long haired vs. short haired chihuahuas: which is right for you?

There are two recognized chihuahua breeds according to akc chihuahua breed standards, long haired and short haired. Otherwise known as long coat and smooth coat chihuahua. Genetically they both are of the same breed, but the main difference is their coat. The long haired obviously has a longer coat of hair that is of a smooth silky like texture and sometimes fluffy looking. The short haired chihuahua commonly known as smooth coat, has a shorter coat of hair which is not that smooth. The hair is fine and needle like.

The coat of a long haired and smooth coat chihuahua is generally opposite of what they sound. This is a mistake most people make when choosing which chihuahua to take home. Long haired chihuahuas are smoother to touch and actually shed less hair than their shorter haired counterparts. They will need brushing, around yearly trimming and grooming, but surprisingly a short haired chihuahua will require more brushing and regular grooming.

There are a few things to consider before you choose which chihuahua is right for you. The first would be what sort of yard or garden do you have, if any? A long coat will pick up prickles and dried grass seeds in their coat which can be a real hassle brushing out all the time. Do you feel like cleaning your clothes and furniture often when your smooth coat chihuahua sheds hair all over them? Do you want to brush your chihuahua once a day or once a month? These things may not be of that much importance to you, but to some people they are. At the end of the day, they are both the same breed and either one will make a great companion.

A chihuahua is a highly intelligent breed and will need the correct and consistent training. A chihuahua without training is likely to develop unwanted behavior problems. These behavior problems are very hard to eliminate once developed and include things like excessive chihuahua barking, biting and nipping, bad potty training habits and general disobedience.

When chihuahua training, always try to start at an early age. The best time to start your chihuahua training is when they are 7 to 10 weeks old. Your chihuahua’s brain is in its developing and learning stage at this time and will be at a peak for around a 10 week period. with this said, older chihuahua dogs can always learn new tricks, it just takes longer. Remember when training your chihuahua that consistency is the key and patience is a virtue. Your chihuahua will learn with or without your guidance so start your training routine today.

this article was contributed and written by paul hutton, proud chihuahua owner and editor of the chihuahua training site.

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