Keeping up on your Chihuahuas health is key to them being happy, healthy and living a long life.  Caring for your Chihuahua properly consists of vet visits for regular check-ups, a good balanced and nutritious diet, a daily exercise routine, vaccines, flea and heart worm treatments and preventative care.  You may be thinking that this seems like a lot and that it will cost you a lot of money. No one ever said being a responsible pet owner would be cheap but keeping up on all of these things will keep them out of the vet for more expensive and more serious health problems.

If you have a yard, that’s a perfect place for your chihuahua to get some good play time and exercise with a ball or whatever they prefer. They still need to get out of the house as well on daily walks. If you don’t have a yard they need to get out even more for exercise and of course, other reasons. The less exercise they get, the more destructive and overweight they may become. Plus it’s just plain cruel to not walk or play with your dog.

Some people make their own dog food which is a great and sure way of knowing what is going into your little Chihuahuas tummy. It can be fun too and since they aren’t a large dog breed, you don’t have to make nearly as much at one time. Learn how to read to labels on dog food if you are not into making it yourself. The first and most important thing to look for is that the protein is the first thing listed on the label (lamb,chicken,beef or fish). Don’t just feed them the cheapest stuff you can find, whatever they eat on a daily basis needs to match their dietary needs. Talk to your vet if you are having trouble finding the right food for your Chihuahua dog or puppy.

Watermelon makes for a delicious and healthy treat for your Chihuahua.  The seeds could possibly cause some digestive issues or even make them really sick so you want to make sure to take them out before giving it to them.  Just like with any human food being given to your Chihuahua, you don’t want to give them too much of it too often.  This isn’t a food that can cause dog obesity but they don’t need human food that often no matter what it is.

My Chihuahua loves watermelon.  I usually buy a seedless watermelon at the store and use a melon baller to make little treats for him and he can’t get enough of it!  It’s not something I give him everyday so he gets pretty excited when I do.  Also, the rind of the melon could also be harmful so don’t feed that to them either.

Watermelons are very low in calories and do have nutritional value.  It has a powerful antioxidant in it called lycopene.  It’s also high in vitamins A and C and has a good amount of potassium in it.  All of these which really can’t be bad for your dog!

When it comes to walking your Chihuahua, it should be all about them.  They spend most of their time at home during the day so when they get out onto the street or into a park their senses go wild!  There is so much to stop and smell, mark and look at.  You need to let your Chihuahuas stop and smell whatever they want, remember it’s their walk.  They deserve this time to enjoy and be a dog.

It’s best to walk them every day if possible.  Maybe even twice a day if you can work that out with your schedule.  They need exercise for their health and so they don’t bounce off the walls and tear up the house while you are gone.  It’s such a great way to socialize your Chihuahua with other people, kids and dogs so they won’t be scared of people or over protective and aggressive.

Not all dogs pull on their walks but many of them do so getting a little harness for them can make their walk much more pleasurable and comfortable for them.  The retractable leashes are fun for them, they can cruise around and smell the flowers more freely and boy do they love that!

Many people think that smaller is better when it comes to Chihuahuas, but don’t turn up your nose at one in the 4- to 6-pound range. That’s really the healthiest weight for this breed. “My own feeling is that a weight between 4 and 6 pounds as an adult is good,” Bunten says. “The very tiny adults, less than 3 pounds, are not normal in development and usually don’t live for the full life expectancy of a Chihuahua [which can be well into the teens].”

Pay attention to how the breeder describes the way the puppy should develop. “If a breeder states outright that it will be a certain size, that’s a red flag,” Bunten says. “Genetics are so diverse in the breed that you cannot predict absolutely how big the pup will be. I’d also listen to be sure they don’t use terms that are not in the standard. For example, a breeder who says a puppy will be ‘teacup’ or ‘toy’ size is talking through his hat. There is not any official and universally recognized definition of those terms for Chihuahuas.”

And size isn’t everything when it comes to the Chihuahua. The breed’s general appearance is that of a graceful, alert, swift-moving, little dog with a saucy expression and terrier-like temperament qualities. That last quality, a terrier-like temperament, is one of the most important things to know about the breed.

“I think most people know that Chihuahuas are supposed to be a small breed, but I doubt that as many folks appreciate that Chihuahuas are also supposed to be fearless, tenacious and terrier-like,” Giroux says. “The fearful, quivering, cowering, nippy Chihuahua that many people have come to expect is incorrect according to the standard.”

As it is so often described, the Chihuahua is really a big dog in a little dog’s body. The typical Chihuahua has no idea that it’s any smaller than other dogs — or people, for that matter. Giroux describes it as a little bundle of energy that may be standoffish toward strangers, but never shy or fearful. A true Chihuahua will stand and challenge anyone it considers an intruder, but it won’t bite without provocation or hide in a corner without reason.

“The rationale is that the longer females have more room for puppies,” Giroux says, “but I think the portion of the standard that says, ‘somewhat shorter bodies in males preferred,’ is an unfortunate statement because length of body is not gender-specific. If you are breeding for ‘somewhat shorter backs,’ they are going to occur in females as well as males.” The term “somewhat” is unclear, as well, because it doesn’t indicate how much shorter the body should be.

