Why are chihuahuas bred for? Is there an actual reason?

Question

Some dogs are bred for hunting, seeing eye, police, etc. What are chihuahuas for?

Answer 1

To sit in your lap.

Seriously, Chi's were only created to be little lap dogs, thus, companion dogs.
Though they were NEVER bred to be "toys" or "purse" dogs, that is indeed a purpose which society created for them.

When bred correctly and in health, they are very sturdy and strong little dogs. They believe they are larger than they are, and can easily stand up for themselves.

Indeed, society needed some breeds to serve only as companions, though Chi's can and do many of the dog sports and real jobs other working breeds perform every day.

Chi's should be no more than 8 pounds, but NO LESS than 5.
Way too many Chi's are sold as "toy" "pocket" and other false
advertising words, being sometimes less than 4 pounds, even some at a mere two pounds. This is sad and unhealthy, at best.

Answer 2

@CMH - last I checked domestic dogs were not wild animals. And you look it up and show the rest of us where the Chihuahua Club of America has set ANY size varieties within the breed. The weight limit per the standard is 6 pounds, anything under that is a chihuahua. Anything over it (such as the sire of this litter is an oversized chihuahua which should never be bred. The DOMESTICATED chi is one of the hardest breeds to whelp, so breeding a b*tch to a dog that's nearly 50% over her body weight is begging for complications. No wonder you can't find work as a vet tech anymore - you're a complete idiot. And Purina? She might as well buy dollar store food OP - he's not a 'little' bigger than she is, he's significantly larger and by choosing such an inappropriate stud for her, you've already stacked the odds against her. The responsible thing for a loving owner intent on breeding their b*tch to do would have been to learn everything you needed to PRIOR to breeding her. You've already made a critical mistake, one that may very well end up in a c-section for her. I spent nearly 10 years involved in the breed and studying under a mentor, assisting with whelping before I felt confident enough to breed my first litter. There's no express lane to this so you should be praying she isn't pregnant right now. You've got less than 9 weeks to learn all of this so you'd better hit the books immediately and steadily until she's ready to whelp. The pregnancy can't be confirmed until about 30 days after the first tie by either a blood test or ultrasound. Start saving for that c-section as well. My last emergency one 3 years ago was $3K

Answer 3

Most of the Chihuahua breed history is theory. It is believed the modern day Chi descended from the Techichi, a small dog that dates back to mayan times. After the Aztecs became the ruling class of Mexico they used them for companions & in religious ceremonies.

Answer 4

Like most small bred dogs they are used to keep vermin away from homes. In the case of these, they were first discovered in Chihuahua Mexico. IN this region they were used first to alert people to venomous snakes, especially in homes of small children. They were sought out for the demanding voracity and loyalty to their master.

Answer 5

I remember reading somewhere that they were originally bred as a food item. They are a very old breed around long before Paris Hilton made then a fashion item.

**to the thumbs down brigade do your research before you rate an answer. There are records/paintings 100s of years old in Mexico with chihuahuas and similar dogs and yes they were eaten as well as worshipped. You know where you can stick your thumbs ...

Answer 6

The Chihuahua is a popular, economical companion dog.

Answer 7

they are bred to love their owner, a previous post said a good weight is 5-8 lbs and she is right the girls that are bred should be at the higher end of that. less problems

Answer 8

They were bred for being "cute" whent they are actually hidious, and for being small "companions". My idea of a companion is a dog who is willing and able to do somthing if I were in some kind of danger or being harrased, etc. I own a black and tan coonhound, one of the best dogs I have ever seen besides my grandmothers rottweiler, who, sadly is now gone. I think all small breeds are useless, all they do is eat sleep, and constantly bark. Everytime I see a small dog, I have a very stong urge to kick it....espesially if it is barking and acting all macho.
So thats my opinion of small dogs. Honestly, cats are more usefull, catching mice and whatnot.

Answer 9

They are a toy dog-- a companion dog. They aren't a working dog.

JOH is right. The aztecs used them for food and for "religious ceremonies" which is a nice way to say animal sacrifice. I gave him a thumbs up.

Answer 10

Mexican families had them as watch dogs, since they are so small they don't eat much, can get away from coyotes or bandits easily and they are very loud so they can alert the family if someone is trying to steal their chickens or other livestock.