Don't Call Me Baby. (Chihuahua)

Member Name: cindy1

Product:	Chihuahua
Date:	15/07/00 (1541 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loyal, Loving, Easy to train

Disadvantages: Not keen on children

I have completely updated this opinion, so that hopefully it will be of use to anyone who is interested in purchasing a Chihuahua, or if you generally like reading about dogs.

Chihuahua History.
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It is believed that the Chihuahua is an ancient breed, it is said that it was about in the Palaeozoic period. The Chihuahua's earliest ancestor was cannis raptor rodentis, this means that it killed mice. This breed lived in the desert regions of Mexico, which were very inhospitable. The Chihuahua did survive these conditions though, and over the years they evolved, and grew their trade mark huge ears. These large ears had a very special use though, which played a key part in their survival. They would collect moisture in their ears, and absorb the moisture into their skin, this meant that they could go weeks without water.

Their large ears also acted like a sunshade during the day, and at night, and they could use them to keep their babies warm. They also had very acute hearing, and could hear sounds up to five miles away. Fossil records have shown that the Chihuahua was a very sociable animal that liked to stay in packs. It is also believed that the Chihuahua was highly intelligent, and that it could even bring down a wolf, whether or not this is true I don't know.

During my research, I discovered that the first human contact with Chihuahuas was in the 14th century. The Chihuahua was believed to be a servant of the sun god oxaca. The Chihuahua was very sacred and only a high priests and chiefs were allowed to care for them. The Chihuahua was used in many rituals especially to cure people who had demons inside them. In around 1850, American tourists visiting Mexico began to take a great interest in the Chihuahua, and as you can imagine, they were snapped up, and brought back to America. In the years following the breed's popularity grew and grew, and in 1923, the Chihuahua Club of America was formed. The
Chihuahua was recognised as a pure breed, and gained entry into the American Kennel Club.

In Europe, people were excited about the Chihuahua, and they were exported in the fifties, however, many died in transit. Luckily for us, the breed they did eventually populate most of the world, and everyone could enjoy the magnificent Chihuahua.

What is a Chihuahua?
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Well the Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world. The great thing about the Chihuahua is that they can be any colour, some are snow white, (like my Cindy), others are red, black, fawn, brown, golden, some are even part coloured, i.e.: you might get one splashed with many colours. Some are even blue, this is the most sought after colour, and people will pay any price to get hold of these little beauties.
If you are looking for a Chihuahua, these are the breed characteristics:

General Appearance: Graceful, alert, swift moving they have a saucy expression and they have terrier like temperaments.

Size. A Chihuahua should weigh no more than 6lb.

Head: Chihuahua's should have a well rounded head, like an apple, some have an open molera, this is a hole in the skull, your vet will tell you whether your Chihuahua has this. The eyes should be full, but not protruding, and set well apart. The ears should be large and erect.

Body: The feet should be small and dainty looking, and the tail should curl over the back, the tail should never be tucked between the legs.

Hair: There are two coat types, the long and short coat. Both coats should be soft in texture and glossy.

Grooming.
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Personally, I would not recommend bathing the Chihuahua to often, as it removes the natural oils from their coat. If they do get dirty, say after a walk on a muddy field, I find it helpful to put some doggy shampoo in an atomiser, and then rinse the soap off with some luke warm water, and then dry them
off with a towel. You may also like to wash their feet every fortnight, as they do tend to get smelly.
When it comes to coat condition, unless your Chihuahua is getting a good diet, you will be wasting your time with the grooming so a healthy diet is essential.

My Chihuahua is a short coat, so I find I get the best results with a small love brush, and a wide shaped comb. During moulting, it is useful to invest in a moulting comb. The Chihuahua has pants, and it is much cleaner to keep these short, so invest in a good pair of scissors, also buy a pair of nail clippers, these are easy to use once you get used to them, and you will be able to keep your Chihuahua's nails in tiptop condition. I also find it is a good idea to use ear and eye wipes, nothing looks worse than a dog with tear stained eyes.

Feeding.
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If you expect your Chihuahua to live on dog food, you will be in for a shock. They hate it. To combat this problem I feed my Chihuahua on a varied diet; this includes liver, skinless chicken, weetabix, vegetables, fruit and cooked meats. I supplement her diet with cod liver oil, and vitamins. She is in excellent condition on this diet, so it does seem to suit her. You will probably find that your Chihuahua will prefer maybe three or four small meals a day, this is ok, as long as you don't feed them too much.

I also find it is a good idea, to give them couple of hard biscuits everyday, and a pigs ear once a week, these keep their teeth in good condition.