The head is one of the features that makes the Chihuahua the dog it is. It has a well-rounded apple-dome skull, which is just what it sounds like. The skull is rounded in all directions, like an apple. And like an apple, it can have a soft spot. Known as a molera, a Chihuahua may have a soft spot on the skull where the bones of the skull haven’t closed completely. It’s a normal breed characteristic, although not all Chihuahuas have a molera. The absence or presence of a molera does not make a Chihuahua any more or less healthy, and the standard does not give preference one way or the other.

“The molera does not cause or suggest any health problems, although some veterinarians who aren’t familiar with the breed have mistakenly told new owners that their dog has hydrocephalus [water on the brain],” Giroux says. “In some Chihuahuas, the molera will close, either partially or completely, with time. In others, it does not.”

The only concern if your Chihuahua has a molera is that the dog may be more susceptible to brain injury or death if it falls on its head or is accidentally hit on the head with an object. In the best of all possible worlds, your Chihuahua will never be in a situation where that could occur. For that reason, a Chihuahua puppy with a large molera or several small moleras is not a good candidate for a highly active household, Bunten says.

Set well apart in the head are eyes that are full but not protruding. A Chihuahua’s eye color can be luminous dark or luminous ruby. Luminous dark eyes are just that: shiny and dark in appearance. Luminous ruby eyes, often seen in blond or white Chihuahuas, are light-colored eyes that glow red in low light. This occurs because the blood vessels in the back of the eyes are visible under the right conditions, Bunten says, but it’s not significant in any way.
Another striking feature of the Chihuahua’s head is its large, erect ears. When the dog is alert, they’re held upright, but flare to the sides at a 45-degree angle when the dog is relaxed. The ears should be naturally erect. Chihuahuas with cropped or broken-down ears — those that are tipped, creased or folded over — are disqualified from the show ring.

The Chihuahua’s head is completed with a moderately short, slightly pointed muzzle. The cheeks and jaws are lean, and the teeth may have a level bite (the front teeth of the upper and lower jaws meet edge to edge) or scissors bite (the outer sides of the lower front teeth touch the inner sides of the upper front teeth).
An overshot bite (the upper front teeth protrude beyond the lower front teeth) or undershot bite (the lower front teeth overlap or project beyond the upper front teeth when the mouth is closed), or any other distortion of the bite or jaw, is considered a serious fault.

The nose is black, although light-colored, blue or chocolate-colored Chihuahuas may have what is called a self-colored nose, meaning it’s the same shade as the dog. Blond Chihuahuas may have a pink nose.
Moving on from the head, the Chihuahua’s neck is slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. It has a level back, or topline, and rounded ribs, although it shouldn’t appear barrel-shaped or so chesty as to resemble a Bulldog. Muscular hindquarters are firm and sturdy. Straight forelegs support the body. Chihuahuas have small, dainty feet with toes that are well split up but not spread, meaning that you can see the divisions between the toes, but the toes aren’t splayed.

The tail is moderately long, carried in a sickle shape over the back. No self-respecting Chihuahua ever tucks its tail between its legs. A Chihuahua born with a bobtail or whose tail has been cropped cannot be shown in the dog-show ring.

Smooth Chihuahuas can have a velvety, shiny coat that lies close to the body or a heavier coat with a ruff — thicker, longer hair — that encircles the neck. A furry tail is preferred.

The longcoated Chihuahua has been described as the smooth dressed in Sunday best. Giroux agrees that a beautiful, longcoated Chihuahua is a sight to see, although longcoats can be a problem to show because they blow coat (lose much of their fur) seasonally.

A longcoated Chihuahua has a long, soft, double coat that’s either flat or slightly curly. A longcoat has a ruff around the neck, fringed ears, well-feathered legs and a plumy tail that curls over the back like a fan. The rest of the longcoated Chihuahua’s body is almost as smooth as that of the shortcoated variety. The coat should never be so thin that the dog looks bare. A longcoated Chihuahua in this condition is disqualified from the show ring.

One early breeder, Clara Dobbs, said she had seen every color in the breed except green and purple. Chihuahuas can come with spots or a two-tone look, such as white and gold, or chocolate and white. Some breeders choose to breed for a certain color or pattern, but don’t be suckered into paying more for a “rare” color.

From the rear, the Chihuahua’s hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and rear, tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity under the dog as speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and plenty of reach in the front with the head carried high. The Chihuahua’s top line should remain firm and level as the dog moves.

“Few people ask about structure and movement unless they are planning to show and breed their Chihuahua, but they should,” Giroux says. “Good structure means good movement and a healthy animal. A healthy Chihuahua should be able to run, play and move without pain; they don’t spend all of their time in your arms or your lap. The standard describes proper Chihuahua movement, and there is no exception made for them because they are small.”

Besides being wonderful companions, Chihuahuas can be athletic little dogs that excel in many sports and activities, such as obedience, agility and service work. Given lots of love and good care, the Chihuahua will reward you with years of entertainment and affection.