A Chihuahua is the littlest dog you can find anywhere. I am sure that Edith Wharton was talking about us the Chihuahuas, when she wrote this:
“My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet.”
But why at her feet, when we could easily snuggle into her lap and she wouldn’t even feel the weight?
Anyway, my only gripe is that the smallest working dog in the world isn’t a Chihuahua, it’s a Yorkshire terrier named Lucy.
Portrait of the Chihuahua
Portrait: Chihuahua | Medium: Pen & Ink | Size: 8 inches x 10 inches
Gripes aside…
Here are some general properties that define the Chihuahuas.
We are the smallest dogs in world, but you already know that. But did you know that some of us even weight 2 lb! The Chihuahua originated in South America in Mexico. Considered sacred by the Aztecs the Chihuahuas were introduced to the US only in 18th century.
Physically we look a little different from other dogs. For instance, our eyes and ears are huge in comparison to our face.
Actually, there’s some confusion about our origins. Some say that we descended from the Fennec Fox family and not from the wolves (all other dogs can trace their ancestry back to the wolves.
The Chihuahua is an ideal dog for a companion dog. Not only because it’s tiny, but also because it showers a lot of love and affection on its family. They try to ignore the strangers, but if the strangers take up too much of their family’s time, they don’t like it. The intelligent Chihuahua is a toy dog ideal for families that live in apartments. They also don’t need a lot of exercise.
They aren’t all that easy to train and that’s a little unfortunate because their small size demands early training, so that they become comfortable with their surroundings. If training begins early, they can be trained well, but it would be unrealistic to expect a Chihuahua to learn a lot of tricks. They like to play with other dogs, regardless of the difference in size. The Mastiff-Chihuahua video shared in the post the artist did about the Mastiff, is a case in point.
The Chihuahua’s Physical Attributes:
- Height: 6-10 in
- Weight: 2-6 lb
- Coat: colors viz. white, tan, merle, bicolor, tricolor and fawn. The coats could be long-haired or short-haired. The short-hair Chihuahua is obviously low-maintenance 🙂
- Life Span: 13-16 years
Some Famous Chihuahuas:
Gidget, the Taco Bell Chihuahua
In 1997, Taco Bell the restaurant chain decided to make Gidget the Chihuahua their mascot. Gidget worked in many advertisements for the chain and the fame of the catch phrase “Yo quiero Taco Bell!” (I want Taco Bell) must be attributed to her. Gidget died at the age of 15.
You can read about her in the book A Famous Dog’s Life: The Story of Gidget, America’s Most Beloved Chihuahua written by her trainer Sue Chipperton.
Moonie or the Legally Blonde Chihuahua called Bruiser
Moonie a rescue Chihuahua is credited with playing the role of Bruiser (who was the character Elle Woods’s dog) in both Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde films. Moonie has acted in many other Hollywood films fame came to him with the Legally Blonde movies. (Reese Witherspoon played Elle Woods in the film.)
Tinkerbell – The famous Chihuahua of Paris Hilton
Tinkerbell Hilton was born in 2002 and adopted by Paris Hilton after she saw the movie Legally blonde. Paris would carry Tinkerbell wherever she went. What really caught everyone’s eye (I think) was that Tinker wore a diamond crested neck collar and Paris Hilton tagged along with Tinker, as Tinker attended parties and movie premiers. (Or was it the other way round?)
Tinkerbell was went missing in August 2004 but a reward of $5000 was offered to anyone who found her. Tinkerbell returned to Paris in a week amidst controversies.
Tinkerbell has also written a book “The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries: My Life Tailing Paris Hilton” According to Goodreads in this book gives “Paris Hilton’s dog, Tinkerbell, gives the inside scoop about her owner, and gets downright catty–in this outrageous and hilarious parody.”
Tinkerbell has also starred in the reality television series “The Simple Life“
Wow! That’s a lot of tinkering for a tiny Chihuahua. Don’t you think?
Amazing Chihuahua Heroes:
Paco:
Paco, the hero Chihuahua Scares Off Two Armed Robbers from South California cigar store
Bell:
Bell, a 3-year old Chihuahua Finds Missing Girls in the Woods
Honey:
Honey, the pint-sized Hone Chihuahua saves girl, 8, from terrible pit bull mauling
AKC Page for Chihuahuas:
Visit this link to seek more information on Chihuahuas on American Kennel Club Website.
Shafali's Pen & Ink Portrait Art 