When one says a mini breed, most of you will immediately think of a Chihuahua. And it’s not surprising, its the smallest dog breed in the world. They are popular abroad as well as in the Czech Republic and they are often picked by people whose desire is to have a dog but don’t have so much time or space.
Chihuahuas have their name derived from their place of origin – the province of Chihuahua in Mexico. These mini dogs occurred here and in the whole Central America already at the times of Toltecs. They originally lived in the mountains. However, Indians used to catch them and domesticated them. The natives even described Chihuahuas as the guardians of dead chiefs in the world of ghosts. The first individual was imported to the Czech Republic in 1971, i.e. 29 years after the breed was recognized by the International Cynological Organization.
I probably don’t have to describe how Chihuahuas look like very much. They weigh from 500 grams to 3 kg. Their apple shape of head and round eyes are characteristic for them. We can talk about a great spirit in a small body with these dogs. They are very confident and courageous. However, they also have many reasons to be afraid because of their small size. They usually don’t trust strangers and if you underestimated their socialization in an early age, they might become aggressive.
Otherwise, they are friendly and intelligent companions which often fixate to one person. However, they are nice and affectionate to all family members. If they are well socialized, they also usually have good relationships with other dogs, even though they prefer other chihuahuas as companions. And they also usually don’t have problems with cats either. I even know a chihuahua that lives in a temporary cat shelter with about 15 dogs and that is a real member of the pack. Even though, chihuahuas are usually considered to be purse dogs, many of them love walking and some even like longer trips if they get used to them.
With regard to their fur length and colour, everyone can pick. There are both short-haired and long-haired varieties with many colours and shades. However, you have to be careful about Merle, the so-called marble colours. Two individuals of this colour cannot be cross-bred because their inheritance responsible for this attractive colouration also comes with serious health risks. In some countries, Merle Chihuahuas are even banned, it is considered to be animal cruelty and there are strong sanctions. The International Cynological Organization does not allow this colour and if you get a chihuahua of this colour, it can’t get a certificate of origin. To get merle colour, a chihuahua needs to be cross-bred with another breed. Therefore, it cannot be “a pure blood dog” and no one can make sure that this individual is healthy and does not have any birth defects. They are usually products of puppy mills and I definitely don’t recommend getting them.
Chihuahuas can be great and loyal companions if you will be consistent with their upbringing. Thanks to their size, they can be perfect companions for travelling. They love playing and are also suitable for children but you have to properly explain to them they have to be careful when playing with this dog in order not to hurt it. Therefore, you need to pay more attention to small children. These dogs have problems with dental caries which we should also take into consideration before we get one. However, if you decide to get a chihuahua, you’ll definitely have no regrets.
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
