Adopt Chihuahua Shelter Dogs

Deciding to adopt a Chihuahua changes two lives: yours and that of a dog waiting for its second chance. With a shoulder height of 18–23 cm and a weight of just 1–3 kg, this companion dog, which originally comes from Mexico, may look tiny, but it has an astonishingly big personality. When you look for a Chihuahua at a shelter, you'll meet charming, graceful and sometimes wonderfully cheeky dogs with a life expectancy of 14 to 17 years.

When a Chihuahua is given up to a shelter, it's rarely because of the dog itself – usually it's down to changed circumstances or the wrong expectations from the start. Because of its small size and fairly low energy level (2 out of 5), it's often misunderstood as a pure lapdog. But a Chihuahua is brave and self-assured, and in everyday life it quickly forgets how small it really is. If it doesn't shy away from standing up to much bigger dogs, or it's rather reserved with other dogs and small children, owners without clear training sometimes struggle to cope.

Then there's its enormous loyalty: Chihuahuas form an extremely close bond with their person. If that person can no longer care for them because of illness, separation or a move, the dogs lose their familiar surroundings. The long life expectancy is also sometimes underestimated when life plans change over a decade and a half.

When you take in a Chihuahua from a shelter, you often get a surprise package with its own history. Precisely because this breed bonds so strongly with one person, many dogs grieve deeply at first in the shelter, or react defensively out of insecurity. Give your dog time to build trust – once you've won its heart, it won't leave your side.

Take a close look at health, too. Because of their very small size and breed-typical head shape, Chihuahuas carry specific risks affecting breathing, knees, eyes and heart. The breed's known issues include, above all, patellar luxation (a kneecap that slips out of place), heart diseases such as mitral valve disease (endocardiosis) or a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and neurological problems such as hydrocephalus (water on the brain), Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM). Eye diseases such as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), corneal dystrophy, primary open-angle glaucoma and generalized progressive retinal atrophy also occur. Dogs with dilute colors such as blue are also at risk of color dilution alopecia (blue dog syndrome).

A health-focused breeder lowers the risk of such diseases by having the parents' knees, hearts and eyes examined clinically, selecting for a healthy skull shape and open airways, and strictly avoiding extreme miniaturization – but some shelter dogs come from puppy-mill litters, where this kind of prevention is missing entirely. At the shelter, vaccinations, a microchip and a veterinary check on arrival are usually covered; still, always ask to see the paperwork.

Adoption costs compared with buying from a breeder

Financially, adopting is very different from buying a puppy. While a Chihuahua puppy from a breeder costs between 1,000 and 2,500 EUR, the adoption fee at a shelter is usually a fraction of that. Ideally, set the money you save aside straight away as a cushion for possible vet bills and good-quality basics. Short-coated or long-coated, grooming (2 out of 5) is manageable – but a soft, made-to-measure harness, an orthopedic bed and warm coats for winter are absolute essentials.