Despite being the world’s smallest breed of dog, the Chihuahua isn’t lacking when it comes to personality, companionship, and things to love about them. Here are some fun facts about this tiny breed in honor of International Chihuahua Appreciation Day!
- Chihuahuas have big brains! Even though the Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dogs, they have large brains compared to the rest of their body. If you compare the brain to body ratio in dog breeds, Chihuahuas win out on the biggest brain for their body size! Because of their big heads, Chihuahuas often must undergo Cesarean sections in order to have babies.
- Chihuahuas aren’t born with pointed ears! One of the most distinguishing features about the Chihuahua is their pointed ears. However, Chihuahua puppies are not born with their ears pointing high at the sky. Like many other breeds with pointed ears, Chihuahuas are born with floppy ears that can take up to 6 months for them to completely finish standing up.
- They have huge personalities! What they lack in physical size, they make up for with their personalities! Chihuahuas tend to have strong “big-dog” personalities that can easily earn them a place in command – of both you and other dogs! With their big brains, Chihuahuas are very smart and quick learners. Chihuahuas love to learn many things, from basic obedience to competitive sports. If you’re not careful, they’ll also pick up very quickly on the ways they can boss you around and bend the rules if you let them!
- Chihuahuas are loving and loyal! While many Chihuahuas tend to be wary of strangers and might come off as a mini-guard dog, Chihuahuas can be just as much of a loyal and loving companion as any other dog. Chihuahuas typically love to go anywhere and everywhere with their owners.
- Chihuahuas like other Chihuahuas! Chihuahuas like being Chihuahuas so much, they are the only dog breed to display behaviors suggesting they prefer the company of other Chihuahuas rather than a different breed. If given the opportunity, many Chihuahuas will clan together with other Chihuahuas and avoid dogs of different breeds.
- Packs of wild Chihuahuas?! Up until the early 1900’s, sightings of wild Chihuahua packs were an everyday occurrence in the southwestern US. The first Chihuahua to be registered with the AKC, owned by Hamilton Rayner, derived from a pack of wild Chihuahuas that he had been caught in Texas. Though less common today, packs of feral Chihuahuas still exist and have been known for raising trouble in places like Arizona. Wild Chihuahuas have even been noted to have the ability to climb trees!
- Chihuahuas can be working dogs, too! The Chihuahua is a small but mighty breed that is capable of becoming a working dog with the right training. Japan’s smallest police dog is a 6 pound chihuahua named Momo, trained in scent work for search and rescue. Another Chihuahua mix, Midge, was trained to detect drugs for a police department in Ohio in 2006.