocolate Chihuahuas to have a beige or brown nose. A chocolate Chihuahua’s coat is darker than a brown or liver-colored Chihuahua.
5. Red
Red Chihuahuas have black noses, paws, and eyes. A red-colored Chihuahua can have a darker hue, like mahogany, or feature traces of darker hairs. The pigment responsible for the red color is Pheomelanin, but the parent interactions can alter the color variations.
6. White
A white Chihuahua breed can result from pale and snowy breeding. This color is the rarest and not the same as an albino Chihuahua.
White Chihuahua lacks melanocytes, giving them a white coat. However, they retain eumelanin and still have dark eyes, paws, and noses. Sometimes, you can see a white Chihuahua with a pale nose, paws, and eyes.
7. Chocolate Blue
We aren’t sure if this breed is so common, but AKC lists it. A chocolate blue puppy is a combination of two parents carrying dilute black pigmentation. The blue color in Chocolate Chihuahua is not a true blue, but it does appear blueish with a navy tint under direct sunlight.
Color Combinations of Chihuahuas
1. Fawn and White
Fawn and white Chihuahuas are pretty and hard to resist. These cute little dogs tend to have the fawn color at the top, face, and sometimes at the belly and toes. Most fawn and white Chihuahuas have dark noses, eyes, and paws, depending on their genetic makeup.
2. Black and Tan
Although black and tan Chihuahuas are not common, they seem to be most people’s favorites. The black and Tan Chihuahuas carry spots of white, mainly on the chest. To get a black and Tan combination, a dog must have a specific combination of a double non-black allele in the K locus and one tan-point allele in the A locus.
3. Blue and Tan
Blue and Tan is another rare combination that requires the same combination as the black-tan combination. The blue tan requires a gene that dilutes the black pigmentation into the blue. Depending on the dilution of the genes, the color can go from charcoal grey to powder blue. The tan is mainly prominent on the paws, muzzle, and ears.
4. Black And Red
The black and red combination is common for German Shepherds and Rotelliers. For the lucky Chihuahuas, they grace this color with so much beauty and style. Black and red are close to black and tan, just that the red and black in this combination are darker, so you can easily note the difference.
5. Gold And White
Gold and white is another eye-catching combination that everyone would love to go for. The gold and white Chihuahua can have white legs, chest, neck, muzzle, tail tip, and paws. You can also come across a gold and white Chihuahua that is particolored with white patches on the body.
Types Of Chihuahuas
1. Long Hair Chihuahua
The American Kennels Club only recognizes two types of Chihuahuas (long coats and short coats). However, in this section, we will look at more than those two types considered subtypes of the long and short-coat varieties.
Also known as rough-coat Chihuahuas, these dogs have long hair that makes them appear rough, and that’s how they also got the other name. The rough-coated Chihuahuas can take up to 24 months to have the full hair coats that give them a luxurious look. Although the coat looks superb, it needs regular grooming, so you’ll also need to up your cleanliness game.
2. Short-Haired Chihuahua
The most common type of Chihuahua is the short-haired breed. Short-haired Chihuahuashave short coats, so they are also called smooth-coat Chihuahuas. Short hair Chihuahuas have a streamlined silhouette and are super easy to groom. For starters, short- hair Chihuahuas are highly recommended because you’ll need less effort to clean and groom your dog.
3. Deer Head Chihuahua
A deer head Chihuahua has a head shaped like a deer head. Deer-headed Chihuahuas have some notable differences from apple-headed Chihuahuas. One distinction is that the deer-head Chihuahua has a longer head and a slope on the nose. Deer-headed Chihuahuas also grow bigger than their counterparts, so they might be unable to compete with other dogs due to their body weight.
4. Apple Head Chihuahua
Apple-head Chihuahuas have rounded heads that give them an apple-like shape. Apple head Chihuahuas are common, and most people love them. These dogs also have a shorter muzzle and are born with a soft spot in the skull called molera.
The soft spot looks like the fontanel that human babies are born with and close completely as they grow. But the case differs from the apple head Chihuahuas because the molera might not close completely.
5. The Teacup Chihuahua
The teacup Chihuahuas are the smallest of all types, and they got their name because of their size. According to Teacup Daily, this dog breed is the smallest of the Chihuahuas, and they weigh less than 5 pounds and don’t grow taller than 9 inches.
