Saturday, April 14, 2007

Selecting a Chihuahua - Puppy or Adult?

Photo courtesy of: http://www.badgercrest.com


Everyone is surely going to get excited when trying to select a Chihuahua. Truly a man’s best friend, you can rely on your Chihuahua in giving you company, cuddling up together and some can even guard your house. You need to review your personal lifestyle and needs when adopting a Chihuahua. It is a major decision whether or not you would choose to have a puppy or an adult as a pet. Before deciding on which Chihuahua to adopt, here is some useful information that might help you decide.

About Chihuahua Puppies

* Bringing up a Chihuahua puppy is an advantage because this means that you would guide its growth and well being. You would have the chance to raise it up according to what you want. This means you can ensure that it is properly nurtured with the right dog food, ensure that necessary dog shots are given and prevent heartworm at this early stage. Having your Chihuahua puppy personally trained is also a plus since you can teach him exactly what you want.

* You should adopt a Chihuahua puppy when it is at least 10 weeks old. Chihuahua puppies need a lot of time to be cared for by their mothers. This is a crucial stage for them. They somehow gain a psychological advantage for both Chihuahua puppy and for the mother Chihuahua as well.

* A Chihuahua puppy can easily adjust to new surroundings as compared to an adult Chihuahua. Although most Chihuahua puppies may cause minimal to major damage to your personal stuff while they are in the stage of teething. They need to be housebroken and house training needs a lot of time, effort and patience from the owner.

* There is no assurance of what a Chihuahua puppy would look like when it gets old. Also, his temperament might change when he grows up.

* Most pet owners love how Chihuahua puppies can be entertaining. They are very cute and adorable pets that is a hit for both children and grown ups. Chihuahua puppies can be easily regarded as one of the family.

About an adult Chihuahua

* You would have less of a fuss taking care of an adult Chihuahua. They already have this established behavior that you can easily adopt too. By being with the adult Chihuahua more often, you would have more or less an idea of what its temperament is.

* You need to get as much information that you can when adopting an adult Chihuahua. Take note of its habits and mood swings. You can acquire information from the previous owners of the Chihuahua. Some adult Chihuahuas may have some behavior issues. It is important to take note of them.

* It may take some time and effort for an adult Chihuahua to be completely comfortable with a new owner.

* Take note that you need to introduce an adult Chihuahua to your children and other household members. This would help the Chihuahua be familiar with them and helps them refrain from biting or barking thinking that they maybe strangers.

* Adult Chihuahuas may not need your full attention unlike Chihuahua puppies need and would require lesser trips to the veterinary.

* For a fully grown Chihuahua, physique and behavior is basically not a variable anymore. What you see is basically what you get.

* Most adult Chihuahuas are housebroken already so they would cause lesser damage to your belongings and don’t wake up at night like most puppies do. Usually, they have grown out of the impulse of chewing things.

* An older Chihuahua can easily adapt to other pets, like other dogs or cats, if you have a group of them at your household.

Selecting a Chihuahua is not an easy task. Everyone loves sweet looking Chihuahua puppies, but not everyone can stand up to the tiresome house training. Though most would appreciate the bonding shared with them.

Adult Chihuahuas need no great amount of guidance but can still turn out to be a lovable pet. Whichever you think is the right pet for you, just keep in mind that taking care of them requires a lot of time and effort. In return, they would always keep you company and has ready smile with an excited wag of tail waiting for you everyday.

Author: Connie Limon. Visit us at: http://www.abouttoydogs.com About Toy Dogs is a guide to information about selection of and the care of Toy Dog Breeds. We feature articles, dog training resources, toy dog breeder directory. If you raise Chihuahua puppies purchase an ad in our directory to advertise your puppies, kennel or website.

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