Love And Care For The Chihuahua

The Chihuahua is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world and that is not surprising at all. Not only are these dogs the tiniest of all breeds, they are the oldest as well. According to the American Kennel Club these dogs have been around from the time of the Aztecs. You will find these dogs to be very attractive growing no taller than nine inches and weighing a mere three to six pounds. They have a sweet small face with a sharp muzzle and large fox-type pointed ears. Their eyes are large and quietly intelligent.

The Chihuahua coat comes in two varieties – one is short and straight and another is long and fluffy. Grooming your Chihuahua mostly involves brushing and bathing which needs to be done at regular intervals every two to three months. You will also need to pay attention to its eyes, which tend to water creating tear signs on the face, and its nails that need regular clipping Besides washing its coat, grooming your Chihuahua would involve de-matting its fur, clipping nails, checking ears and paws, wiping and inspecting eyes for infection and checking for injuries. You would do best to allot a day every week for grooming your Chihuahua and on each of those days you could concentrate on one particular aspect of grooming besides combing the fur.You would also need to have a special grooming box – something like a first aid box – with the following implements: rubber slicker, a quiet blow drier, a soft bristle brush, nail clippers, cotton balls, saline solution, grooming glove, medium toothed comb, dog shampoo and soap, betadine ointment and scrub and a pair of scissors. You will find all these items available at pet shops or a vet clinic. Ensure that you know how to use all of these implements before you try them out on the dog. Leave nail clipping to the vet if you are not comfortable with it.

The most common method of grooming your Chihuahua is bathing. Though this dog is very small and giving it a bath hardly involves any major effort, very few people really know how to perform this task optimally. Do you know how to bath your pet? Before you proceed with the bath you need to gather a few things that you will need during the bath – balls of cotton, medium sized comb, a large towel and a quiet, gentle hair drier. Before you wet the dog, comb the fur and remove all the matted hair. Then, take the cotton balls and put them into the ears of the dog. This will stop water entering and prevent ear infections. Use only dog soap and dog shampoo for bathing your pet. Lastly, dry the dog with the towel and gently blow-dry the fur.

Follow these tips to grooming your Chihuahua and you will have a wonderful, happy and clean pet in the house.

---

Image: Lady, Angelica and Snickers. Official treat testers of Pampered Paw Gifts.com

About the Author: Sandra Dean is a veteran breeder who has studied in depth about the behavior and care of the Chihuahua breed. Chihuahua grooming need not be too tough if you follow a regular schedule followed by treats which will be an incentive to good behavior during the process. This article offers you some very critical Chihuahua grooming tips which will ensure that your pet is well taken care of with minimal effort.