6. Pear Head Chihuahua
Pear-head Chihuahuas are a mix of apple-head and deer-headed Chihuahuas. These dog breeds have a head that resembles a pear with a wider top like an apple and a wide muzzle like that of a deer-headed Chihuahua.
These puppies, in most cases, tend to be bigger and heavier compared to their counterparts with a weight beyond six pounds which is the limit.
Rarest Types Of Chihuahuas
We’ve covered several types of Chihuahuas based on their color and some based on their head shapes. However, you need to remember that there are two main types, as recognized by AKC, the short-haired and the long-haired Chihuahua.
To further distinguish the subtypes, experts have used their color, color combinations, and head shapes to distinguish these little dogs further. Some breeds are so rare that it becomes so hard to get one. And that’s what we are about to look into. Below are the 5 rarest types of Chihuahua.
1. Merle Chihuahua
Merle Chihuahuas have just been around for the past 15 years, and they are also very rare because they are hard to breed. These types are mostly long-haired and bigger than other small dogs.
In appearance, these dogs feature a dilute mixture of two or more colors which appear chaotic with no specific patterns. This dog breed is said to be a mixture of small dogs, not necessarily Chihuahuas.
2. White Chihuahua
Snow white Chihuahuas are rare because they are a result of heavy breeding. A breeder must breed two pure white Chihuahuas to get a pure white Chihuahua. Sometimes the results might be disappointing if the breeder does not consider other factors like the nails, ears, and spots on the belly.
3. Black Chihuahua
Solid-back Chihuahuas are also rare, and the mysterious thing is that decades ago, black was a common color in these animals. As expected, the breeding continued and diluted the solid black breed, which has now become rare. Breeders must cross two solid black Chihuahuas to get pure black.
4. Lavender Chihuahuas
It might sound to see any animal in a lavender coat, but surprisingly lavender Chihuahuasexist. The lavender coat is very rare and remains the biggest mystery in the history of breeding Chihuahuas.
The secret of how to get a lavender coat in the breeding process is still hidden from even the best of scientists. Some breeders have even tried to breed two lavenders but didn’t get what they expected. So it’s safe to say that the lavender Chihuahuashappen by chance.
5. Brindle Chihuahuas
The last type of rare Chihuahua is brindle, mostly short-coated. These Chihuahuas were also common back in ancient times. Their coats proved that these Chihuahuashave had a relationship with the wild canines. Most Chihuahuascarry the brindle gene, so some scientists end up with Chihuahuas with tiger-like stripes even though they weren’t aiming at the color.
Chihuahua Characters
Why Are Chihuahuas So Small?
Chihuahuas are the smallest dogs in the world and can be as little as 2 pounds. These tiny dogs rarely grow beyond six pounds, and that is because they were specifically bred to be small dogs. And even though these dogs seem too small and delicate, they have a long life expectancy (about 15-20 years).
Why Are Chihuahuas So Dumb
Chihuahuas are considered the dumbest dogs in the world, but actually, they are pretty smart. The only problem with these tiny dogs is they cannot be forced to do something they don’t want.
Most owners ignore dog training with Chihuahuas because they think they are too small for training, and that is where they go wrong.
If you want your Chihuahua to comply, train them early to avoid the arrogance that makes them look dumb.
Why Are Chihuahuas Clingy?
Chihuahuas love being petted and are also very notorious. These dogs crave affection and attention at all times, making them overly clingy compared to other dogs. Chihuahuas mainly offer companionship, which explains why they can follow you and feel insecure when you don’t give them attention.
Male Chihuahua Behavior
While it’s expected for female Chihuahuas to be more affectionate, it might surprise you that males are the most affectionate, loyal, and loving making them better companions.
Female Chihuahua Behavior
Female Chihuahuas are the opposite of male Chihuahuas. While their male counterparts are warm and loving, the female Chihuahuas are less fuzzy and can be cold to everyone except their favorite human. Another surprising thing is that female Chihuahuas don’t demand attention as male Chihuahuas do.
Why Are Chihuahuas So Aggressive
Since they have small bodies and are often threatened, Chihuahuas tend to be overly protective and tend to do their best when protecting their loved ones.
A slight threat and a Chihuahua become overly aggressive, they don’t wait to see what will happen next.
Are Chihuahuas Naturally Angry?
No, they are not. However, these tiny dogs will do anything to get your attention like any other dog. The more you deny your puppy attention, the angrier they get.
