Coco has made me the most blessed Chihuahua mom since she has entered my life. I often think of adopting another Chihuahua because I feel that Chihuahuas are the best loving dogs. For those who are thinking Why Chihuahuas Are The Best, here’s why.
Why Chihuahuas Are The Best?
Chihuahuas are a small dog breed with huge personalities. They are the best dogs because while they are playful they do not require much exercise and just a small session of fetch will wear them out. The feisty breed of Chihuahuas are fairly low maintenance and form excellent emotional buddies.
Why Chihuahuas Are The Best? Top 22 Reasons
1. They Are Loyal Dogs
Chihuahuas are faithful companions who were actually bred to be loyal buddies in ancient times according to Dr. Joana Coates, DVM. Despite the small size, they can guard you and your house with proper training. Even without training, these highly alert dogs will keep strangers out of your house.
Chihuahuas are committed to pleasing their owners and protecting them at any cost. According to AKC, trained Chihuahuas excel at being obedient and protective dogs who can save their owners from dangers as well. If trained from a young age, Chihuahuas may also become loyal service dogs.
Also Read: Does Your Chihuahua Love You?
2. Chihuahuas Are Fun and Playful Pets
Chihuahuas are very active dogs even though they sleep for most part of the day. They will get into action as soon as they wake up. As a dog lover, you should make the most of the playtime to bond. Make it a routine to take your dog out for a walk and spread out its time for different activities.
Here are some activities according to PetMD that you can do with your Chihuahua as per its energy level when you take it out for playtime:
- Low-Impact Exercise: Start out with a few minutes of walking
- Moderate Exercise: If your dog still has some energy left, you can try playing games like fetch or hiking on a flat trail.
- Strenuous Exercises: For a high-energy pet, you can take your dog hiking on hills, take it swimming, and giving it agility training
- Mentally Stimulating Exercises: Trying a different walking route every time will help with your dog’s mental stimulation. You can also give your dog puzzle games to play with for mental stimulation.
3. Chihuahuas Can Travel With You Everywhere!
The compact size of Chihuahuas makes them absolutely great for traveling. You can also carry a small crate to carry your Chihuahua along with you without worrying about extra weight. Your pet will also enjoy the vacation time with you and it will give you time to bond with your dog.
Make sure that you make the bookings in a hotel that approves having a dog in the room.
To make your vacation hassle-free with your Chihuahua, follow the suggestions given by WebMD:
- Take your Chi to the vet for a checkup before your leave and make sure that your dog is ready for air travel
- You should take all the necessary documents from your vet before you travel. This will not only help you get your dog by at the airport but also for intercity travel.
- Keep a first aid kit handy for your dog
- Get all dog essentials like food, water, and toys for a long trip
- Get a tag or a microchip for your dog to keep track of your pet
4. They Are Very Suitable For Small Homes (and Big Homes!)
Another advantage of the small size of Chihuahuas is that they don’t require much space in your house. Even if you live in a small apartment, you can easily raise a Chihuahua as long as you reserve a small spot in your home for it.
And of course, big homes are not a problem at all to keep your Chi happy and satisfied.
5. They Like To Be Held
Chihuahuas love it when their owners hold them. They trust their owners to provide them with food, shelter, and lots of love. Chihuahuas get a safe and secure feeling when you hold them in your arms. If your Chihuahua likes to be pampered then it will love sitting peacefully in your arms.
Also Read: Does Your Chihuahua Like It When You Hold Him?
6. You Can Make Your Chihuahua Exercise Easily!
Chihuahuas are active dogs who will start exercising when you leave them alone and they get bored. This means that you don’t have to put much effort into exercising your Chihuahua. Just prepare the leash and your dog would be more than happy to accompany you for a walk.
Chihuahuas are best for people with busy schedules because these dogs only need 30 minutes of exercise every day. You can also spread out that time throughout the day for 5-minute bursts every 2 hours.
Some of the things that you can do with your Chihuahua besides walking around include:
- Hiking: Chihuahuas are surprisingly good at hiking because of their lightweight and their ability to walk on rough terrains. Make sure that your Chihuahua weighs less than 5.9 pounds before you take it on a hike
- Playing Frisbee: Playing frisbee with your Chihuahua will help with enhancing their obedience skills and they will learn new commands like “fetch” and “drop”. It will also help you strengthen your bond with your pet
- Running on flat ground: Making your Chihuahua run long distances on flat ground will help strengthen their muscles
- Agility training: Chihuahuas are good at high jumps till 10ft and even higher as they get older. Agility training will help your Chihuahua build its confidence.
7. Your Dear Chihuahua Is A Very Smart Pet
Chihuahuas are smart creatures who can learn things quickly if trained properly. The amount of time every Chihuahua takes to learn new things varies as per their energy levels. You need to be patient while training your Chi and be prepared with a lot of treats.
Chihuahuas are great at solving puzzle games and it helps sharpen their mind. It will keep them mentally stimulated and entertained at the same time.
The high energy levels in Chihuahuas are appropriate for great training results whose output is a great companion dog. A Chi thrives on positive reinforcement that helps it learn a lot of new things.
Also Read: How Smart Is Your Chihuahua?
8. Chihuahuas Are Low Maintenance
Chihuahuas don’t require as much maintenance as most of the other dog breeds. They don’t require too much exercise or baths every week. It is also less expensive to take care of their utility needs because of their tiny size.
Even when Chihuahuas get wounded or become slow when they age, you can just carry them around in a dog stroller.
Also Read: Is Your Chihuahua High Maintenance?
