Chihuahua



The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world. It has bags of personality and was named after Chihuahua a state in Mexico. The origin of this breed is unclear. It has been thought that the Chihuahua was used in rituals by pre Colombian Indian nations. Apparently they were also popular with nobility. It has also been postulated that they actually originated in the island of Malta. This theory is built upon mainly paintings in Europe which has dogs which very much resemble the Chihuahua. For example there is a fresco in the Sistine Chapel where the dog may appear, this was painted in 1492. This clearly flies in the face of this dog being Mexican in origin as it is not possible that Botticelli (the painter of the Sistine Chapel) to have seen the dog. Archaeologically finds suggest that the breed did come from Mexico. It is likely that these dogs came from the Techichi breed which was a breed which was popular in ancient Toltec civilisation in Mexico. For an idea of how this dog could ever hunt anything with its small size, it has been suggested that they hunted in packs.
Appearance
This breed tends to be 30 to 38 cm and the breed tends to weight between 1.5 to 3 kg. The coat of the Chihuahua comes in two flavours, the long coat version and the smooth coat version.There are many varied colours that the Chihuahua comes into.
Temperament
It is difficult to pin down the default personality of the Chihuahua as it can vary so much. To identify the temperament of the Chihuahua one should look at the parents. For example an ill tempered Chihuahua can easily be made to attack someone, this means that as a general rule at least, this breed does not do well with children. The breed tends to have high levels of loyalty specifically to its owner. This means that the breed may quiet easily be over protective to its master. They also do not tend to get along well with other breeds, their own breed they are more happy with. If you are looking to get a Chihuahua as a pet and you have children then good training and initial personality of the Chihuahua need to be put in place.
Grooming and care
This breed gains weight very easily so make sure to not overfeed. A Chihuahua requires very little trimming and grooming, and also the long haired versions tend to shed less than the short hair versions. Thought clearly it looks like the long haired version sheds more due to the size of the hairs. Chihuahua can also sometimes be picky eaters, if your Chihuahua is not eating what you give them then try a variety of foods. Also try and avoid human food as the Chihuahua can quickly get overweight, and this has many deleterious effects on this breed.
Health
The average life expectancy of this breed is 13 years. Due to the unique nature of this dog it requires special treatment in the dental and birthing department. These dogs tend to get neurologic condition and epileptic ones. They are also prone to hydrocephalus. To identify this disease you will tend to see patch skull plates on puppies as well as lethargic behaviour. Unfortunately if this disease does affect a Chihuahua then there is not much that can be done. Chihuahua can be prone to get hypoglycaemia, this is an easily treatable condition, but if it is left unattended then death can result. It is best therefore to ensure that feeding is very regular and frequent ( every 3 hours for young puppies). To look out for the signs of this you should look out for lethargy, low energy and/or sleepiness. Chihuahuas are also prone to eye injuries due to their bulging eyes.