Can Chihuahuas live outside?
Since ours is an active family, we are always hiking or camping outdoors. Naturally, we have wondered often whether we can take our Chihuahua on these trips.
Turns out that Chis do not do too well outdoors. Don’t get me wrong: they love being outdoors and will gladly join you on those camping trips. However, this is mainly an indoor dog breed.
If you are planning to take your Chihuahua on a camping trip, read on. I will tell you how to prepare your Chi and keep it safe outdoors, especially in cold weather.
In case you are planning to permanently house your little guy or girl outside on the patio or in the yard, then please check out the important information given below before doing so.
Also read: How Long do Chihuahuas Live for
Can Chihuahuas Live Outside?
The question needs a bit of clarity.
If, by outside, you mean that you want your pet to join you on a short weekend getaway in the tent where you will be singing songs around the campfire, then sure, go ahead. But do take precautions to keep you delicate Chi warm and safe.
On the other hand, if you mean to permanently house your Chihuahua in a dog kennel outside your house, then please rethink this decision.
Sure, most Chihuahuas love being outside with their family members in the yard or for their twice-a-day walks, but it certainly do not like being housed outside permanently.
Chihuahuas tend to get very cold – you might even find your little fella shaking indoors despite wearing warm winter clothes.
Likewise, in summers, they could suffer from heat exhaustion or heatstroke as they get overheated easily.
That is why your Chihuahua needs to enjoy the comforts of the indoors just like humans in order to stay safe and healthy.
Are Chihuahuas Indoor or Outdoor Dogs?
Chihuahuas are generally known to be indoor dogs. They make ideal companions for apartment dwellers and, as long as you exercise them two to three times a day, will gladly spend all day inside snuggling with you or at your feet.
At the same time, with some precautions, you can take your Chi outdoors. Just make sure you protect them from extreme weather.
In summers, both the short and long coated Chis can easily overheat or suffer from heat stroke. In winter, you might find your Chi shaking and trembling like a leaf due to the cold.
That is why this dog breed does better indoors in climate controlled environments.
Can Chihuahuas Tolerate Cold Weather?
Chihuahuas generally cannot stand cold climate and tend to shake and shiver in the cold. That is why many Chihuahua dog owners prefer to dress up their fur babies in warm clothing to keep them cozy and comfortable.
In places where the weather gets very chilly in winters, some Chi parents even let their dogs go potty on indoor potty training pads or dog pee pads. This way this tiny dog does not have to bear the cold for even a few minutes.
What are the Dangers of Chihuahuas Living Outdoors?
Many a pet owner has faced the question whether to house their Chihuahua indoors or outdoors.
Below are some dangers associated with keeping a Chihuahua outdoors all the time:
1. Behavioral issues
Dogs that are made to spend a lot of time away from their humans could develop behavioral or psychological issues. This is even more applicable to Chihuahuas since they are bred to be companion dogs and lapdogs. They are pack animals and are happiest when they are with their families.
Without company, they tend to get lonely, bored, and depressed. In addition, if you keep your Chihuahua chained all the time, it could become highly defensive and might jump on strangers, lash out, bark, and bite all the time. Many become so aggressive that there is no choice left but to euthanize such dogs.
2. Training troubles
Indoor Chihuahua puppies learn a lot faster as they get the necessary stimulus to grow and thrive.
If you keep your Chihuahua puppy outdoors all the time, potty training might be easier but all other training aspects such as obedience training, basic commands, etc. could be a lot harder to teach.
3. Your dog could be at risks to several threats
An outdoor Chihuahua is at a greater risk of escaping than an indoor pet.
If you permanently keep your dog outdoors, it will not be very territorial and might not even feel like guarding or protecting the premises as much as an indoor pet would.
Moreover, you would have to face issues such as the neighbors kids’ teasing your Chi, complaints about your pet’s barking, poisoning, stray dog attacks, wild animal bites, bee stings, and other harms from predators, cars, toxins, and adverse weather.
4. Let’s not forget parasites
Chihuahuas housed outdoors are at a greater risk of internal parasites such as hookworms, tapeworms, etc. Additionally, they could be at a risk to getting ticks, fleas, lice, mange, mites, etc.
5. Asphyxiation
Chihuahuas kept on leash often try to escape and end up pulling on their leash. This could lead to health issues like tracheal collapse, choking, or even asphyxiation.
Do Chihuahuas Like to Go For Walks Outdoors?
Yes, Chihuahuas love walking outdoors.
In fact, these pack animals are also fond of family activities with their humans such as a game of fetch in the yard or even a couple of hours at the beach.
A healthy Chihuahua can easily walk for 20-30 minutes outdoors and this amount of walking is necessary for them to expend all that pent-up energy.
Most vets recommend Chihuahuas get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. It is up to you to divide this up in two or more shorter sessions.
Can Chihuahuas Walk in Cold Weather? How to Keep It Warm on its Walks?
Being very small and hardly having any fat on their bodies means that Chihuahuas get cold very easily. That is why you must take the following precautions to keep your pet comfortable:
1. Minimize its exposure to the cold
Temperatures between 4 degrees to -17 degrees F are considered far too cold for Chihuahua. Avoid taking your pet outside in these temperatures.
