Meta: With a pretty little body, Chiweenie is considered as a medium-sized dog and a mix of Chihuahua and Dachshund. But the owner of Chiweenie would never feel bored or tedious with Chiweenie’s caring, frisky, zealous, loyal nature. Keep reading to know more about this hybrid dog.
Are you looking for a loving, cuddly dog which is always loyal to the owner and can live in harmony with others from the singles to seniors? Are you mindful of not having enough space to raise a dog?
If so, have you ever heard of a cross between the Chihuahua and the Dachshund? A dog breed that undoubtedly makes many people fall in love with, not only because of its petite shape but also many of its virtues. We’re talking about the Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, also known as Chiweenie.
Profile
Origin
As mentioned above, Chiweenie is mongrel dog, which was born from the combination of a Chihuahua and a Dachshund. The face, head, and ears are hereditary from the Chihuahua, while the long, short legs are based on the Dachshund.
About Chiweenie’s parents:
Names
Chihuahua Dachshund Mix boasts many titles, including Chiweenie, Chiweeni, Chawinnie, Chiwee, Dachuahua, Doxiwawa and Mexican Hotdog.
Extra: Both Chihuahua and Dachshund can be crossbred with Husky, resulting in Husky Chihuahua Mix and Dachshund Husky Mix respectively.
Prominent Traits of Chiweenie
Appearance
Chiweenie has a pretty little body with a flat or rounded head depending on whether it gets that from a Dachshund or a Chihuahua. The floppy ears look like a bat spreading out its wings whenever it is alert. The dog's nose is pointed or short and black or brown. The dog’s eyes are almond-shaped, and their color ranges from black, brown to even green. Also, a long curved tail, small paws, and short legs form an adorable Chiweenie.
Size
Being inherited from its parents, the size of Chiweenie is small. The dog's height does not exceed 10 inches (approximately about 25 cm). Standard-sized or miniature Chiweenies' parents directly change its offspring’s size. A standard-sized Chiweenie weighs between 11 and 12 pounds (4 to 9 kg) or more. A miniature one is little smaller - about 8 to 10 pounds (3 to 3.5 kg).
Coat
A Chiweenie’s coat can be short and coarse, or long and silky. The coat colors are commonly black, brown, and pale brown. It is not unusual for finding white, red, or multicolored fur.
Temperament
Owner of a Chiweenie would never feel bored or tedious thanks to Chiweenie’s caring, frisky, zealous, loyal nature. They are never tired of playing around with their owner, and they immensely stick to your family. However, Chiweenie can get separation anxiety if left alone for a long time.
Chiweenie is a watchful dog, always carefully keeps eyes on everything around. It starts barking even at the slightest noise and any stranger approaching the house. For that reason of alertness, they become noisy sometimes. Luckily, there are some ways to train a Chihuahua not to bark; you can apply these tips into your Chiweenie.
Note: Chiweenies is not suitable for families with younger children as they cannot stand too much of noise and activity. Also, a Chiweenie and other dog breeds are generally irreconcilable. Unless you have raised them together since they were puppies, Chiweenies would get along with them. They are said to be stubborn occasionally.
No wonder people say that Chiweenie is one of the social small cross breeds loving spending time with its family.
Variations
The Chiweenie-Terrier mix, the Chiweenie-Pomeranian mix, the long-hair Chiweenie are some popular variations of the Chihuahua-Dachshund mix. The teacup Chiweenie, a kind of miniature version of the Chiweenie, is very smaller. A rare dog breed is the 'Blue Chiweenie'.
Living Conditions
As mentioned above, Chiweenie is so small or, more accurately, a tiny dog. Hence, a Chiweenie cannot take up too much space in an apartment. Moreover, being a lap dog, it is easy to take a Chiweenie with you during your traveling. Let imagine you will receive a lot of delightful sights and sounds of other people out there.
General Care for Chiweenie
Exercise
Chiweenies are energetic dogs. They need to go outside for an at least 30-minute walk or short run every day. They do not require a large space or backyard to run around due to their small body. If you do not have enough time to get them to the dog park, just an adequate area around your apartment can fit them. In addition, they love sharing their playtime with their family.
