I believe that at some point in time, everyone should own a Chihuahua. Why? A lot of people ask me that when I say I want another one so let me explain why I think it’s a good idea. As you have read, I was a previous Chihuahua owner. Rest her little soul, my Brownie died 21 years ago at the age of 17. I had the pleasure of being her owner for 14 of her 17 years. She brought so much joy to my young life that she really left an impression on me even though she has been gone many years now. I just wanted to share those reasons to potentially influence someone else to want to own one.
First of all, I have to tell you that my Chihuahua was a gift to me from my Sister and Mother as a very young child. I was probably 4 or 5 years old I am guessing. And Brownie was not intended to be my gift to begin with. I was taken to pick out one of her puppies. There were two, maybe three as I recall. At any rate, I took one look at Brownie and I wasn’t interested in her silly little puppies at all anymore. She was a Miniature Mexican (teacup) Chihuahua. I remember thinking how she looked like a teeny, tiny little deer. She was so tiny; she had to have a c-section to deliver these pups. She had been bred to a longhaired Chihuahua and the pups had the long hair. Despite best efforts, I couldn’t be convinced to pick a puppy. I wanted the mama. And I got her! Oh, how happy was I? My Mom and Sister weren’t so happy but the goal was to please me and they did. (Haha) And yes, you could say I was definitely spoiled, big time.
Now I know these dogs get a bad wrap for being not so kid friendly. But from my own experience, I have to say that because I was a child when I owned her that was not at all the case. Any dog that will let you dress them in a baby sleeper and a bonnet and get carried around like a baby in my opinion is kid friendly. You could get her all excited and stirred up and she would run just as fast as her little 3 ½ inch legs would carry her. She’d run all through the house like her tail was on fire. Those comical little episodes brought a lot of laughter and joy to my childhood heart.
She was very, extremely protective of us girls in the house. You could play like you were going to run up on one of us or try to harm us and she would let on like she would eat you up. And all you would have to say is “settle down now, it’s ok” and she’d trot her little cocky self-right back to her resting place. And no one, I mean no one came around the house whatsoever that we didn’t know about it. She was harmless of course but she sounded vicious. My Mother really got comfort out of knowing she would let you know if something was amiss. My Father passed away when I was six and it was just Mom, my teen Brother and myself at home after that so she naturally had fears about our safety and that little brown dog helped ease that burden from her shoulders.
Now, even though this information is presented as a personal, somewhat slanted and biased view of the dogs and I’ve tried to interject humor into my story, I do have serious reasons why the Chihuahua really is a great little dog. To sum it up, as like any dog in my opinion, they react as they are treated. I truly feel if you own one and treat it with love and care, you will not have any qualms over their behavior and they way they react to adults or children. As far as a child or an older adult goes, I feel they are a wonderful source of company, friendship and comfort. They are known to be protective of their owners, which my Brownie definitely exhibited, and the fact that they do have keen senses allows them the ability to alert you of unsuspected vehicles or people (and sometimes other dogs and cats and maybe a big bird or two) in their presence.
Plus they are or can be very small depending on the breed you pick. And they don’t eat much. My dog was lucky to get over 3 pounds and when she was, she usually had a half can of Mighty Dog in her belly or she’d had a leftover chicken treat and maybe some popcorn. They do get cold so in the winter trips outside really don’t last all that long. They like to do what they went out for and get right back inside. Living in Ohio, I always considered that a plus. (Haha) another good thing to point out is that they are very easily transported in a large handbag or small tote. We once took Brownie on vacation with us to Fort Dell, Wisconsin. While walking through the theme park she was perfectly content to ride in Mom’s purse with only her little head sticking out of the drawstring handles on it. When she would bark for whatever reason, people would look around and wonder where that was coming from. Got a lot of laughs when they found out too.
Plus, as was my case again, my dog lived to be a ripe old age really. So as far as life expectancy, I could recommend them to be a dog you just may well have around for a while. Now I can’t say losing one doesn’t hurt any less than any other type of dog. The day my Brownie died was a sad, sad day for us all. But just as with our human loved ones, sometimes we have to know when to let go and let them finally rest in peace. She had lived a wonderful life and provided our family with hours of non-stop entertainment, happiness and companionship. And she was loved and well cared for during her time with us and for that I have no regrets.
So, if you are considering a new dog, keep a Chihuahua in mind. Unfortunately, I probably will never own another as my husband says that if one more animal is brought into this house, he is leaving it. (Haha) And the loss of our last dog was just about unbearable. Sandy was his favorite but Sandy is another story! For more information on Chihuahua’s in general, please visit the link provided.
