18 Common Ways To Care For A Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are small dogs with long or short coats and sometimes long snouts.
They come in a range of colors and can be seen in toy and miniature sizes, although the breed’s origins date back to ancient Mexico.
Chihuahuas are known for their intelligence, which makes them ideal pets for families who want a loving companion but don’t have the space or budget for larger dogs.
However, caring for these tiny furry animals requires special attention due to their small size as well as their high level of activity—and sometimes even energy!
The following are some common ways to care for a Chihuahua:
Brush your Chihuahua coat regularly
Brushing is an important part of maintaining the health and appearance of your dog’s coat, which can be quite long and thick.
Brushing helps remove dead hair, which may clog the pores of the skin and lead to infection.
If you do not brush your pet often enough, his hair will grow into a tangled mat, making it difficult for him to breathe properly and uncomfortable for him when he lays down or lies on any type of surface (bed).
You should brush your Chihuahua twice a week.
Brush your Chihuahua teeth regularly
Brushing your dog’s teeth is a great way to help keep them clean and healthy.
However, you should never force your Chihuahua to take care of its own teeth.
If you feel like they’re getting too much brushing for their own good, or if they are reluctant to have their mouth opened for brushing, try using a soft toothbrush instead.
You can also use dog toothpaste (not human!) and make sure that it’s safe for dogs’ mouths by checking the label first!
Brushing the outside, inside, and back of each tooth will help remove plaque buildup which may cause bad breath or gum disease over time.
Pay special attention to any areas where there may be loose tartar—this could indicate problems with gums or even bone loss if left untreated!
Trim your Chihuahua nails regularly
Trimming a Chihuahua’s nails is an important part of caring for your pet.
Nail trims are recommended every few weeks, depending on how often you use them.
If you don’t trim the nails, they can grow into your dog’s foot and cause pain or even infection in the nail beds.
Use clippers with rounded tips to avoid cutting too far into the quick (the part at the tip of each nail).
Be sure to test-drive each pair of clippers before using them on your dog by making several small cuts with them first—you’ll want to make sure that they’re comfortable enough for frequent use!
Clean your Chihuahua ears regularly
Regularly cleaning your Chihuahua’s ears is essential for good health.
You can use a cotton ball or a damp cloth to wipe the inside of your Chihuahua’s ears.
But make sure it doesn’t get too wet and then let them dry in order to avoid having an infection.
You might want to consider buying a dog ear cleaner if you want something more convenient than just using your hands (or even worse—a cotton swab).
These products are available online at most pet stores and even online retailers like Amazon Prime for about $10-$20 each depending on how many bottles you buy at one time!
Just make sure not to put too much pressure on either side of their head because this could hurt them.
Just gently rub all around their outer canals until any wax buildup has been removed before moving onto their inner parts where there will likely be more gunk stuck inside due to frequent grooming sessions throughout the day.
Bathe your Chihuahua regularly
Bathe your Chihuahua regularly. If you want to give your dog a bath, make sure that the water is warm and not too hot for the dog.
You can use mild shampoo for this purpose, but be careful that you don’t damage the skin of your Chihuahua by using too much force on it when rinsing off soap residue or other debris from their coat.
After bathing, dry them thoroughly with cotton balls or towels before letting them rest outside in direct sunlight until completely dry again (this prevents damaging their coats).
This also helps prevent overheating from excessive sun exposure while they’re drying off!
Feed your Chihuahua high-quality dog food
Feed your Chihuahua high-quality dog food. Don’t feed your Chihuahua human food or table scraps, or treat your Chihuahua with bones or rawhide.
You should never use kibble as a substitute for vegetables in your Chihuahua diet.
Instead, add fresh or frozen cooked vegetables such as peas, carrots, and green beans to their meals regularly.
Talk to your veterinarian for the best type of food for your Chihuahua.
Vaccinate your Chihuahua puppies
Vaccinating your Chihuahua puppies is important because they are susceptible to many diseases, including parvovirus.
The vaccine schedule for Chihuahuas is as follows:
- Two weeks after birth, give them the first dose of Leukart’s Vaccine for Parvovirus and DHPP (distemper/hepatitis). You can also give them this vaccine at six weeks old.
- One month later, repeat the second dose of Leukart’s Vaccine for Parvovirus and DHPP (distemper/hepatitis). Your vet will determine when you need to repeat this vaccination based on your dog’s age and health status at that time.
- A third dose should be given one year after the first two doses in order to be sure your puppy has gotten all three vaccinations before he reaches his adult size – which means 3 years old or older!
Get pet insurance for your Chihuahua
Pet insurance is a good idea for any pet. It can cover unexpected veterinary bills, routine checkups, vaccinations, and flea, and tick prevention.
Some companies will also offer you discounts on food and supplies if you’re experiencing financial stress because of your pet’s illness or injury.
Pet insurance is especially important if your Chihuahua has special needs (such as allergies).
