oh ok, here goes it:
1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)
Registered Breeder since 1985.
2. Where and why was the breed first developed?
It was going around about 20 plus years ago that the breed originated in Malta and was then taken across, i did hear about china.
There are many myths surrounding the chihuahua, as this breed has very romantic and mysterious beginnings....the ancient "ha pa" dog of china and the dog owned by Aztec and Inca indians (in the now modern mexico) bare a similar features. dogs in china and Mexico were used for cermonial purposes such as living sacrifice as well asfor food consumption. The Aztecs were very artistic people and the dogs were very small not as small as the dogs today so were sucessful in miniaturising their dogs at around the 1300's and even before that.....Thelma Gray an early historian and world-wide authority on chihuahuas (english came to reside in australia in her later years) believed that a black and tan dog of terrier type accompanied spanish invaders from their native homeland. It was her belief that the Aztec dog and the spanish terrier type dog was crossed to form the basis of the chihuahua today. The american tourists saw these little dogs in the 1800's and the mexicans sold them and some were very terrier like but small some were starved to make them appear small as well.....the smooth coat ofcourse was the first type of coat and then to get the long coat they put in breeds they think such as the miniature pinscher, pomeranian and papillion to get the long coat and some say occassionally you might see a throwback to other breeds and specific traits such as hackney gait from the min pin and butterfly ears from the pap. but thats some of the stories going around......
3. How common is it in Australia?
The first chihuahua came to australian shores in 1954. In the 1980's when i first started there were actually more litters around than there is now. The long coat in middle 1980's was the most popular coat and the Long coat registrations were 3rd at one time most popular toy dog breed. There is currently 138 breeders on dogzonline alone but many more are not associated with dogzonline so thats an indication of how popular and common this little breed is today.
4. What is the average lifespan?
The average seems to be about 12-15 years. Although i have heard of one chihuahua live to the age of 21.
5. What is the general temperament/personality?
The chihuahua seems to be most happiest when they are allowed to live in packs but can easily adapt to living alone as well. This breed is very adaptable and has a heart of a lion really. They are very protective of their own turf and most chihuahuas not all, are a one person dog which means that they will pick their human and lavish affection on that human most times. I once saved some kittens from being destroyed and i had no where else to stick the kittens and transport them so I stuck the kittens in with the chis in a carry cage and they travelled like that home. - 3 hours out of melbourne. so they not only get on with their own kind but many other kinds of animals i found.
6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?
With chihuahuas you do not need to give them a dedicated walk every day to make sure they behave themselves like the bigger breeds of dog, (like my pointer cross) although the chihuahuas do enjoy Going out especially to a dog show and seeing other dogs, all you need is a good size backyard and they will exercise themselves really.
7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?
Yes they are a very easy care breed really. providing you do your research and choose a healthy specimen of the breed free from all health defects.
8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?
As i said above, yes they can quite easily but they really do better if they are allowed to live with other dogs or another dog. All mine have from birth been in a pack really.
9. How much grooming is required?
For a pet, maybe once a day or every couple of days a quick little brush, the coat is very soft and easily managable really, they aren't like the pomeranian poms can get tangled if no brushing is done end up a BIG MESS. the chihuahuas coat does not really matt and what also works really well is just one of those grooming gloves too sometimes i use these.. i brush them more often or get a toy comb or flea comb and get rid of the dead hair in an attempt to make sure my clothes and furniture is free from hair. otherwise when they are malting (twice a year for summer and winter coats) it can get quite messy. comes out in clumps depending on the thickness of the coat. some dogs have an undercoat and outer coat and some just have what i call single coatsand thats it. for show dogs, i like to get a hair conditioner and spray and brush to make the coat nice and shiny and then before shows i wash the coat preferably 2-3 days before hand so you don't have the coat kicking up out of shape looking absolutely ridiculous as i have done when i've ran out of time and washed the night before BIG MISTAKE i will tell you LOL , washing the coat makes the dog look that much more presentable.
10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?
We have a rule amongst our family the children have to be over 10 or 12 as our dogs aren't really use to children. It can get a bit hectic with the dogs if not use to kiddies. But if they are brought up with kids at a young age they get on like a house on fire, there are many happy families who have had chihuahuas since they were very small, the youngest i've heard and that person is showing is owning a chi at 4 years of age another one i found out they were 8. If they aren't brought up with children they tend to be a bit impatient with the kids i find unfortunately mine get limited contact. The parents really have to monitor the small dogs with small children as the dogs can get hurt not the kids! I've known of a family one of the kids accidentally fell with the chair right on the chi and killed it. others fell on their heads and had a nasty end, really parents should be monitoring kids and dogs no matter what the breed is my belief.
11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?
health problems can vary from bloodline to bloodline. some dogs can have a molera that does not close when adult and you really have to be careful with those types of dogs to not let them get a knock to that area asit can be fatal. A really common problem in all toy dogs not just this breed is patella luxation. slipping knee caps. but they can have heart problems like any other breed, bite problems (doesn't really affect their quality of life depending on severity really), and yet other problems that are common across all the toy breeds. So it is important to choose your breeder wisely that is ethical and gets health testing done when necessary.
12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)
I have bred and owned other toy breeds in my life not just the chihuahua and i came accross the same health problems and what stuck out like a sore thumb was unfortunately Patella Luxation that really no one worried about. My belief is more emphasis should be placed on patella luxation grades with all breeders across the board, acceptable results that breeders should be aiming for with stock is zero in a perfect world!!! although a dog can live a normal life with grade 1 scores in one or both legs as a pet also. Breeders have a divided and varied opinion on this as with Veterinarians who add confusion to the grading system which can be as varied and divided as the breeders, this is in all toy breeds so it is a very difficult subject. I still think that we should all (toy breeds) have a national program for national guidance on this health issue, like the larger breeds have done for all breeders to have a guide to follow, but it is still left up to the individual breeder to ascertain for themselves. Everyone knows how i feel about this subject as i pick up info from all sources and sort of report for breeders to consider, i write articles in breed newsletters/magazines no need to go on further!!! othrwise might have people doing this on me....