HealthCare.
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Just like a person, your Chihuahua needs looking after. This includes vaccinations at nine and twelve weeks, followed by a booster every year. Worming tablets are essential for good health and I recommend worming them every six weeks for roundworms, and three months for tapeworms. Your Chihuahua also needs protecting from fleas, I would recommend using Frontline, which you can purchase from the vet, Frontline
is simple to use, and protects your pet for up to three months.

I also periodically spray the house with a good household flea killer, this will ensure that you never encounter any flea problems. Your Chihuahua also needs exercise, however, I would not recommend taking them any further than half a mile, as you will burn them out. You can also exercise your Chihuahua in your garden, they love playing especially with balls, and they will fetch a ball just like a Labrador. Mine also loves cuddly toys, and can occupy herself for hours with them,

Cost.
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Even though a Chihuahua is small, they still can cost a lot to buy, and maintain. As a rough guide a KC registered Chihuahua will set you back around £500, however you could pay much more depending on the stock. You can pick up a pedigree Chihuahua puppy for around £150, but it would not be KC registered, this is fine as long as you don't want to show it.

There are other costs involved such as vaccinations, these cost about £20 depending on the vet, and you will need to have you puppy vaccinated twice at eight and twelve weeks, and then once every year. You will also need to budget for spaying this will cost around £100, and believe it is worth every penny, I won't got into the technicalities, but it does stop unwanted puppies, and protects you dog against cancer. There is also food to consider, worming tablets, Frontline, hair brushes, shampoo, nail clippers, eyedrops etc etc. So think very carefully before purchasing any puppy, can you afford to give it the best care?

Personality.
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You could not ask for a better dog than the Chihuahua, they will love you with all their heart, they are devoted, but only to one person. They do bark, but only when a stranger is approaching or when they hear a strange sound. They get on well with other dogs, and with small pets like birds, and gerbils, due to their kind and sensitive nature.

T
he Chihuahua is also an easy dog to house train, and they never chew or gnaw at furniture or slippers. They love going out in the car, and they can even tell what mood you are in, if you are sad they will come over and give you a kiss. They seem to sense your moods, and react to that. There are a few down sides though, for example, I wouldn't recommend owning a Chihuahua if you have small children, the Chihuahua does not appreciate rough handling and is liable to snap.

The Chihuahua can also be very clingy and constantly follow you around for attention, however this is something that a lot of people would welcome, they can also be very jealous and territorial. If a stranger comes up to you, the Chihuahua will constantly bark in an attempt to see the person off, and if a stranger enters their space they can react in the same way. Personally I love everything about my baby, and can not find fault with her.

My Story.
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When I was younger, we never had a dog. When I was nineteen I decided that I wanted a dog, firstly because I could devote a lot of time to it, and because I wanted something that I could love. I look after my dad as a living, so I knew I'd have plenty of time to spend with it. I didn't want a large dog, as I've said I wanted a lap dog. The obvious choice was a Yorkshire Terrier.

On a whim, I telephoned a local breeder, hoping that she could put me in contact with a breeder. Anyway, it just so happened that she had had a litter of Chihuahua puppies. I didn't really know what a Chihuahua was, but I decided to take a look. When I got there, I was greeted by four tiny little white balls. One particular puppy stood out, she had bright blue eyes, and she was so small that she could sit on the palm of my hand. I knew straight away that she was the one.

A week later I went back and bought her and named her Cindy. At first, she just slept all day, but after her injections, she bucked
up and of course, it meant she could go out walkie's. My dad and I would take her everywhere and she quickly got used to the car, in fact, she loves sticking her head out of the window, and she particularly likes barking at passing dogs.

After around six months, when she was house trained, she started to sleep with me; she is really good and never wakes me up unless she wants the toilet, although she does have habit of kicking me in the back. I also let her kiss me, and in return I tickle her stomach which she loves, especially when I sing a little tune, which goes like this "Tickle on the tum, tickle on the tum, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle on the tummmmm". What else can I say? We get up in the morning, when I sit down she is straight on my lap, when I try to study she's there, she is such a perfect lap dog. She even knows when my face is bad (See tegretol opinion), and will come over and give me a kiss.

As an extra bonus she is also extremely pretty, and everywhere I take her, people come up to me and tell me how beautiful she is, so we do get a lot of attention when we are out. I think the best thing about having Cindy, is that I know she is very happy, and that make me feel as if I've given her the best live possible.

Recommended Books.
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These are two of the books I own, and they tell you everything you need to know about Chihuahua's.

The Chihuahua Handbook £6.39 ISBN 0764115219
Chihuahua Guide To Happy Health £7.64 ISBN 0876054939.

Last Word.
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If you want to see Cindy and my other dog Candy why not take a look at my Web site the link is on my profile page, it is not fully up and running yet, but there are quite a few pictures, and some more information about both dogs.

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