Is A Chihuahua One Of The Most Aggressive Dogs?
Chihuahuas are often referred to as the most aggressive small dog breeds, and that is because they are extremely possessive and jealous when their owner is with strangers.
These dogs also bark a lot, and while it might seem normal and cute at first, their behavior makes them look overly aggressive.
Why Do Chihuahuas Have Such Bad Attitudes
Chihuahuas often grow untrained, and thus they grow up with a mean attitude. But if trained well from the on-set, these dogs can be warm and lovely creatures.
Are Chihuahuas Aggressive than Pitbulls?
Yes, Chihuahuas are more aggressive than Pitbulls. Although Pitbulls are known to be aggressive, their level of aggressiveness is still low than that of Chihuahuas
How to Tame an Aggressive Chihuahua
Taming an aggressive Chihuahua is easy. Just ensure that you introduce your dog to other people, dogs, animals, and environments that are not threatening. In case your dog behaves well, reward it and keep it at the floor level when you’re interacting with others.
Why Does My Chihuahua Shake?
There are many reasons that can cause your Chihuahuas to shake, the common reason being anxiety and stress. Other reasons could be:
- It’s too cold, and they are finding it hard to regulate the temperature
- They’re excited
- Excess energy
Why Are Chihuahuas So Shaky?
Chihuahuas use a lot of energy because they are always active. These dogs burn three times as many calories as other dog breeds, and that results in them being shaky.
Is It Common For Chihuahuas To Shake?
It is normal for Chihuahuasto to shake if they are excited, the weather is cold, or they are too active. These dogs have a high metabolism, so their bodies contain less fat, so it’s easy for them to feel cold.
How Can I Calm My Chihuahua Anxiety?
Start by creating a threat-free space for your dog to run when they feel threatened or stressed. You can also engage your Chihuahua in physical activities like walking or playing fetch to help the dog to exercise and reduce stress levels.
Why Does My Chihuahua Shake When I Talk To Her?
There might not be any other reason for your dog to shake except when they are shivering, excited, frightened, or stressed. Another thing you need to check for is illness if the shaking gets out of hand. Take your little fur friend to the vet if the shaking persists, or are worried it is getting out of hand.
How Do I Stop My Chihuahua From Shaking?
If you’ve been trying to limit your dog’s play, you might need to let them play to release the excess energy making them shake. When you suspect your cute tiny paw friend is shivering because of cold, it might be the best time for you to look for a dog sweater to help them regulate body temperature.
Why Does My Chihuahua Burrow?
There are several reasons why Chihuahuas burrow, but mostly, they borrow for safety. Another reason is these small dogs love burrowing to regulate their body temperature when it’s cold. But these are not the only reasons. If you have a female chi, it could be she’s pregnant or stressed.
Common Asked Questions about Chihuahuas
Why Are Chihuahuas Aggressive To Their Owners?
As discussed earlier, Chihuahuas are aggressive because they are overprotective and jealous whenever their owners try to mingle with strangers. Their aggressiveness is also a vice they use to seek their owner’s attention.
Why Are Chihuahuas So Weird?
Chihuahuas were bred to be human companions, and the scientists never considered behaviors when they were breeding these tiny dogs. Their small stature, aggressiveness, and attitude make the dog weird than other dogs.
Are Chihuahuas Good Dogs?
Yes. Chihuahuas are perfect pets because they are loving, loyal, and cute. These small dogs make the best pets for first-time dog owners.
What Are Chihuahuas Best Known For?
Chihuahuas are popular for their small bodies and big round eyes. They are also known to be celebrities’ best friends.
Why Do Chihuahuas Sleep Under Covers?
Chihuahuas sleep under covers even during the day to get warmth because they tend to feel cold easily. These dogs have a high metabolism and thus have less fat, making them feel cold easily.
Chihuahua meme, Chihuahua meme face
If you’re a meme lover, you’ve probably come across hundreds of Chihuahua memes all over the internet, especially on social media platforms. These adorable dogs’ popularity spiked higher when an internet meme creator Karen Zack made a post likening a Chihuahua to a muffin cake.
Other memes creators followed with hilarious captions cracking internet users worldwide.
Conclusion
By now, you already have a lot of information about Chihuahuas. If you have been thinking of getting one of these small breed dogs but are still unsure, you can buy or adopt one because they make great pets.
