How is the Chihuahua's Personality? Is the Chihuahua Easy to Raise?
The Chihuahua has a petite physique, an alert and lively personality, and is very clingy. It is relatively brave, with a lifespan of about 14 years, making it very suitable for apartment living. So, how is the Chihuahua's personality? Is the Chihuahua easy to raise?
The Chihuahua originated in Mexico and is a rather ancient dog breed. Its name is derived from the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Some sources also mention it as a Chinese breed, but this has not been confirmed.
Its height is 16~22 cm, weight 0.9~2.6 kg, not only is it the most miniature among toy dogs, but it is also the smallest dog breed in the world. The head is apple-shaped, ears are erect, eyes are round and black, and the tail is slightly curled and sword-shaped. The coat comes in two types: short hair and curly (or long hair). Most are single-colored such as fawn, sand, chestnut, silver, and light blue, but there are also varied mixed coat colors.
Brave, lively, clever, loyal, but a bit arrogant, it will assess who the real master of the house is and may show displeasure at playful children suddenly teasing it. 5. Uses
The Chihuahua is an intelligent toy and companion dog. Despite its tiny size, it is very tough and knows how to outsmart large dogs in confrontations. Therefore, some experts consider it a fierce small dog.
The dog's facial expressions are very rich; its emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness can be openly shown through changes in various parts of its body.
The dog is characterized by being a good barker (though a few dogs are less vocal), and its barking always has a reason.
The most common example is the guard dog barking loudly at strangers, continuing non-stop "woof woof" until the owner calls it off or the stranger leaves, making dog ownership a good way to prevent theft. So, why do dogs bark? Barking is the dog's language, meaning an alarm. It wakes up companions' attention and tells the owner to be alert against intruders. Barking is also a form of display, carrying support and intimidation. When members are far apart, barking serves as a contact signal. Besides this, dogs have various different barks, each with different meanings.
(1) Low-pitched angry bark: Generally two situations, one is a bark-loving dog whose sound is short and clear; the other is fear-driven angry barking, with a prolonged, hostile, low, rough growling sound emitted from the throat and teeth. Dogs may grind their teeth when angrily barking.
(2) Whimpering low bark: This expresses pain or injury. It may also be a protest or plea for help.
(3) Roar: A loud, prolonged barking often heard in fields at night. It usually occurs in quiet times and can be considered a highly alert bark.
(4) Low moaning howl: A low, prolonged moan showing discomfort, dissatisfaction, impatience, and a plea for sympathy and care. Sometimes accompanied by certain actions, it might mean, "Please open the door, let's go," or "I'm bored here, let's go home."
(5) Howling: A loud, mournful bark occurring day or night. Sometimes it is a reaction to music or bells, inviting other dogs to join. At night, if someone snores loudly while sleeping, the village dogs will howl relentlessly.
(6) Nose snorting: A nasal breath without opening the mouth when under pressure, indicating a stranger is approaching or some suspicious noise is heard. When snorting or nosing loudly, its head always points towards the source of the sound.
The dog's barking and tone are inherited traits, at least genetically influenced. Trainers can distinguish the sounds of Setters or Boxers, male and female dogs' voices. Some dogs love barking, such as fox-like dogs; some dislike barking but often howl, like the Malayan; others hardly bark at all, like the Basenji, hence called the "mute dog."
If a strange dog approaches you directly with raised fur and a fierce expression, this means that a slight movement from you could make it bite hard. In this case, the wise thing to do is to stay still and move only when the dog leaves.
Tail movement is also a form of dog language. Although tail shape and size vary between breeds, the tail movements express generally similar meanings.
Tail expressions include: dogs wagging their heads and tails when excited or happy to see the owner; the tail not only swings left and right but also spins continuously; a raised tail indicates joy; a drooping tail means danger; a still tail shows unease; a tucked tail means fear; rapidly wagging the tail horizontally symbolizes friendliness. Tail expressions also relate to human tone. If you say with a kind voice, "Bad dog, bad dog!" the dog wags its tail happily; but with a stern voice saying, "Good dog, good dog!" it tucks its tail showing displeasure. This means to dogs, people's speech is merely a sound source or signal, not language.
Tail movements are closely linked to the dog's sense of smell and special anal glands. The anal glands give each dog a unique scent. An excited dog wags its tail to spread its scent; a frightened dog hides its anal glands and stops releasing scent. The frequency of tail wagging reflects the dog's health and excitement; the faster the wag, the more excited and healthy it is; slower wagging means some excitement but poor health. For hunting, police, and military dogs on duty, the meaning behind tail wagging is even deeper.
