by James Sarti

Created on: August 23, 2007   Last Updated: October 26, 2009

"Aye Chihuahua!" A high utterance after tasting Red's 10 alarm firehouse chilly generously overdosed with Cheyenne pepper. Or a greeting to your lovable pet pooch should you prefer the spicier temperamental powder keg runt of the litter.

The tiniest dog breed in the world and therefore the easiest to carry in your purse, although I don't recommend it! Its small statue is what makes many chose it for small situations where room is limited. Yet another immigrant from our Southern boarder, this one comes with four minuscule legs, freakishly large hypnotic eyes, two pointy radar antennae ears, and a wagging tail.

Chihuahuas come in both long and short hair varieties or long-coat and smooth-coat as they are often called. Looking like the Taco Bell mutt or like fluffy miniature foxes with over sized eyes. Colors include fawn, red, cream, chocolate, blue, black, with patterns adding sable, brindle, and merle; the traditional color being fawn. Normally 6 to 12 inches tall with some giants reaching up to 15 inches, they can weigh from three to nearly seven whopping pounds for show purposes and when allowed to plumping-up from tender loving over-care can exceed ten.

A most devoted critter with high strung personalities and very vicious for their size, hec for any size. Their larger-than-life bravado often puts their fragile necks on the line. In fact the gluttons for punishment try to bully dogs much bigger than themselves despite the punishing aftermath that frequently results. Hardly suited for small children with their snappy mood swings, so don't be fooled by their cuteness.

Extremely jealous and tending to latch onto a single master, they can be hell on the dating scene as well. When dealing with other dogs, Chihuahuas prefer their own small small world, tending to stick together. The little maniacs tend to tremble from nerves not disease. Still they do have more health risks than many breeds. Resulting in a wide range of life spans, from 8 to 18 years.

The littlest of fuss buckets can be mighty finicky eaters. So you must be aware that they not only eat enough, but not too much as well. Since obese Chihuahuas are apt to get joint injuries, trachea collapse, chronic bronchitis, and a much shorter life span.

The breed is high maintenance requiring expert dental care and even birthing. The highly strung runts are also prone to epilepsy and seizures. In some cases low blood sugar can lead to coma if left undedicated. Those adoring eyes are close to the ground and therefore prone to infections. They are the only dog breed to be born with incomplete skulls, requiring 6 months of gentle care until their soft spot hardens.

So why would anyone in his or her right mind want such a walking wagging disaster area? Obviously if you travel a lot and need to bring your pet with you, Chihuahuas are the lightweight champions. That also goes for those owners who need to pick up their pets and carry them around as security blankets. It's oh so easy to get addicted to another heartbeat beating next to yours. Beyond its small convenient size and cuteness is the fact the breed is perfect if you live alone and need a special someone to smother with affection. The engine is a small one so food costs are minimized even if vet bills aren't.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org

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