What are the pros and cons of getting a Chihuaha?

Question

I'm interested because most of my need of a dog are met with in a Chihuahua. What are the pros and cons of getting one?

Answer 1

What's good and bad about chis
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/chihuahuas.html

Answer 2

PROS

+ Is the smallest and easiest of all breeds to carry around
+ Comes in a variety of colours, coats and sizes
+ Takes himself very seriously
+ Is comical and entertaining
+ Makes a good watchdog
+ Doesn't need a lot of exercise
+ Has a long life span

CONS

- The fragility of toy breeds
- Notorious housebreaking difficulties, especially in cold or wet weather
- A mind of his own
- Suspicious barking when strangers or strange dogs approach
- An extremely careful search to avoid all the neurotic Chihuahuas
- Avoiding the hype of irresponsible breeders

Answer 3

okay how many of these people answering have chihuahuas? I do and i find them to be the perfect companion dog . they are smart and they are easy to housetrain and mine is not yappy at all he barely barks . He is one of the smartest dogs i have ever owned and I have owned plenty and so has my mother. my mother has a german sheppard and a chi and they live in the same house and that chi knows how to make that sheppard behave around him does that sound like a dumb dog to you? not to me. I love em and believe me when i say there are not very many cons and more pros . they are also readily accepted by most places in case you rent . smart dogs i would definately say get one you will be glad you did.

Answer 4

I have 2 Chi's of my own. (Neelix and Giuliani. They're not yappers, and they don't pee all over everything. Neither of them have any health problems, so I've been pretty blessed with these little guys.)

Pros:

They are small enough to carry which makes it easy to rescue them if there's a housefire or something.

As a breed Chi's bond very closely with their humans; you won't find a more loyal dog.

They're easy to clean up after (because their messes are tiny).

They're cheaper to feed, because they don't eat very much.

It's often less expensive to get the spayed/neutered.

Cons:

Because Chi's are small, they can be very aggressive with other dogs (trying to make themselves seem "larger").

Because they're small, they can get injured more easily than larger dogs. Rolling over onto one in your sleep can do damage, for example; so you have to be aware of where they are all the time.

Because Chi's bond closely with their caretakers, they are often intollerant of strangers, and may snap or growl at people they don't know.

Chi's can catch cold easily; these are dogs that really need a sweater in the colder months.

Because their eyes protrude, some Chi's are prone to eye irritations or injuries.

Answer 5

The smaller the dog, the more expensive the Vet bill if something happens. My parents had one who broke his leg by running up some steps and my sister has one who has one eye because it got close to another dog that was eating, both really hefty Vet bills. They also demand all of your attention, so be prepared to hold and take it everywhere with you.

Answer 6

Chis are cool little dogs. Main concern is if you are away from home for long periods your Chi will get Separation Anxiety.

Check out this article http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/how-to-train-a-chihuahua.html

Good luck

Answer 7

Cons first -
*They can tend to be a tad yappy if you let them
*Possesive of their masters and homes
*Clingy is an understatment - they want to go EVERYWHERE with you
*Small underfoot - you need to be careful

Pros -
*Incredibly Loyal
*Full of love
*Clingy - want to go EVERYWHERE with you
*Very intelligent and learn very quickly

Trust me - Once you go chihuahua, you will never go back.

Answer 8

+
Very cute (if you like that type of dog)
Small
You can easily carry them
Less food = less poop

-
Overbred right now by bad breeders
EXPENSIVE health issues
Yappy
Needy
Breakable
Very susceptible to weather
Hard to housebreak
Can be grumpy
Separation anxiety


Talk to a reputable breeder more about them to get an honest opinion. A good breeder will tell you the good and the bad - they don't want you to hate the dog a year after getting it.

http://64.37.122.206/Info/questionstoaskabreeder.asp?menu=Info (modify for Chis)

http://dogplay.com/GettingDog/index.html

Answer 9

there are alot of pros as long as you get your huahua from a good breeder. huahuas can have a nasty attitude, and a number of genetic health problems. they can be a great dog, as long as it is well bred. the majority of all dogs cons come from poor breeding. be sure to do your research.

Answer 10

Pro's - does not eat much
Con's - Small unattractive, yippy dog. Can be aggressive with strangers and even bite (ankles)