Information on the Chihuahua Breed

The tiny Chihuahua is a well balanced toy dog with a characteristic saucy expression and a apple domed skull with or without molera, which is the small gap in the skull formation.

The body is slightly longer than tall; shorter bodies in males are desirable. The eyes are full and not protruding and set well apart; ears are large and held upright when alert, flaring to sides when in repose; broken or cropped ears are a disqualification.

The Chihuahua's neck is slightly arched; ribs well sprung but avoiding barrel shape; tail moderately long, carried sickle up or out, or curled; tail should never be tucked between legs, or bobbed or docked!

The two coat varieties are Long and Smooth. The Long coat is soft in texture, flat or slightly curly with an undercoat and fringe on ears, tail, legs and neck; never appearing bare from excessive thinness. The Smooth coat is soft, close and glossy. Colors vary tremendously, solid, marked and splashed.

Considered the tiniest of all dog breeds, the Chihuahua necessarily is a gentle but swift moving housedog. Dogs are not conscious of their size and the Chihuahua's big dog bark clearly indicates that he is a confident, bold canine.

Nonetheless, he is described as clannish and more comfortable with members of his own breed. He is territorial and will protect his master or mistress with his whole heart.

Chihuahuas enjoy the good life and don't mind extra attention and coddling. To avoid the aggressive, yappy adult, socializing the Chihuahua with friends and other dogs is advisable.

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Dog Fashions at Lithuanian Show

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Lithuanian Dog Fashion Show

AP Poll: Pet owners willing to go mouth-to-muzzle

LOS ANGELES – Most pet owners would leap into action for an injured pet, even if it meant risking dog breath by going mouth-to-snout.

Fifty-eight percent of pet owners — 63 percent of dog owners and 53 percent of cat owners — would be at least somewhat likely to perform CPR on their pet in the event of a medical emergency, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll.

Tammy Parks, 52, of Amherst, Mass., has taken a pet first aid class and wouldn't hesitate to help her 15-year-old mixed breed terriers, Lucy and Julia, or her white fronted Amazon parrot Koko.

"It's not rocket science. The mechanics are the same as humans," said Parks, who was an American Red Cross first aid trainer. "Size is the biggest difference."

In general, though, the poll found few pet owners are prepared to handle pet emergencies. Just 20 percent of pet owners have a pet first aid kit in their home, and 54 percent do not have a fire evacuation plan for their pets.

And the survey revealed frequent reporting of dangerous practices that can lead to accidents and injuries. For example, a quarter of pet owners, including 30 percent of dog owners and 22 percent of cat owners, give their pets bones from table scraps, at least sometimes.

Sixty-two percent of dog owners and a third of cat owners let their pets ride in their cars unrestrained, rather than placing them in a special pet carrier. And 11 percent of pet owners sometimes leave their pets unattended in a car or truck.

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See If You Can Find The Lost Chihuahua

I know a lot of you are dog lovers and will help. Our neighbor has lost her Chihuahua puppy and is desperate to find him.
Yesterday, she was sitting on the couch watching TV and realized he was gone.  She called out to him and he never responded.

 

She then noticed the back door was open. She has been putting up signs everywhere in an effort to have him returned.
Thanks for your help.

 

Not Chihuahuas, But Cute Nonetheless

Oscar Lost His First Baby Tooth

He was chewing on his blanket and then pulled away and continued chewing. I thought he was trying to eat some of the fabric, so I took out what he had in his mouth. I was surprised to find it was one of his teeth. Actually, it was more like two teeth stuck together. They're so small I can't get close enough to get a good picture. Oh btw, he just got his second periodontal shot last week.

Smokey the chihuahua survives fork stuck in his brain

 Chihuahuas often have soft spots in their skulls where the bones didn't grow together, so it's always important to be cautious of head injuries.

Chihuahua called Smokey gets barbecue fork stuck in head

A chihuahua puppy called Smokey survived after spending three days with a barbecue fork stuck in its brain.

 

X-rays show the three-inch long prongs embedded in the dog's brain after an accident at a garden party in the US.

The 12-week-old puppy was playing at the family party when a fork snapped in half on the grill, flew through the air and stuck into its head.

Before his owners could get to him, he ran into nearby woods.

Luckily two days later its owner Hughie Wagers found Smokey cowering in the undergrowth and immediately rushed to the vet's.

Michelle Duncum, 30, was on duty at the Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital, in London, Kentucky, when Smokey's owner arrived.

She said: "Hughie came in and was trying to describe what was wrong with Smokey, but we couldn't really understand what he meant.

"We thought it must just be a little fork you use to eat or something and didn't have any idea what we were in for.

"Then Hughie told us to wait there and he went and got Smokey, when he brought him in we couldn't believe our eyes."

Dr Keaton Smith, 40, a vet, immediately rushed the impaled pup into the operating theatre and set to work.

He said: "When we got the x-ray up it was clear that this fork was not in the skull cavity, or behind the eye, it was in the brain.

"Smokey had been out in the woods for two days with this in his head and we really didn't know what would happen when we pulled it out, it was 50-50 if he would make it.

"The operation didn't really take any time at all, I just shaved his head and then pulled it out, it was all over in 30 seconds."

Smokey has since made a virtual full recovery although Dr Keaton said he still has some slowness in movement in his right eye.

He said: "His nerve endings around the eye still seem to be a little slow but I think that will heal over time, he really is a little miracle."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5825477/Chihuahua-called-Smokey-gets-barbecue-fork-stuck-in-head.html

Results of Overfeeding a Chihuhua

It's hard to find the right balance when feeding chihuahuas. In one month he has gone from under 3 pounds to 6 lbs. 5 ounces. Of course this is normal for a growing puppy. My main concern is that he eats leaves and wood chips when out in the yard and then throws them up hours later. Even when I have him on a leash he is very quick to snatch these up without me seeing him. He seems to prefer this to his dog food. I'm not sure how to break him of this habit. When I do catch him with one I take it from his mouth and loudly say NO, then toss it back onto the ground. He seems to not want to heed this command though.

Here is a picture of an obese chihuahua. It's not Oscar, btw!

Image by Wm Jas via Flickr