nickball75 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 My wife really want a chihuahua. does anyone on here own one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supranature Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 My daughter has had one for 7 years. They are not good with children, being a tad snappy. They are very loving and loyal with adults. Perfect pet for a pensioner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickball75 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 did it live with any other pets? We already have a very uptight cat, not sure how it would react. Im sure it would deal with it eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Get a real dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tails Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 my gf has a chihuahua and he's a right yappy little bugger, as said bit snappy, her one is ok with children but fights with her cat all the time. he is very loyal to her but is also very jealous and used to want alot of attension. i have an akita and find her a very good dog all round:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kslb Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I don't own one but run a boarding kennels and do see the odd chihuahua in fact I have one in at the minute. They are terribly loyal dogs and pretty much a one person dog and are more than willing to take lumps out of anyone apart from their owner. I have seen ones that do not fit this description but few and far between. Does your wife want a Chihuahua specifically or just a small dog as there are so many choices and the ideal dog would depend on your circumstances like do you have children and how old? how much time do you have to give a dog with regard to exercise and companionship? If you were to post your circumstances I am sure people would be willing to give their opinion as to what sort of dog would be suitable for the environment it needs to fit into. Remember a lot of people will suggest the breed they have themselves which may be biased or could be a dog that does not fit the general profile of its breed. A good place to start would be a book like the "Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds" second edition by D Caroline Coile, Ph.D. which gives points up to 5 with regard to specific charecteristics of the breed and a breakdown of their history and suitability for different environments. Keith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kslb Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I have just looked up the Chihuahua in the suggested book and it scores as follows (1 being the lowest and five the highest) Energy: 5 Exercise requirements: 1 Playfullness: 2 Affection level: 2 Friendliness towards dogs: 1 Friendliness toward other pets: 3 Friendliness toward strangers: 1 Ease of training: 2 Watchdog ability: 5 Protection ability: 1 Grooming requirements: smooth 1 long 2 Cold tolerance: 1 Heat tolerance: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Get a Malamute!!! Oh, sorry. As K said, we need more info, I personally hate Chihuahuas though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickball75 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 hey, thanks for the comments. We have no children (at the moment) just a cat. Our cat is getting on and is a bit of a grumpy old cow when she wants to be. The cat is really "my" cat and dosnt really bother with the wife that much and the dog would be hers. I think she has her heart set on a chihuahua as we have visited friends who have just got one and she fell in love with it. We both work full time which could be another issue but I can come home at lunch as im only a couple of miles away. My main concern was introducing a new dog to a cat. I think the cat would probably just keep her distance for a bit but would adjust in the end. Reading up on Chi's it sounds like a really good option for people who want dogs but who have smaller homes, and less time for walkies. To be honest I quite fancy the idea aswell. Do you think there is a MKVi supra T-shirt small enough for a Chihuahua!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewOW Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Miniature Jack Russell FTW Great fun, brilliant personalities, very intelligent, loyal, affectionate and above all, a bonsai 'big' dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethr Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 ...and are more than willing to take lumps out of anyone apart from their owner. I have seen ones that do not fit this description but few and far between......Perhaps because they are usually spoilt and untrained, and generally not treated as dogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I think the problem with small dogs is people find their behaviour cute, I'm talking behaviour that would have a larger dog PTS with no question! If they're trained then like any dog they don't have to be snappy/yappy etc. Read some training books before you get him/her is my advice and you'll be fine. As for the cat, my (limited) experience is if you're getting a puppy you need to get the cat and pup together before the chi hits about 18 weeks, otherwise the 'learning' phase is over and they'll never get along - I assume Chihuahuas don't have as strong a prey drive as my dog but the principle applies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kslb Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Italian Greyhound would be a good choice and often overlooked by small dog lovers due to the name but if you think a Chihuahua can weigh up to 6lb and an Italian Greyhound can come in at 7lb so not much in it and such a fun dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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