by Holle Abee

Created on: May 10, 2008

Chihuahuas are very popular these days, largely due to that famous Taco Bell pooch on the TV commercials. When choosing a name for your pup, you first need to decide your dog's major role. will he serve mostly as a pet, a watch dog, or as a fashion accessory? The name should fit the canine.

If your chihuahua is going to serve mostly as a pet or companion, you might want a name that describes its personality or diminutive size. Tiny, Mini, Licky, Bittie, Chip, Snuggles, Skittles, Tinkerbell, or Tater Tot would be cute names. Or how about Charmin? Then when someone picked your pup up, you could say, "Please don't squeeze the Charmin!" (You know, from the old TV commercial.)

You mignht also focus on some unusual physical feature of the dog. We had a chihuahua when I was a kid that had a head shaped exactly like a lemon, so my mom named her Lemon. Her sister was spotted, so the people who owned named her Pinto Bean, or Pinto for short. I also knew a chihuahua with one canine tooth much longer than the other, so his owners named him Fang.

If you like to dress your dog in fancy collars or frufru outfits and carry them around in a "purse" as a fashion accessory, you'll need a name to match, like Coco, Chanel, Lauren, Oscar, Versache, Aeropostale, Giorgio, Armani, or Paris. If you have two chihuahuas, you could call them Abercrombie and Fitch! Or what about Fido spelled Phideau?

Perhaps your dog is chiefly a watchdog. Don't laugh - chihuahuas make great alarm systems! They bark like crazy when they hear something unusual outside. These brave protectors need a name befitting their ferocious attitudes. Slasher, Killer, Butch, Terminator, Brutus, Grizzly, Tiger, or Badger would certainly strike fear in the hearts of would-be prowlers! Or you could focus more on the "watch" part of watchdog and choose a name like Rolex or Timex.

If you have a good sense of humor and irony, why not name your pooch accordingly? Names like Thor, Tank, Bear, Hercules, Bertha, Mr. Bigstuff, Max, and Maxi would well serve your purpose.

Should you wish to focus on your dog's ethnic roots, hispanic names are good choices. I've known chihuahuas named Salsa, Pace, Guacamole, Pepper, Taco, Nacho, Bonita, Queso, Jalapeno, Habanero, Juan, and Chico (or Chica for a female).

Chihuahuas are fascinating dogs, with loads of personality and attitude, all contained in a tiny package. The name should reflect these traits, so have some fun with name selections! Don't saddle your pet with a ho-hum, ordinary monicker. An extraordinary dog deserves an extraordinary name!

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