Breed portrait: Chihuahua

Handbag accessory or small dog? The stars of Hollywood lead the way: nowadays you carry your “dog” in your handbag. Especially popular here is the smallest dog breed in the world, the Chihuahua. The miniature-format little dogs are now among the most popular dog breeds of all. Yet, partly owing to the way they are kept, these little dwarfs often have little left of “real” dogs: to play in the dog pack with normal-sized dogs they are often too fragile, their barking sounds thin, long walks would be too strenuous for their short little legs, and illnesses such as patellar luxation (kneecap dislocation) are unfortunately the order of the day. Nevertheless, the charm of these tiny dogs is unbroken.

A brief Chihuahua breed history

The Chihuahua is not only the smallest dog breed in the world, but also one of the oldest. The tiny dogs come from Mexico, where they were demonstrably bred as early as the 8th century: whether as lapdogs, sacrificial animals or as an addition to the menu is, however, unclear. With the exploration of South America the little dogs then also reached America and finally Europe, where they now enjoy growing popularity.

The appearance of the Chihuahua

The build of the Chihuahua is square and compact, the head round-domed with large eyes and ears. The breed usually comes in two different coat varieties: long-haired and short-haired. These differ only in their coat length; the remaining body proportions are not affected by it.

According to breeding criteria, a Chihuahua should have a weight of between 1.5 and 3 kg as well as a shoulder height of 18–23 cm. In order to be approved for breeding and to prevent complications during pregnancy and birth, breeding associations require a minimum weight of 2 kg for breeding approval. In the increasingly common “hobby breeding” away from the associations, however, unfortunately little weight is given to these criteria.

Instead, various types are increasingly emerging, from the “normal” Chihuahua all the way to the super-mini weighing barely 1 kg. The breeding of special miniature Chihuahuas (teacups) is, however, to be viewed critically and can lead to massive health problems, up to the inability to carry young to term healthily.

The character traits of the Chihuahua

The Chihuahua may be a dwarf in body, but in spirit he is thoroughly large: lovers of the breed value his brave and fearless character. Nimble and lively, yet always attentive and curious, the self-confident tiny dogs even take on clearly larger opponents – who are often so baffled that they simply accept the dwarf's apparent superiority.

Between the perfect city dog and an accessory

It cannot be denied that it is hard to resist the charm of a Chihuahua when he looks at you loyally with his huge button eyes and snuggles up to you trustingly, seeking warmth. Nevertheless, the negative sides of these dogs must not be kept silent either: through uncontrolled breeding by irresponsible breeders, the health of the breed has suffered in recent years. As long as the Chihuahua is traded as a pure fashion object, this risk remains.

Nevertheless, the Chihuahua of course has his justification: hardly any other breed is better suited as a city or apartment dog. They do need exercise and occupation like any dog, but the distances are naturally shorter than with a Husky. At home, on the sofa and showered with plenty of affection, they feel most at ease. That makes them the perfect dog for the urban person who longs for the closeness of “man's best friend”.

But precisely this lack of any need for “sporty” keeping is also the great curse of the Chi, because many an owner thereby “forgets” that he nonetheless has a real dog at home who wants to be trained, who wants to watch and protect, and whose purpose in life does not consist in being carried through the shopping streets of the city in a chic bag. It remains to be hoped that the Chihuahua breed survives its current existence as a fashion dog well and nevertheless remains what it is: a small dog with a big heart – and not a fashionable accessory!