Do dog owners always ask what is the difference between a ‘normal’ chihuahua and a teacup chihuahua? the answer is: that there is no difference between them at all, miniature and teacup are not varieties. Do keep in mind that the chihuahua is the smallest dog breed in the world.
The term is used by breeders as a marketing term. Because the term is very useful in catching the attention of customers, the term is used even if the puppy fits the breed’s standard size.
In this article, we will cover:
- Teacup chihuahua care
- Personality and temperament
- Training and exercises
- Health issues with Teacup chihuahuas
- Teacup chihuahua grooming
- Experience level needed for owning a Teacup chihuahua
- Adopting a Teacup Chihuahua
- The reason why the Teacup chihuahua term exists
Teacup chihuahua care
Chihuahuas because of their size need extra care and attention, some buyers at the first don’t know this fact and find themselves with an undersized dog with high care needs.
Here are some tips to take to help your little miniature chihuahua be healthy and happy:
1. temperature changes can be a big danger for your dog, so be very aware and keep in mind that what seems normal for you can cause some trouble to your chihuahua’s body to regulate temperature especially cold. Try to find appropriate clothes for your chihuahua, You will notice that your dog does well when wearing a shirt, sweater, or vest.
2. Concerning exercise requirements, normally a chihuahua needs 20 to 30 minutes of walking per day. However, a teacup chihuahua must take short walks-about 10 to 15 minutes-1 or 2 times per day.
3. Use the harness any time that your chihuahua is on a leash, and use a collar for ID purposes.
4. As we know 3 meals for puppies and 2 for adults are recommended, But for teacup chihuahuas, you should give them smaller, but more frequent food throughout the day, As the teacup always needs a small amount of fuel that their body can handle. We recommend 4 small meals for puppies and 3 for adults.
5. Because the children like teacup chihuahuas and because of their toy size, you should teach them and everyone in your house how to handle a teacup chihuahua.
6. The most important thing is that you should be aware that an underfoot dog even half-stepping on a teacup chihuahua can cause severe to fatal injury.
Personality and Temperament
These little dogs are very confident. And there is no difference in terms of behavior and temperament if we compare them with other small dogs. Moreover, these little creatures bark a lot and for a long time especially during the night at just about everything. In other words, if you can’t bear their barking and noise then we don’t recommend this breed for you. Generally speaking, it is their nature.
They call these small dogs single-person dogs. Because they share their love with just one person and ignore everyone else. Similarly, They don’t trust strangers, but sometimes there are some exceptions. They can make good relationships with others if they are given a lot of love and care.
The teacup Chihuahua needs to be trained to be socialized, the training must start when the dog is a puppy. The owner needs to introduce them properly to strangers when the dog is very young. if not, they can become fearful and overwhelmed when meeting people. In addition, you have to know that little things or movements can scare these little dogs. As a result, they become aggressive.
Training and Exercise of a Teacup Chihuahua
These dog breeds are not the smarter among dogs, however, they can learn a lot of things. Potty Training can be very tough because of its small size. Due to their tiny bladders, they will need to go to the bathroom multiple times a day even as adult dogs. This means that you have to take them outside a lot of times.
A lot of dog owners buy an indoor place where their furry friends can use the bathroom. This is why doggie doors are very good if you have to option to install one. The dogs can use them independently. As a result, you don’t have to take them outside by yourself. However, you have to take into consideration the size of the teacup chihuahua, so the doggy door has to respect its size. As there are many of them that are too heavy or too high.
Socialization
The socialization of this breed is pivotal. Teacup chihuahua can’t bear kids and other pets a lot. Even with their tinny and cute size, they are not the friendliest dogs out there. When they feel that their owner is in trouble they tend to be very protective and aggressive, because sometimes they can mistake strangers or visitors as “trouble”. Under those circumstances, the owner must introduce some visitors regularly to the puppy. He or she must train them to be used to strangers, if not be ready for some tough situations when they are adults.
