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Feisty and full of so much sass, it’s no wonder Chihuahua dogs have their own special day. International Chihuahua Appreciation Day began on May 14, 2010 when Canadian Nadia Algeria declared it a holiday.
Well, at least that is one theory floating around on the internet about how the holiday began. And, with good reason. Nadia wanted to honor her dog, Teaka, who’s birthday was on the 14th day of May.
As a result, people around the world have been celebrating Chihuahua dogs for the past 11 years. For instance, they share photos of their Chihuahua dogs on social media with the hashtag, #InternationalChihuahuaAppreciationDay.
In addition, Chihuahua lovers donate to Chihuahua rescue groups as a way of celebrating the day. Plus, parties are held in honor of these little Chihuahua dogs.
Chihuahua dogs are named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. Furthermore, they may be the smallest purebred dogs in the world weighing on average 3 to 6 pounds. In addition, their height ranges from 6 to 9 inches.
However, don’t let that tiny size fool you. Chihuahua dogs have a personality the size of an English Mastiff. Although they are known for being notoriously overprotective, they are actually quite playful and highly intelligent.
Now This Is Something To Bark About!!
Facts To Appreciate About Chihuahua Dogs
Known as a toy breed and affectionately called Chi’s, Chihuahua dogs are popular throughout the United States. This could be in part due to their small size and little need for exercise. Therefore, they adapt well to city life and apartment dwelling.
Furthermore, to go along with their sass and distinct personalities, they are very intelligent. So, when owners take the time to train them, they are very trainable. For instance, they can make great emotional support and service dogs.
In addition, these pint size dogs typically mix well with children and other dogs if properly introduced. The key here is “properly introduced.” In other words, most Chihuahua dogs need proper training to mix well with others.
Here are a few possibly unknown facts to you about Chihuahua dogs:
- The majority of countries around the world recognize one breed of Chihuahua with two varieties. For instance, there is a short coat and a long coat. Furthermore, the short coat is known as a smooth short haired Chihuahua. Similarly, the long coat is known as the long haired Chihuahua. Other than the visible difference in coat length, both varieties have the same qualities, such as color, size and body structure.
- Interestingly, long haired Chihuahuas only require minimal grooming. For example, their hair only grows to a certain length and then stops. Furthermore, shedding varies from dog to dog. Whether a Chihuahua is short-haired or long-haired, they will shed differently.
- Chihuahua dogs come in a variety of colors. For instance, the colors that are considered standard are:
- Black
- Black and tan
- Fawn
- Fawn and white
- Blue and tan
- Cream
- Chocolate,
- Chocolate and tan
- Red
- There are two other sub-type variants in Chihuahua dogs worth mentioning. For instance, there are apple head Chihuahuas and deer head Chihuahuas. They can be identified by the shape of the skull. For example, the apple head Chihuahuas have a slightly shorter muzzle with a soft part in the skull. However, the deer head Chihuahuas have a slightly longer head shape with no slope on their noses.
- Chihuahuas typically give birth to one to three puppies. Furthermore, they have the highest rate of Cesarean sections in purebred dogs. Speaking of puppies, they are born with floppy ears. However, as they age, they begin to stand erect. Usually their ears are fully erect by around six months old.
- Chihuahua dogs are the second most euthanized purebreds after the Pitbull. Furthermore, they are common in most shelters throughout the U.S.. In California, they may exceed the number of Pit Bulls in some areas.
Sadly, Chihuahua Dogs are Common in Most U.S. Shelters
According to BarkPost, Chihuahua dogs rank second of the most common dog breeds in American shelters. This is based on a study from five years ago. Furthermore, at that time, there were 3,725 Chihuahua dogs available for adoption.
I Heart Dogs used Petfinders’ self-reported data about the breeds most commonly available from shelters. As a result, Chihuahua dogs rank 3rd out of the 15 they list on their site.
So, Why Are There So Many Chihuahua Dogs in Shelters?
Firstly, we can look at the popularity of Chihuahua dogs to understand why so many are in shelters. These tiny dogs gained popularity in the 1990’s and early 2000’s through television, movies, and movie stars.
Secondly, we can look at the lack of research before bringing home a Chihuahua with a big personality. Unfortunately, people don’t realize how important it is to research specific breeds before purchasing or adopting.
Thirdly, we can look at the lack of training and socialization of Chihuahua dogs. So, these two things are important for any dog breed, but especially for Chihuahuas. Their sassiness can tend to rule a house if they aren’t taught what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable.
Chihuahua Popularity Established From Television and Movies
Do you remember Gidget? Or, do you remember this catchphrase, “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!” Gidget served as Taco Bell’s television commercial mascot from September 1997 to July 2000 according to Taco Bell Wiki.
