The Chihuahua is a dog that is lively, affectionate, and entertaining. This little dog will follow you everywhere around the house and loves nothing more to cuddle up with you. Intelligent, eager to please this breed is very responsive and playful. Important to remember, the personality of Chihuahuas can vary, where one may be very confident and friendly another may be very reserved. The Chihuahua usually becomes very attached to family members. The Chihuahua can have a jealous streak if he feels he isn't the centre of attention and another pet, or person is getting more attention than he is. The Chihuahua gets along well with older, gentle children and will tolerate other pets when properly introduced with them.

The Chihuahua has a high learning rate but a stubborn attitude at times, which makes this breed a good match for those with some experience of dog ownership. Many Chihuahuas do have very outgoing personalities, and are very inquisitive and surprisingly bold considering their size. The interaction with strangers will depend upon the personality of each individual dog, but many are reserved and wary of strangers.

A rather fragile looking little dog, the Chihuahua has a very distinctive looking with a cute face, and a playful or mischievous expression. The Chihuahua has a rounded head, protruding eyes, with ears that are very large in proportion to the rest of this little dogs head. The coat of the Chihuahua; there are two varieties one having the long coated and the other with a smooth variety. The coloring of the Chihuahua can vary and includes red, cream, chocolate, blue/gray, white, fawn, and black. The Chihuahua weighs in weight around 2-6 pounds, and around 5-8 inches in height.

Grooming

While the long haired variety will need to be brushed regularly to keep his soft coat in good condition the short haired variety an occasional brushing and wipe down with a damp cloth will help to keep him/her looking good. Make sure that you check his eyes regularly, as they do protrude and this can put him at increased risk of contracting eye infections and problems.

Health Problems and Life Expectancy

The lifespan of this breed is around 15-18 years, one of the longer life breeds. Some health problems and disorders associated with this breed; heart problems, trachea, low blood sugar, dental, sensitivity to chemicals and medications. The Chihuahua has very fragile bones - so owners should take care to ensure that this dog is not treated roughly or dropped. Such rough handling could lead to injury – so The Chihuahua best suited for families with gentler children. Take care not to inadvertently harm the dog's eyes through rough treatment or kicking, and check your pet’s eyes for any infections.

History

The Chihuahua, native to Mexico, and is named after the state in which this breed was first developed. There is much speculation about the true origins of the Chihuahua, and this ranges from being the sacred dog of the Aztecs to being around with the Pharaohs’ of Ancient Egypt.