These dogs are impatient with other pets, especially larger dogs. In other words, they are very terrified when another larger dog approaches them. And in this situation, they have only one option, which is to act badly. As a result, this character can lead to a lot of unwanted behaviors, like barking and snapping. In order to prevent these antisocial behaviors, the owner has to provide useful training for the dog to gain confidence when interacting with strangers
Health issues with Miniature chihuahua dogs
Stress-related Problem-You will notice that your teacup chihuahua is shivering and shaking nearly all of the time because the body of tiny teacup chihuahuas has very little fat reserves to regulate body temperature and because of this fact puppy feel always cold.
There are other causes of teacup stress such as digestive troubles, metabolism issues…etc.
Hypoglycemia–this means the sugar level in the blood that can lead to some big troubles such as come or even death if not quickly and properly treated. All toy-sized dogs can be prone to this issue, especially puppies under the age of 4 months. This problem can develop if the dog doesn’t eat on a regular basis.
As a chihuahua owner always keep your eyes close to the signs of this issue which are: sleepiness and dizziness, and weakness.If your chihuahua shows any of these signs try to seek a successful treatment.
Rubbing Honey onto the gums of your dog at home is the first treatment as it helps to deliver quick sugar to rush into the bloodstream, then you should take your chihuahua to the animal hospital.
Injury-Trauma is the second cause of death for the chihuahua breed.
it includes being drooped, falls, hit by a car…These represent the dangers that an undersized dog-like chihuahua that weighs 2.7 kg can face during his life.
teacup chihuahua with that tiny and fragile bones has a great chance of being terribly injured if stepped on, dropped, or even sat on by accident. teacup chihuahua is always at risk any time kids play with him or are being carried.
A collapsed trachea is an example of an issue that a teacup Chihuahua can face. This issue is rarely fatal but it can be the cause of breathing difficulty.
History
Chihuahuas have a very ancient and diversified history. Experts don’t know exactly how this breed developed. However, there are different theories around this subject. Moreover, chihuahuas exist before the late 1800s, because this is the first time we have particular records. But, we know that this breed was around a long time ago-just without any proper records.
Techichi dog
Some experts think that the chihuahua breed is descended from the Techichi dog that was domesticated by several Mesoamerican civilizations. In fact, the weight of these dogs is about 10 to 20 pounds, which means that they would be larger than the present chihuahua. However, they have some physical characteristics in common. Also, Remains, paints and statues are evidence of the existence of the Tchihichi dog.
From the history books, we know that these dog breeds were a vital part of this ancient culture. People used them for a lot of purposes such as religious purposes and food. in reality, when the Spanish conquistadors invaded the land of their owner this breed nearly went extinct.
How this breed got so small is the subject of a lot of debates- if they are the origin of the chihuahua we have today. Maybe the dog could have been bred smaller over time via selective breeding. Or the dog could have been crossed with a smaller dog from Europe. In fact, we don’t have any tangible connection between the chihuahua and the Techichi, while it is possible that the Techichi dog was developed into the chihuahua we have today.
European dogs
There is another suggestion that claims that the European dogs that were brought over with colonizers are the source of the chihuahua dog. Because there is a dog located in Malta that has some physical characteristics in common with the chihuahua. Notably, this ancient breed has a soft spot on its head, just like chihuahuas. Some paintings in the Sistine chapel in Europe are also evidence of the existence of a chihuahua-like dog in Europe before the time of colonization.
science
Science supports the Techihci origin suggestion. According to one study, there is no DNA connection between Europen dogs and Chihuahua. But they discovered Similar DNA in pred-Columbian dogs. In other words, Chihuahua at least shares some roots with the Techichi.
Teacup chihuahua Grooming
There are two varieties of teacup chihuahua. Those are short-haired and long-haired. But this difference in variety doesn’t impact their grooming necessities. In fact, the long-haired chihuahuas don’t require brushing frequently, also they don’t need trimming. Moreover, breeders consider them the only long-haired breed that doesn’t need so much maintenance.