In addition, Gidget made another television commercial for GEICO in 2002. Furthermore, she played mom to another famous Chihuahua named Bruiser. Do you remember Bruiser?
Bruiser (Moonie) appeared in the Legally Blonde movies as Elle Woods’ (Reese Witherspoon) adorable little dog. Bruiser was a fabulously dressed Chihuahua toted around like an accessory in both movies.
Do you remember Ren? REN was a hotheaded Chihuahua who hung out with his sidekick Stimpy, a not-so-bright cat. The Ren and Stimpy Show was a controversial cartoon that ran on the Nickelodeon network from 1991 to 1996.
So, Chihuahuas made their way into television and onto the big screen and everybody wanted to own one. Furthermore, Chihuahuas found themselves the arms and purses of well-known celebrities making them even more popular.
Do you remember Tinkerbell? This tiny dog became a star while being carried around in designer purses by Paris Hilton. In addition, Tinkerbell gained popularity on Hilton’s reality program, The Simple Life.
And, just like that, people thought they had to have one of their own little Chihuahuas. As a result, irresponsible and greedy breeders were happy to produce vast numbers of puppies.
Furthermore, people knew nothing about the breed and truly thought they were getting a little Bruiser or Tinkerbell. Therefore, when their dog wasn’t a perfectly trained little movie star, they became disillusioned. Sadly, the little Chihuahuas end up in a shelter.
Lack of Research Before Bringing Home a Chihuahua
So, Chihuahuas gained popularity as the purse accessories of movie stars, but they definitely aren’t laid-back dogs. Although they can be trained to be a purse dog, they really aren’t good purse dogs.
Firstly, because they are active. Secondly, because they are independent. Thirdly, because many are distrustful of strangers. For instance, a passerby can be bitten due to “guarding” from the tiny Chihuahua.
Much to a family’s surprise, their new “family” pet is considered a “one person” dog. More times than not, Chihuahuas prefer only one member of the family. Then, their traits of being protective and loyal come out in full force.
Being protective and loyal are great traits until a Chihuahua makes interaction with their chosen person impossible. Furthermore, they tend to show aggression toward people they don’t consider part of the family. Plus, they often make up their own mind about who is and who isn’t a part of the family.
Chihuahuas aren’t any different from the majority of small dogs struggling with potty training. For instance, they are tiny dogs, therefore they have tiny bladders. So, as puppies, they might not be able to hold it more than 10 or 15 minutes.
Rather than deal with constant potty accidents, new owners tend to surrender their Chihuahua to a shelter. Furthermore, their bold and tenacious spirit makes them a handful, but they can be handled if properly trained.
Lack of Training and Socialization of Chihuahua Dogs
So, I’ve established that Chihuahua dogs have some wonderful characteristics. However, if these characteristics aren’t channeled properly, they can turn into unruly behavior. Therefore, these feisty, little dogs need to be correctly trained and socialized.
More times than not, this doesn’t happen. For instance, if it did, there wouldn’t be so many Chihuahuas given up to shelters. Their owners just simply gave up. Most of the time they can’t handle their dog’s aggressively “protective” behavior of their chosen person.
Furthermore, they can also be aggressively “protective” of their toys, food, treats, and their perceived spot. Therefore, Chihuahuas need to be trained to not be possessive of these things. Most importantly, to prevent a bite if a small child takes a toy away trying to play.
In addition to training, Chihuahuas need to be socialized in a supervised environment to control fear. Thus, they need to be exposed to new situations, different people, and other dogs to not be afraid.
Without this exposure, they tend to be fear aggressive.
To clarify, when Chihuahuas are afraid of someone or something, they show their teeth while snarling and growling. Then, as a last resort, they will snap and even bite.
So, many times a Chihuahua ends up in a shelter due to the lack of training and socialization. Their owners get tired of not knowing how to handle the possessiveness and fear aggressiveness.
In Conclusion
Lastly, if you are considering bringing home a Chihuahua dog, make sure you’ve done your research. Most importantly, you want to make sure a Chihuahua is a good fit for your family. In addition, prepare for training and socialization.
Furthermore, it’s important to understand that this breed isn’t right for everyone. However, for someone who understands their feisty behavior and big personalities, they can be amazing pets.
These tiny pups are deeply loyal and fiercely love. Therefore, knowing they are commonly found in shelters breaks my heart. So, please consider adopting your Chihuahua from a shelter rather than buying one from a breeder.
Are you a dog parent to a Chihuahua? We would love to read in the comments what you love and appreciate about your fur baby.
You might want to read these posts from our dog blog:
- Why Spay or Neuter Your Dog
- Want to Know Why Senior Pet Are Awesome to Adopt?
- Now is the Time for Socialization
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