Like any other hybrid, the Chiweenie is a mixed breed dog, not a purebred dog.
It creates a purposeful cross between two existing breeds, that is, the Chihuahua and the Dachshund.
Both Chihuahua and the Dachshund are the parents of the Chiweenie.
Size and Appearance of Chiweenie
The size of Chiweenie is small, so they are the perfect fit for people living in apartments and big cities.
Some of the other names of Chiweenie are Chiwinnie, Choxie, Chaweenie, Chiweenie, and Shawnee.
The two nicknames of Chiweenie are “the Mexican hotdog” or “the German Taco.”
They are smart, intelligent, got a cuddly nature, and have never-ending energy.
Chiweenies are widely known as a multipurpose type of dogs as they are ideal lapdogs, the best companions, and serve as guard dogs due to their tenacity.
The eyes of Chiweenie are brown, blue, and black.
These dogs have a longer body, tail, and little paws and build a Dachshund.
Their face and ears vary between features from both the Chihuahua and the Dachshund.
Compact, loyal, and energetic are some of the best traits that Chiweenie inherited from both parents.
As they are socialized from puppyhood, thus they are good family dogs.
Chihuahuas are not more than 6 pounds, and the weight of Miniature Dachshunds is about 12 pounds.
Therefore, as a result, the weight of Chiweenieranges is between around 8 and 10 pounds while standing; they are between 8 and 12 inches.
There are many colors of Chiweenie dogs available.
They can be found in white, blonde, tan, black, silver, blue, fawn, etc.
Moreover, Chiweenie has glossy, short, and smooth coats.
However, this is not the case all the time.
Chihuahuas have much thicker fur, so depending on the parents, Chiweenie has coats that are also thicker and vary in their length too.
Chiweenie History
Due to the result of unintentional crossbreeding, then we have the first Chiweenie puppies.
The breeders until the late 1990s did not pair up Chihuahuas and Dachshund.
Although the origin of this designer breed is uncertain, their trend began mostly in North America.
The main purpose is to have a dog that looks like a purebred Dachshund without the accompanying back problems.
Because of their charm and cuteness, the demand quickly soared.
The American Kennel Club does not recognize them because they are hybrid dogs, but other clubs recognize them and give them importance devoted to designer dogs.
The parent breeds of Chiweenie that are Chihuahuas and Dachshund have origins that are relatively different.
The Chihuahua is of Mexican descent, while the Dachshund, from Germany, is of European descent.
Chiweenie Personality
Chiweenies are known to have enough confidence levels as they have taken this from their parents.
These dogs are charming and love to grab the attention of others.
They become loyal to their owners but also get along with other family members as well.
For single people, Chiweenies are a good choice.
However, they are not the best pets when it comes to children.
When there is too much noise and activity, so they easily get annoyed and irritated.
Chiweenie nature is sensitive, but still, they are very friendly.
They are good watchdogs as they alert if any stranger enters the home premises where they live with their owners.
The Temperament of Chiweenie
From their temperamental point of view, the Chihuahua is not friendly at all, but the Chiweenie is a very amicable and loving dog.
However, Chiweenie is not good with small children.
They need to socialize with other animals to get along with them easily.
Chiweenie is a stubborn streak, but they are fast learners as well.
Rather than physical discipline, you must provide positive reinforcement.
It is also necessary to remain consistent with your rules.
These pups love to play, and they are quite happy if they sit on your lap or feet.
They also like to stay close to their owners.
Health and Care of Chiweenie
Most of the conditions that Chihuahua and the Dachshund face also come in Chiweenie.
Apart from the predisposed to some of the same conditions, most of the Chiweenies are healthy.
Only a few of them suffer from health issues.
Some of the conditions found in Chiweenie include; hypoglycemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, degenerative disc disease, dental issues, allergies, and knee and joint issues.
The explanation for these health problems is explained below.
- Hypoglycemia: In this condition, the Chiweenie suffers from low blood sugar. This thing happens as their stomach is quite small.
- Diabetes: After hypoglycemia, the following condition that develops is diabetes. It is one condition that requires a long life treatment.
- Hypothyroidism: This condition means that your dog or puppy has an underactive thyroid. Thus, the veterinarian will prescribe treatment.
- Degenerative disc disease: It causes issues with the spine and leads to paralysis or injuries. Climbing and jumping exercises are not good for Chiweenie.
- Dental issues: A regular professional tooth cleaning is necessary for these small breeds. It is good to maintain oral hygiene as much as possible.
- Allergies: Any allergies can cause discomfort to Chiweenie. Whether it is a skin or seasonal allergy, you must take your dog to the veterinarian.
- Knee and joint issues: As the dog’s age, so they might face knee and joint issues. This problem is quite common among many breeds, so this also requires proper treatment.
To detect any health problems at their early stages, you should take your dog for regular dog veterinary checkups.
These vets will provide you with a proper care routine that will maintain the health of Chiweenie.
Chiweenie Care as a Pet
Below are the four important factors that dog owners must take care of for their dogs.
They are their grooming, diet, exercise, and training.
Grooming
Chiweenie is a low-maintenance dog, so they are easy to groom.
Maybe once or twice a week, you should brush their coat, as they rarely shed.
Trim the nails of your dog and clean their ears as they might have debris in them.
Brush their teeth daily to maintain their oral hygiene.
Coat lengths also correlate to how much grooming they need.
Bathing Chiweenie every month or two is good for them.
For dogs whose hairs are short, so you can brush them a few times a week.
On the contrary, for dogs whose hairs are long, then brushing your dog more regularly is much better for them.
Through brushing every day, one can avoid too many tangles.
Washing of the Chiweenie teeth daily is a necessity.
Diet
Chiweenies are small dogs, but they are prone to obesity, and this is because they have an incredible appetite.
It is not good for them if you allow them to free feed during the day.
It is crucial that if you are a dog owner, you should maintain a proper schedule and offer them a balanced diet.
Try to give them dry foods that are of high quality.
With a small stomach, they will eat twice a day.
Therefore, it is better to split a full meal of food into two portions if you offer your pup two full meals, which would be too much for these little dogs.
Exercise
All types of dogs need some exercise, but they don’t require that much physical activity in Chiweenies’s case.
However, they do require regular exercise, but they have enough energy to expend.
The size of the Chiweenie is small, but they are active and have a lot of energy.
You can take them for a walk for at least 30 minutes a day.
Outside in a park or backyard and inside the house or apartment, you can have intense play sessions with them if they run around the house with their toy and will be doing a 20-minute walk, so that is also enough for them.
Hence, in this way, your little pup will not get bored and remains physically healthy and active.
Training
No doubt that Chiweenies are great pets but training them is extremely challenging.
As these dogs are stubborn and headstrong, so they are difficult to train.
The owner needs a lot of patience and tolerance to train them properly.
Chiweenies are mostly sensitive and intelligent crossbreeds, so harsh training will not work in case of them.
All training sessions must be short and stimulating.
Consistency and continuity need to be the art of their training, as they will resist learning.
However, to keep them engaged and interested in the training sessions, you can have playtime with them or do fun activities.
Conclusion
A mix between Chihuahuas and Dachshunds, the Chiweenies are a breed of dogs that you should not mistake for their size as a reflection of their personality and temperaments.
These dogs are small in size, but they have the biggest characters with different traits.
For active urban dwellers, these adorable and amazing pups are great apartment dogs.
If you want an energetic and enthusiastic “firecracker” dog who loves you unconditionally and also alerts you of any potential dangers, then Chiweenies are the right choice for you.
They are the best for small families with older children.