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These are very loyal animals, sincerely attached to their owner. They choose the caresses and hugs of the owner rather than games. Such attachment can be compared with the relationship between a baby and mother.
Very smart, not aggressive, good watchdogs, despite their mini size. Choosing this breed would be an excellent solution for those who want to get a miniature pet.
In addition to their characteristic character traits, feeding and care rules, you should know a little about their development and what influences it.
Puppies have several stages of growth
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The first stage is intrauterine - the foundations of health and character are laid, which is an important factor when choosing a puppy. Pets should be taken with a pedigree, from healthy parents, from reputable breeders.
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The second is suckling, from birth to one and a half months. All responsibility for the formation of animals during this period lies with the breeder. If the future owner has experience in feeding, the baby can be adopted from four weeks of age, you just need to feed it correctly.
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The third includes puppies aged 1.5 - 6 months. Often, at this time they end up with their owners. There is rapid growth and replacement of teeth.
Fourth – period 6 – 12 months. Quadrupeds stop growing. At the fifth stage, the dog’s character is formed, growth stops, but active weight gain occurs.
Weight indicators by age
Many people mistakenly believe that growth indicators are fundamental, and the higher they are, the more correctly the dog will develop and grow. In fact, dogs of this breed grow (gain weight) up to 12 months, but the skeletal system up to 7 months, whether it will recover and grow quickly depends on its hereditary predisposition.
It is also known that the fewer puppies in the litter, the stronger their health, so pay attention to this fact. For example, let’s take the body proportions of an adult dog that weighs 2 kg; its height at the withers should be in the range of 17-23 cm. Acceptable weight indicators in this case are up to 3 kg of weight, but not less than two.
To make it clear, the spine grows (height) up to 1.5 months, and weight gain at this age is weak. After 6 months, the puppy is actively gaining weight and by 8 months, girls may experience their first heat.
It is best to buy a two-month-old puppy, when the backbone is already formed, you will see the original size and know that the dog will not grow much more, it will only gain weight and increase in width, thanks to the mass and expansion of the chest.
The table of Chihuahua weight and height is described in detail by month (standard) in the world canine organization; let’s look at the parameters of weight relative to age.
Ideal proportions (table)
Find out how much a Chihuahua weighs according to age using this table:
Characteristics of growth
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By the age of 6 months, the puppy should grow three times, the height at the withers doubles. At this stage of development, the formation of tubular bones slows down. At this time, the bones must be formed correctly, otherwise, if they suffer a serious illness or improper feeding, they will distort the proportions of the body, and this defect is irreparable.
- The dog will have disproportionate shapes, and there will be no opportunity to take it to dog shows.
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Up to one and a half months, babies only grow in height. By two months it will already be clear what kind of skeleton the quadruped will eventually have.
After six months, flat bones enlarge and the sternum develops; the pet rapidly expands in width and gains weight up to a year. At this stage, development does not stop, but slows down. By the age of eight months, a Chihuahua is fully formed and ready to breed. Females begin estrus during this period.
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The first mating also affects growth, after which the dog stops growing altogether. Experts and dog experts do not recommend mating at an early age so that the pet grows to its required size.
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It is not uncommon for babies to grow rapidly at the beginning of life and stop quite abruptly at four or five months. Therefore, you should not rely on the breed standard table.
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Chihuahua is a full member of the family. The cute creature brings true pleasure to the owners; a more cheerful, devoted four-legged one cannot be found.
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Head and facial features
According to the standard, a feature of the breed is the head, which visually represents the shape of an apple. A “deer” type head signals a crossbreed (not purebred), i.e. the individual is a mixed breed, which serves as a basis for disqualification from participation in breed exhibitions and refusal to obtain a pedigree from the RKF.
Until recently, a sign of purebredness was considered to be the presence of an open fontanel with a diameter of no more than 2 cm on the crown of the skull. Today, an open fontanel in adults is recognized as a disqualifying defect, which is confirmed by the latest entries made on September 15, 2010 in the official standard of the Chihuahua breed under number 218.