9. They are Awesome for first-time dog owners
Chihuahuas are a great option for people who are adopting a dog for the first time because of the following reasons:
- Their maintenance is lower than most dog breeds
- You don’t need to take them out everyday for exercising. They can exercise indoors as well
- They can be trained for basically anything
- Their long lifespan allows them to be companion dogs for a long time
10. They Are The Perfect Guard Dogs
A chihuahua is an inherently territorial and alert dog who is fit for becoming a guard dog. Don’t be surprised if your yappy Chi keeps barking at strangers.
Chis are also possessive of their owners and the property that they live in. As a result, your Chihuahua would not stand anyone unfamiliar coming near you or your house. This loyalty trait of Chihuahuas makes them great guard dogs.
11. They Are Great Emotional Support Dogs
Chihuahuas are excellent at being emotional support dogs because of their friendly and possessive nature towards their owners, as per AKC. Some people say that they are too energetic for the job but it can be tempered easily with a little obedience training.
Some of the ways that Chihuahuas can provide emotional support are:
A. Support in PTSD
According to a study dogs who have been trained properly benefit the military veterans dealing with PTSD. Anyone who has faced neglect or abuse in their life can benefit greatly from the emotional support of a dog like Chihuahua.
B. Therapy
The emotional support provided by Chihuahuas tends to have a therapeutic effect on people recovering from illnesses or injuries. This smart breed can also help its owners pick things up like a remote control and change channels as well. As per a study, they also help make your health better overall.
C. Support for people with anxiety
People who suffer from panic attacks or have some other sort of anxiety issues can benefit a lot from the company and emotional support of a Chihuahua.
Chihuahuas need to be trained to become an emotional support for them so you might have to hire a professional trainer. Make sure that you get all the necessary documentation that is required for the special privileges like getting into airplanes and apartments with your emotional support dog.
Also Read: Are Chihuahuas Good At Providing Emotional Support?
12. Chihuahuas Are Great for Single Person
Chihuahuas are a great option whether you are a single person or a family of four. Tendency to gravitate towards one person makes them beneficial for single people to have a companion.
However, you need to take care about the boundaries of a Chihuahua because they can get easily hurt. Because of their small stature, they tend to be easily overwhelmed.
13. They will like to hang out with your friends
You can easily introduce your Chihuahua to your friends because they can be easily trained to socialize. The socialization training needs to start at an early age so that they grow up to be good socializers. Your friends just need to understand how to approach your Chihuahua without threatening it in any way.
According to Dr.Ken Tudor, DVM, it is important to train your puppy for socializing for their better health as well. If you find any tension between your Chi and your friend, then eliminate your dog from the situation immediately.
14. Chihuahuas Are Super Photogenic!
It is a fact that Chihuahuas photograph well with or without cute and adorable clothes. To take a good picture of your Chihuahua:
- Make your dog the centre of attention instead of the background
- Let your pet move around for natural pictures
- You should let your Chi find its frame
- Let your dog get used to the camera before you click its pictures
15. They Live Longer!
Chihuahuas live a long life of 12 to 20 years as compared to other dog breeds whose average lifespan is 10 to 15 years. According to NCBI, if you keep your Chi healthy and happy, then it will live a longer life.
16. Chihuahuas Are Easy To Groom
One of the best reasons for owning a Chihuahua is that they are extremely easy to groom and clean. They have short fur which means that the chances of forming mats and tangles is very low. It also keeps the fleas and parasites away from your dog’s fur.
Chihuahuas shed less fur compared to most dog breeds as well which means that your vacuum cleaner won’t be clogged everyday. All you need to do to keep your Chihuahua clean is to bathe them once every month as per Joana Coates, DVM.
17. They get along well with other small and big dogs
Chihuahuas get well with small breed dogs with proper training and exposure. Chihuahuas bond best with toy breeds like Yorkies and Malteses. Their small size prevents any rough play during playtime.
Also Read: Will Your Chihuahua Get Along With Other Dogs?
18. They love to play with older kids
Chihuahuas are good with kids who are older than 10 years. Younger kids are rough and loud for Chihuahuas to bond with. They love their peace which is why bonding with older kids is easy for them. However, the ability to socialize with anyone will depend on the training that has been given to your Chi.
PetMD also says that dogs can actually teach kids responsibilities and kids in turn help the dog clean its utilities.
Also Read: Are Chihuahuas and Kids a Good Combination?
19. They are good with cats
This aspect greatly depends on how well your Chihuahua has been trained and desensitized to its natural instincts for a cat. Chihuahuas cohabitate well with kittens because their personalities match a lot. If they are raised together, then they will turn out to be great buddies.
You will rarely come across an angry Chihuahua that does not get along well with anybody. However, this behavior can also be corrected using positive reinforcement techniques, says PetMD.
Also Read: Cats and Chihuahuas. Can They Be Friends?
20. You will Be spoilt for choice
There are different types of Chihuahuas who are bred for different reasons, which means that there is a dog for everyone. You can get the Chihuahua that you like and are likely to bond better with.
21. Chihuahuas Have a Great History!
There are various legends about the history of Chihuahuas, but according to AKC, they were bred in Mexico for companionship. They were also used in religious ceremonies because they were considered to be sacred dogs.
22. They Love Accessories, a treat for all the fashion enthusiasts!
If you love to shop for your dog, then get a Chihuahua because it will be just as excited to try the clothes and accessories that you bought for it. Just make sure that you buy weather appropriate clothes and accessories for your dog and ensure that the material is not itchy for your dog.
