Are chihuahuas smart? Here’s why they may rank low for canine intelligence
The Chihuahua is a trendy dog and is well known for being the smallest dog in the world. But if your family is curious about Chihuahuas, you might be surprised at their intelligence. Chihuahuas are not intelligent dogs, according to a canine psychiatrist. It’s arguably the 125th intelligent breed. Is that true?
Where Chihuahuas lack obedience and intelligence, they gain it through the intelligence that they can understand human feelings. That’s a good communication skill set.
Is Chihuahua Dog Breed for me?
What makes the Chihuahua breed very attractive is its tiny stature, great personality, and its coat’s style and color designs. The Chihuahua can compete in dog sports like agility and obedience and is ranked among the top 10 watchdogs by specialists.
Chihuahuas enjoy nothing more than being with their owners and require little care and exercise. They are the perfect dogs for your household as they can easily socialize with anyone they come across. The Chihuahua is famous for being the world’s tiniest dog, with its most considerable personality hidden inside its small body. Its larger-than-life appearance is one thing that makes it stand out among other breeds.
This particular breed is playful and active and enjoys nothing more than spending quality time with its owners. They also like going around with their owners and would make lovely companions when taking a walk or running errands. Chihuahuas tend to develop a strong connection to an individual, especially if they feel strongly attracted to or like that person. When that happens, they usually find it quite hard to let go.
Chihuahuas learn very quickly as they can easily carry out the typical tasks you assign to a dog. However, they are pretty stubborn, requiring persuasion sometimes before undertaking any task assigned to them. When teaching your Chihuahua certain things, try to use words of encouragement and give rewards such as food when it carries out its job successfully.
1. Size
The average Chihuahua weighs between 3 and 6 pounds. There are tiny Chihuahuas which are signs that they might be suffering from an illness or two, and there are large ones that typically weigh 12 pounds or more.
2. Personality
The brave and assertive Chihuahua is frequently compared to a terrier because of how sharp its senses are and that it does not easily trust people, let alone outsiders.
That is not to say that Chihuahuas cannot form a bond with a new individual; they can, but they need to be appropriately trained to do that.
But don’t be surprised if they’re a little hesitant at first. Chihuahuas can be skittish if they are not socialized correctly as puppies.
3. Health
If you have purchased a Chihuahua, you should be proud of yourself as this particular breed does not have a track record of any known health issues. While this is good news, like every other dog, they can still get ill if not well cared for. So, be careful with how you treat your Chihuahua and monitor their activities and behavior during their lifetime. If you plan on purchasing a Chihuahua, do well to get it from a qualified breeder, as you are almost assured of getting a healthy one devoid of any illnesses.
If you have been given health approval, you can log on to offa.org to verify its authenticity. Bear in mind that dogs below two years of age do not get health approval because dogs at that age do not show signs of health problems until they reach full maturity. As a result, dogs are not made available for breeding by breeders until they reach the age of at least two years.
4. Feeding
When it comes to feeding your Chihuahua, endeavor to give it quality nourishing foods that will improve its health.
Remember, however, that the bigger and more active your Chihuahua is, the greater the amount of food it will consume.
Just ensure that your dog gets fair treatment when it comes to food intake; you should know, however, that if you have one who is very active and agile, you would need to feed it well with healthy dog food products that would aid in metabolism and proper development.
5. Basics of Chihuahua grooming
Chihuahuas have two sorts of coats: smooth and long. The smooth-coated Chihuahua has a smooth, glossy coat that fits snugly to the body and a ruff of thick, long hair around the neck with a thick tail. The velvety coat of the long-coated Chihuahua is flat or slightly curled. The body is almost as smooth as a smooth-coated Chihuahua’s, but the ears have a hair fringe, and the plumed tail spreads out like a fan over the back.
The back legs are covered in long hair that looks like trousers, with a frill worn on its stomach. Chihuahuas come in different colors. The colors range from black to white, chocolate, grey, tan, and blue. They combine these colors in some fashion, while their shades range from extremely light to very dark for all hues.
The Chihuahua is not difficult to clean as doing that does not take much of your time. Also, you need to brush it once a week with a rubber grooming mitt or a brush with short, natural bristles for a short-haired Chihuahua and once a month with a pin brush for a long-haired Chihuahua.
You can also use a fine-toothed flea comb to help you remove loose or dead hair from your Chihuahua. Like many small breeds, Chihuahuas are prone to poor oral health, so brushing their teeth can help them keep their mouths healthy. It would be best to brush its teeth at least twice a week, preferably daily, to eliminate tartar and germs. You can start doing this when the Chihuahua is still at a tender age so that it becomes familiar with it.
Check for sores, rashes, or symptoms of infection such as redness, soreness, or inflammation on the skin, ears, nose, mouth, eyes, and feet when cleaning the dog. Ears should smell pleasant, free of wax or crud, and eyes should be clear with no redness or discharge. This thorough weekly examination will assist you in detecting any health issues early on.
6. Final Thoughts
Chihuahuas are lovely companions and will make fantastic pets if adequately cared for. Though they tend to be stubborn at times, with love and care, they will bond with you and carry out any task assigned to them.