You can play with your pet indoors using a laser pointer pen to help it expend that extra energy.
You can also train your Chi to use indoor potty pads or dog training pads.
2. Dress it up
Short and long haired Chihuahuas are both very sensitive to the cold. If you have to take your pet outside, dress it up warmly before taking it out for a quick walk to relieve itself.
If required, you can dress your pet in warm winter Chihuahua clothes like this one.
You can also include boots to keep your dog’s paws warm.
3. Do not force your pet to go outdoors
Your Chihuahua will tell you when it is too cold. It might refuse to go on its walk and might even lift its paw to tell you it is cold.
Provide warm bed to your pet. Also, feed it a little less since it won’t be exercising as much. This is important to prevent obesity.
How to Keep your Chihuahua Outdoors Safely?
Let me start of by saying that it is not safe to keep your Chihuahua permanently outdoors. This is an indoor dog breed.
Moreover, it was first bred in Mexico where the weather is usually warm. So they don’t care for rain, wind, and snow.
If you absolutely have no choice but to keep your Chihuahua outside, then please use the following tips:
1. Install a pet door or flap
As far as possible, install a pet door outside so your Chi can come and go as it pleases. This way, if your pet gets too cold, or frightened by thunder, fireworks, or other loud noises, it can come in as it pleases.
2. Provide it with a large crate or enclosure
Never let your Chi sleep outside without a proper enclosure or kennel. Most Chis love a large crate (provided you train them to use one).
Remember to make the crate safe and self-sufficient. Include plenty of toys, water, and food bowls, warm blankets, chew-resistant crate pads, and/or dog bed for your little buddy.
Don’t forget to clean and replenish your pet’s food and water bowls every day.
3. Secure your yard with a fence
If your Chi is not going to be leashed or placed securely in a crate, then at least provide a fence around the entire yard to keep away predators and also prevent it from escaping.
Remember that Chis are a smaller dog than most and can be easily carried off by large birds too. Therefore, you must also secure the yard from above with a net.
Also, this small dog can easily escape from gaps so seal those too.
4. Be mindful of your Chi’s state of mind
Do not keep your Chihuahua outside if it has separation anxiety.
This tiny dog tends to get lonely and it needs its humans for warmth and security. If your pet seems lonely, depressed, or starts whining or shaking, please let it in.
5. Take health issues into account
Never let a senior Chihuahua sleep outdoors particularly if it has health issues like luxating patella, osteoarthritis, or hip/elbow dysplasia.
Such dogs have chronic aches and pains and sleeping outdoors, particularly in cold or wet weather, could aggravate them.
6. Perform regular routine checkups
For Chihuahuas that live outside permanently, you must schedule regular vet examinations. This way you can find out and treat health issues in a timely manner.
7. Use pet cams/check up on your pet regularly
Just because your pet is outside does not absolve you of responsibility. Keep an eye out on it using a pet camera or personally go and check on it.
Remember, this is a fragile, sensitive dog. In addition to physical health, its emotional health is also important.
8. Physically and mentally stimulate your pet
Even if you let your Chihuahua sleep outside, you must still make it a point to provide it with physical and mental stimulation.
In addition to daily walks, provide it with some puzzles, Kong toys, or treat-dispensing toys to keep it mentally alert and stimulated.
9. Be mindful of the weather
A comfortable temperature range for a Chihuahua to sleep in is 60 to 80 F. If it gets too cold, or too hot, please bring your pet inside right away. Also, avoid keeping your Chi outside in wet, rainy weather.
FAQs on Can Chihuahuas Live Outside?
1. How long do Chihuahuas live outside?
Chihuahuas are meant to be indoor dogs. With proper care and attention, they can easily live between 11 and 18 years.
2. How can you know if your Chihuahua is uncomfortable outside?
If your Chihuahua is reluctant to walk, please do not force it. In case it gets cold or uncomfortable outside, it might start shaking, whining, barking, showing signs of anxiety, or will try to seek places for shelter.
3. Can I take my Chihuahua into the snow?
Chihuahuas are warm weather dogs and generally do not take too well to the wet, cold, rain, and snow as much as a Siberian husky or an Alaskan malamute would. If you want, you can take your pet in the snow by first following necessary precautions.
Use a winter jacket with a hood as well as shoes for your dog’s paws. If your pet starts shaking or seems nervous or anxious, please bring it inside right away.
Conclusion – Can Chihuahuas Live Outside?
Can Chihuahuas live outside?
Generally, a Chihuahua is an indoor dog and it thrives in human company. If they are made to live and sleep outside, they could get depressed, lonely, and even sick. Being tiny dogs, they are also prone to risks from predators, parasites, and wild animal.
If you still want to keep your Chi outside, please use a safe and warm enclosure or crate with warm blankets and adequate dog food and water. Also, make sure there are no cars or loud noises that could frighten your buddy. Don’t forget to check on your pet from time to time.
If the weather turns too cold, too warm, or rainy, snowy, or windy, or your pet seems anxious and scared, please bring it inside right away.