One session of brushing is enough to maintain the dog’s cleanliness-we mean the two varieties. The difference between long-haired and short-haired in terms of shedding is that the short-haired variety does shed more than the long-haired. However, both varieties don’t need considerable brushing. In other words, these dogs need a small rubber grooming mitt, this tool is the best option for them in comparison with traditional brushes. The owner may think that due to their long hair, the long-haired variety needs a pin brush to land deeper into their coat. However, this is not important in many cases. It always depends on the hygiene state of your dog.
A teacup chihuahua can experience shedding in every part of the year but in small quantities. However, there are other factors that control shedding. For example, they may shed gravely in the spring. Another factor that has a direct relationship with shedding is the local climate. If the owner notices that his dog shed critically he may need to increase daily brushing to take off the hair they may shed.
As a teacup owner, you have to put in mind that they don’t need bathing them often, because of their fragile and tinny body they may get sick. In particular, the correct method to bathe them is to do it in a warm room, and when you are finished you have to dry them rigorously.
Ear hygiene and nail trimming
When you brush them take time to take a look inside their ears, even if it’s known that their ears are not prone to an ear infection. But you have to check them for the growth of debris. Then clean them with a cotton ball softly if needed. Equally, you have to trim their nails gently, if you are not sure that you can’t do it correctly, then you have to take your dog to a groomer who has good hand dexterity to do this task.
These small creatures need to have regular teeth brushing, as they are at risk of some dental issues. In general, if the owner neglects his or her dog’s teeth brushing, the dog may evolve easily expensive dental problems.
You can also read: Chihuahua Nail Trimming Guide
Experience Level Needed for Owning a Teacup Chihuahua
Due to their special needs like high socialization needs and frequent meals, these breeds need advanced dog owners with good experience and at least enough skills. These tiny dogs require a lot of care. These dogs can learn a lot of things easily, but they don’t have enough strength to endure the mistakes of their owner during training sessions. For instance, big damage can be the result of dropping a puppy.
Adopting a Teacup Chihuahua
Teacup chihuahuas are not very salable if we compare them with full-sized chihuahuas. They are marketable only from the perspective of some professional breeders. Nowadays, some breeders provide teacup varieties. They sell puppies simply by breeding more miniature chihuahuas.
You have to put in mind that chihuahuas won’t get bigger, as you’d expect. Therefore, miniature chihuahuas could become large when they become adults. In other words, no one can expect how bigger a puppy may end up. In fact, there is only one solution to knowing if your chihuahua is a teacup to adopt an adult one.
Some breeders refuse to have that are smaller than the average. Since this fact can have a negative impact on the dog’s health. Due to their smaller size, some dogs can have lof health issues. Furthermore, when a chihuahua is under 4 pounds, the dog can get injured easier.
Color and gender are the two factors that control the price of a Teacup chihuahua. However, the price is from $1,500 to $3,000. Some colors are preferable to adopters, for this reason, some puppies are expensive.
The reason why the Teacup term exists
The term is used for two reasons
1. Competition. In the past, a breeder use this term to build his or her reputation.
Nowadays, the Humane Society of America and other organizations stooped puppy mills. This fact leads to many pet stores limiting their business.
Breeders who have websites know very well how search engines work. So they use certain words on their website in order that the buyer can find them very easily. Terms such as ‘miniature chihuahua’.This way a lot of people will buy a so-called teacup even if it doesn’t exist.
2. When we have a dog that is smaller than the standard.
In some cases, some puppies are smaller than expected. However, it doesn’t mean that the puppy will still be smaller even when he becomes an adult. Because sometimes the smallest of the litter may end up being the largest adult.
Keep in mind the standard size of organizations
Uk: No more than 6 lbs
AKC: 2 to 4 pounds is good.
Ckc: Up to 6 lbs
Fc: 3.3 to 6.1 lbs
The chihuahua is the smallest dog breed.
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