If he requires medication that costs more than normal medications do, using his pet insurance could help pay for this treatment at no extra cost to you!
Socialize your Chihuahua
Socializing your Chihuahua will help them get along with other dogs and people.
It’s important to expose your pet to as many different situations as possible, including those in which they might encounter other dogs or people that they don’t know.
This helps the dog become a well-rounded dog by exposing it to new experiences on a regular basis.
Read more: Understanding Chihuahua Separation Anxiety: Signs, Causes & More.
Provide clean drinking water for your Chihuahua
It is important to provide clean drinking water for your Chihuahua.
If you leave the water bowl out for longer than 2 hours, it will become contaminated with bacteria and other substances that can cause illness or even death if ingested.
You should also avoid leaving the water bowl out in hot temperatures (above 100 degrees Fahrenheit) or cold temperatures (below freezing).
This can lead to serious health problems for your dog, including mouth infections and dehydration.
Provide a stress-free environment for your Chihuahua
The first thing you should do is spend time with your dog. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the most important thing is that it’s an activity that your dog enjoys doing and will look forward to each day.
If possible, avoid leaving your Chihuahua alone for long periods of time.
If they’re left alone too much it may cause them stress which could lead to aggression or other behavior problems down the road.
If you must leave the house while they’re home alone (such as going out for groceries), make sure that there are plenty of toys and treats available, so they don’t get bored during their stay away from home!
And lastly—make sure their living space has enough space for them to move around freely and stretch out!
Read more about leaving your Chihuahua at home alone.
Deworm your Chihuahua occasionally
Deworming is a good idea, but only if your vet recommends it.
Worms like to live in the small intestine and can cause problems there.
If you’re not sure when to or how often to deworm your Chihuahua, talk to your veterinarian about it.
How do you know if your pup needs deworming?
The best way is by looking at their stool—if there are worms crawling around, then he or she probably does need them dewormed!
Spay or neuter your Chihuahua
Spaying or neutering your Chihuahua is an important step in caring for him.
Spaying is the removal of the female reproductive organs and can prevent unwanted pregnancy, while neutering is the removal of both womb and testicles.
These procedures prevent unwanted pregnancies and help to keep your dog healthy by preventing cancer, urinary incontinence (when you can’t control urination), pyometra (a uterine disease in which bacteria gets into the uterus), and ovarian cysts (benign tumors).
Spaying or neutering also helps reduce aggression towards males because they have no chance of having puppies with them anymore!
This means less competition for food sources like bones at meal time, so there’s less stress when trying to share those items between two animals who want nothing more than each other’s throats!
Take your pup for regular checkups at the vet.
Take your pup for regular checkups at the vet.
It’s important to have regular checkups with your vet because they can help prevent health problems and identify any issues early on.
Which will save you time and money in the long run. Your pup should also be getting vaccinations every year, as well as heartworm testing if he or she is older than two years old (the vaccine protects against both heartworm disease and river blindness).
There are many other services available at a veterinary clinic that can help keep your Chihuahua healthy—and happy!
Spend more time with your Chihuahua
Spending more time with your Chihuahua is the best way to keep them happy and healthy.
Make sure you spend at least 15 minutes every day playing with your pet, even if it’s just a quick game of fetch or tug-of-war.
This will help them burn off stress, which will make them feel happier overall.
You can also encourage playtime during the morning and evening hours by setting up a “playdate” in the house.
Put some toys on a blanket in one room, then call your pup over so he knows where to go when he hears his name called out loudly enough for him to hear (but not too loudly).
This will give both of you sometime together before bedtime so that when it comes around again tomorrow morning there’ll be nothing holding you back from having another fun session together!
Exercise your pup daily
- Take your Chihuahua for a walk.
- Play with your pup in the yard or on the beach.
- Take them to the dog park so they can run around and play with other dogs, or even just sit and watch the other dogs play.
If you don’t have time for exercise but want to keep up your pup’s fitness level, there are several ways you can do this:
Teach your pup to walk on a leash.
- Teach your pup to walk on a leash.
- Make it fun for the puppy.
- Get them used to the collar and leash, then practice in a safe place like the backyard or on a walk with you before letting them off-leash in public areas where there are other dogs.
- Don’t pull on the leash; this will make them nervous! Instead, use positive reinforcement such as treats and praise when they comply with your commands (e.g., “Sit!”).
- Also, try not using choke chains again because they scare most dogs and can also cause injuries if used incorrectly3
Train your Chihuahua as soon as possible
It is important to train your pup as soon as possible in order to avoid behavior problems later on.
The first thing you should do is train him to walk on a leash and come when called.
You can also teach him how to sit and stay, lay down, stand up, shake hands and roll over (for playtime only).
Conclusion
The Chihuahua is a small breed of dog that can be easily trained.
It doesn’t take long to learn how to make them do things, but it takes patience and discipline.
The trick is to train your pup early so that they understand what you want from them before they are older and harder to handle!