hmmm.answer this?.?

Question

what are pros and cons of owning a chihuahua?
do chihuahuas have skin conditions [ short coat ] ?

Answer 1

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/chihuahuas.html
you want a dog who...



Is the smallest and easiest of all breeds to carry around
Comes in a variety of sizes, coats, and colors
Takes himself very seriously (which can be amusing to watch)
Is comical and entertaining
Makes a keen watchdog
Doesn't need much exercise
Lives a long time
A Chihuahua may be right for you.



If you don't want to deal with...



The fragility of toy breeds (see below)
Notorious housebreaking difficulties, especially in cold or wet weather
Suspicious barking when strangers or strange dogs approach
An extremely careful search to avoid neurotic Chihuahuas
A Chihuahua may not be right for you.



If I were considering a Chihuahua...


My major concerns would be:


Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed puppy without understanding how incredibly fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure or kill a Chihuahua by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he's curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Chihuahuas can seriously injure or kill THEMSELVES by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Chihuahua and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what's going on around your tiny dog. Chihuahuas must always be kept on-leash -- they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control.

Chihuahuas are NOT suited to children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Chihuahua who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Most Chihuahuas feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and fearfulness (even defensive biting) may be the result.


Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Chihuahua on my Top 10 List of "Hard to Housebreak." Consistent crate training is mandatory. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary. And some owners never do get their Chihuahua fully housebroken.

Mind of their own. Chihuahuas are not Golden Retrievers. They can be manipulative. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.

To teach your Chihuahua to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Chihuahua Training Page discusses the program you need.


Suspiciousness and barking. Many Chihuahuas will put on a display of excited ferociousness (i.e. they "pitch a fit") when other people or animals approach what is THEIRS. It's not funny, because if you don't curtail it, your Chihuahua may end up suspicious of everyone in the world, which is a short step to biting.

Unstable temperaments. Chihuahuas are a dime a dozen, and most of them are bred and offered for sale by people who don't have the slightest idea of how to breed good-tempered dogs. Obedience instructors and behavioral consultants see LOTS of Chihuahuas with neurotic behaviors, including biting, mindless yapping, and general nastiness.

Avoiding the hype. Have you heard these phrases? Teacup Chihuahuas? Miniature Chihuahuas? Pocket Chihuahuas? Standard Chihuahuas? Some breeders use these cutesy phrases as "marketing terms" for the different weights that Chihuahuas come in. All of these phrases are made-up. The only classifications that Chihuahuas should be put into is Smooth Coat and Long Coat, i.e. you have a Smooth Coat Chihuahua or you have a Long Coat Chihuahua. But you do NOT have a "Teacup" or a "Miniature" or a "Standard." Yes, certainly, Chihuahuas come in different weights, but they do NOT come in different weight "varieties". Whether they weigh 2 pounds or 6 pounds or 10 pounds, they are called, simply, Chihuahua. Some are simply smaller or larger than others. For the show ring, they must weigh less than 6 pounds, but many individuals weigh up to 8 or 10 or even 12 pounds. These larger dogs are certainly sturdier, so don't dismiss them as good pets.

In fact, I do NOT recommend a Chihuahua under 4 pounds. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their bones are extremely fragile. There is not enough room in their mouth for healthy teeth. Their internal organs are often weak and can fail suddenly. They tend to have great difficulty regulating their blood sugar and can suddenly fall into hypoglycemic comas.
Responsible Chihuahua breeders never try to produce these tiny high-risk creatures. If a tiny one pops up in one of their litters, they do their best to find the best home that can keep it alive, yes, but they try hard NOT to produce them in the first place because it's not fair to the poor little creature.



On the other hand, some breeders deliberately breed tiny high-risk Chihuahuas because they can sell them for high prices to unsuspecting owners, or to owners who selfishly demand that they "want" one because it's "adorable" or to satisfy their "mothering" instincts. Don't be one of these people. If you reward these irresponsible breeders by giving them your money, you are encouraging them to keep producing tiny, sickly, short-lived creatures. No, be a responsible buyer and stick with Chihuahuas who will mature at 4 pounds and up, who have the best chance of living a normal healthy life. In this way, breeders will be motivated to produce these sizes. (These individuals, by the way, will weigh at least 2-3 pounds at 10-12 weeks old.)



Not all Chihuahuas are alike!



There are energetic Chihuahuas, and placid Chihuahuas.
Hard-headed Chihuahuas, and sweet-natured Chihuahuas.
Serious Chihuahuas, and good-natured goofballs.
Introverted Chihuahuas, and Chihuahuas who love everyone.

If you acquire a Chihuahua puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm."


If you're considering an adult Chihuahua...


There are plenty of adult Chihuahuas who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.

When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.

Answer 2

Well for one chihuahuas are small and don't take much space. And they are the best security system you can buy that works. ALl that barking they do when they hear a noise make a burglar think twice. ALso if you train them like I did mine, iinstead of having to take them outside to do their business just train them to do it in a liter box. Both of mine are trained that way. Probably the only thing that could be wrong with a chihuahua all depends on the dog and if the partentys are grandparents have had problems but mostly they are cool little dogs. But the only con about them that they bark and bark and bark and they never stoop when they hear a sound. So when that happens look outside or wait a couple of minutes and someone will walk by or drive by and then they will stop.

Answer 3

I personally think chihuahuas make excellent pets. Our family loves our little guy. He is very clean, small and very easy to take care of.He doesn't bark very much and he is very friendly to everyone. The only possible con could be that he needs a LOT of attention. On occasion we have to leave him home alone for 3 or 4 hours and he sits on the top of our couch and waits at the window for us. When we come in, he goes crazy wagging his tail and running in circles and jumping all over us.It breaks my heart when we do have to leave him. He looks so pitiful. Maybe a chihuahua wouldn't be an ideal pet for you if you have to spend a lot of time away from home and you are unable to take him with you. I have only owned one chihuahua in my life , so I am not an expert , but based on my experience with my own little dog, I would say they make great pets for children - at least gentle children. We have 5 children . Our little Toby loves them all and follows them around. That's another great thing about chihuahuas. They let children love on them and pet them for extended periods of time and seem to really enjoy lots of company. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best and hope you enjoy your new little friend!

Answer 4

I think, just like with any breed, it all depends on how they are raised and trained. I hate to generalize due to the fact that my dog gets generalized, I own a pit-bull, but I will gladly share my experiences with the chihuahuas I have come in contact with.

The chihuahuas I have encountered all had varying attitude problems. One in particular was really snappy. He liked to bite my husbands leg which wasn't cool. They where brave little things...weren't really afraid of anything. They all had that little man syndrome thing going on. There was one that was extremely sweet, lovable, and didn't seem to have the "barking" problem. I wanted to take him home with me.

I am not sure about those skin conditions though.

Answer 5

i dont think i can beat anns answer..... but i have a chihuahua..

Pros: they act like a part of the family.... and they're freakin cute

cons: they bark ALOT, and you need to give them 99% of you attention if your lucky... if your not so lucky its 100%

Answer 6

if you do a search on the internet, you will find a lot of information about this breed.

Answer 7

pro- very soft and can be lovable
con- can bite, need the special powder and a powder box for them. they are also a larger rodent (not huge... just about a little bigger than the size of a guinepig) so you need a bigger cage.

Answer 8

they are very nervous and inbred a lot. They are prone to the "Shakes"

Answer 9

I dont personaly like them they bark ALOT and requir ALOT of attention
They are short haired but do shed

Answer 10

they bark to much