Do not be deceived by their size. Chiweenie dogs are susceptible to boredom and usually barks. Therefore, to limit them from chewing or destroying your household for expending a lot of surplus energy, you can find something to attract their attention.
Grooming
For short-haired Chiweenies, they need to be brushed their coat using a comb about once or twice per week. Whereas, for long hair Chiweenies, it is necessary to brush the coat more often, about 3 to 5 times a week because their coat can get tangled, twisted or clotted.
In addition to grooming, bathing your dogs once a month is essential. You should not bathe them regularly because bathing too much reduces their natural oils on the skin – which helps to keep the dogs’ health. Except for some cases when your Chiweenie falls into the mud or trash can, you cannot let them enter the apartment without a bath.
Additionally, you are capable of trimming your dogs’ nails once to twice a month and brushing their teeth almost daily or at least once per week. Chiweenies are vulnerable to dental problems as a result of carrying the gene of one of the two parents, Chihuahuas.
Health Problems
A Chihuahua-Dachshund mix is one of the healthy breeds and rarely gets sick. However, it still faces some major health problems that come from allergies. Some of the diseases that these hybrids can be at risk off are usually inherited from their parents, such as hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, diabetes, pollen allergies, hydrocephalus, some dental issues like worms, etc.
The average lifespan of a Chiweenie usually lasts from 12 to 14 years, sometimes up to 16 years. However, when raising a Chiweenie, the owner needs to take proper care, give them daily exercises, appropriate diets, and adequate vaccination that will make it healthier and reduce the risk of getting sick.
Feeding
Whether your dogs are adult or young, they should not be fed too much. The owner only needs to ensure that they eat 2-3 servings a day and can give them dry food
The eating habit also depends on the fact that some of Chiweenies may be slightly picky, but others are the opposite. It's just that sometimes they lose their appetite if the food is given the same every day. Each dog is different, so to be sure of your dog, you should contact your veterinarian about which type of food appropriate for appetite as well as the frequency of eating. Remember, just like humans, if you feed your dog too much, it will affect their health, leading to obesity.
Training
The inherent nature of Chiweenies is a bit stubborn, which can be difficult and time-consuming to train them. However, Chiweenie is quite intelligent, so it probably takes up training steadily. Chiweenie needs to be consistently taught by the owner or trainer who is experienced, enthusiastic, and patient.
The training should not be too long but must integrate many praises and training treats. Chiweenie is one of the playful dogs, so the training sessions should not be too strict to bring efficiency. Training a Chihuahua-Dachshund hybrid is considered to be not too hard, but it takes patience for success day after day.
Chiweenie with Children and Family
With Children
Chiweenie is said to be a great playmate for children. However, Chiweenie is small and they are not suitable for younger children. Younger children are not able to control their actions. Thus, letting a little Chiweenie play with them can cause the crossbreed physical injury. Especially, Chiweenie's back is quite sensitive because of sharing the same blood with the Dachshund. Chiweenie likes to be in the spotlight so it is likely to become more aggressive when envying younger children. On the contrary, Chiweenie becomes a playmate with little older children will be treated more lightly and more appropriately.
Family Love
With the character of a Chihuahua-Dachshund hybrid, it is extremely loyal and always wants to be close to its owner and family. A tiny dog but full of spirit always alert to the fluctuations around. Because of that, it usually barks, sometimes being noisy. Besides, it is a brave breed and not paying attention to the size of the body whenever protecting its loved ones.
Conclusion
A Chihuahua-Dachshund mix or Chiweenie is one of the most popular breeds in recent times for dog lovers. With some outstanding features such as small, lovely, smart, healthy, playful and very close to the family, this helps them to get a lot of love from other people in return. Let's think carefully before you decide to adopt a Chiweenie. Although, without taking too much time and effort to care for it, you will find it hard to resist when you see them wrap around you everywhere.
