All About Chihuahuas …

Do we make good pets? Are you serious? OF COURSE WE DO!

Okay, admittedly, we’re a little biased – ZigZag Wags was founded by two Chihuahuas … well, and our human (but truthfully, we only included her because she had treats). Bella and I have seen plenty of posts out there talking about why Chihuahuas make great pets, but we’ve seen just as many about why our breed has a not-so-great reputation in the public. We thought it was time to clear things up, and who better to talk to you about what it’s like to own a spunky chi than two, 4-legged experts on the subject?

It’s at this point in most blog posts that the author kicks off a lengthy back-story about the history of the breed. So naturally, you’d expect us to launch into some long story about the ancient Aztecs, or drone on about our Mexican heritage, right? Nope … we leave all the boring historical stuff to Wikipedia (they do a way better job fact-checking than we do). As far as we’re concerned, Sara is our human-in-charge, the Wheaton Terrier next door is our hyperactive cousin, and as far as family history goes, that’s all we need to know. So don’t worry, we won’t bore you with the history of our ancestry … we’d much rather tell you about why we’re so awesome … err … or rather, why Chihuahuas make such great pets. Yeah, that’s what we meant. No … really.

It’s probably a good idea for us to cover the basics right off the bat. First of all, you should know that for the most part, we come in two flavors: apple and deer. And by “flavors” we mean shapes … not taste. Eww! With few exceptions, Chihuahuas have two basic head types:

Deer-shaped: pointy, but adorable.

Apple-shaped: round and super cute.

Both types can have long or short coats … or in Bella’s case, both (she’s got some extra hair in weird places … it’s a little awkward). In terms of size, we generally average about 5-6 pounds. Don’t let our small size fool you though – our tiny frame is overstuffed with personality; which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how your raise us.

Regardless of shape or size, we’d like to think we’re pretty smart. Obviously our giant bobbleheads are stuffed with super-sized brains … well, okay that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but did you know that our breed has the largest brain in comparison to body size of any other dog? It’s true! We need it to successfully outsmart cats and squirrels … seriously people, they’re a lot faster than they look. We can only win through sneaky tactics, and those take serious smarts … and treats.

Exercising our brain muscles can be exhausting though, and so in time, we’ve evolved to become champion nappers. Yes, we need exercise (beyond outsmarting the cats) and yes, we love walks, but make no mistake, we can nap like a boss … that is, until the mailman shows up … or the doorbell rings. Then of course, it’s our responsibility to let everyone within a three-block radius know that there is an intruder approaching the premises (we’re not shy).

We should probably mention that if you’re looking to adopt a Chihuahua, we are easily trained. You can teach us all kinds of stuff! We’re eager to learn new tricks and can be very obedient (as long as treats are involved … lots, and lots of treats). Be warned: we generally don’t respond well to being yelled at. But then again, neither do you so don’t judge. We’ll admit, we might test your patience from time to time, but just remember how much we love you.

In short, we’re alert, loving, loyal, mischievous, couch potatoes who enjoy chasing squirrels and stuffing our tiny faces with delicious goodies. Basically, we’re the perfect dog (for families without small children … or cats).

That said, not every human is the best choice for a Chihuahua. If you work or travel all the time and leave us behind, we’re likely to get into some trouble. We like to chew on things (actually, everything) if left unattended for too long. And if you don’t really like to snuggle, you should consider getting a cat. We are hardcore snugglers … seriously, we treat cuddle time like it’s our job. If you don’t like getting dog hair on the couch, or fear we might ruin your designer outfit, we’re not the breed for you.

However, if you have a quiet home (without small children), love a little companion to take with you everywhere you go, and enjoy treats (sharing them, that is), it will be a match made in heaven! Find a local shelter or Chihuahua rescue organization wherever you live and adopt a Chi as soon as possible. Here’s a good list to get you started:

• Chihuahua Club of America
• Chihuahua Rescue
• Adopt A Pet
• Petfinder
• Canadian Chihuahua Rescue
• Yankee Chihuahua Rescue and Adoption

There is no more loyal a breed out there, and if you give us a chance, we will no doubt love you forever.

Need more info? Check out Vetstreet … they seem to get us and can probably offer a less biased opinion of our awesomeness personality.

Hugs & Wags,
Jake