Chihuahua Pitbull mixed dogs are a rare crossbreed between the American Pitbull Terrier and the chihuahua. It is a medium-sized dog and it has a lot of names; some call it the Pithuahua and others call it the chipit.
The Chihuahua cross-breed with Pitbull has a life span of about 10 to 13 years and it is known for its agile nature. The chipit has a lively character and it is very loyal to the family members. The dog is also very hyper and known as an attention seeker. The dog requires to be trained, socialized, and requires patience when doing all this.
Chihuahua Mixed with Pitbull highlights at a glance.
Other names: chipit, Pithuahua
Average height: 15 to 20 inches
Average weight: 15 to 35 pounds
Average size: medium sized
Breed type: crossbreed
Major health concerns: patellar luxation, open fontanel, heart problems, collapsed trachea, hip dysplasia, allergies, hypothyroidism, shivering
Coat type: short to long (differs) smooth and glossy
Coat colors: white, black, tan and brown
Grooming needs: moderate
Safe for children: excellent
Shedding: low
Brushing Requirements: minimal (at least two times a week)
Good with other dogs: moderately (early socialization needed.
Sensitive to touch: very sensitive
Barking: minimal
Good pet: very good pet
Suitable for first time dog owner: yes
Suitable for apartment: yes
Training: moderate
Good with other pets: yes (with early socialization)
A tendency to gain weight: moderate weight gaining
Average lifespan: 10 to 13 years
Hypoallergenic: no
Good tolerance to heat and cold: great tolerance to heat, low tolerance to cold
Tolerance to isolation: no
A wanderer or roamer: moderately
Average yearly medical expenditure: $460 to $575
Average yearly non-medical expenditure: $400 to $675
Breeding History Of The Chihuahua Pitbull mixed Dog Breed
The chipit is a result of the crossbreed between the chihuahua and the Pitbull mix. The dog has a lively nature and it is very hyper. To know more about its background, we look at the breeding history of the parent breeds.
The American Pitbull terrier
This amazing dog breed has been around since the 1800s, it was originally bred in England and its purpose was to use it in bull and bear-baiting.
This breed is popular for being aggressive. It also has a fierce nature and it is very powerful. The breed can also be unfriendly towards other dogs and pets but with early socialization, this can be solved.
Back in the day, the dogs would also be used for guarding, hunting and they were very good companions. The American Pitbull terrier also has a very strong and confident personality.
The dog is also very loving and requires attention. The American Pitbull terrier then accepted by the united kennel club in 1898 but it has not been recognized by the American kennel club.
The chihuahua
The Chihuahua has been around since the 1850s, although its origins are not very well known the dog is said to have come from a state in Mexico called Chihuahua.
It was given the name of the city that it was found in. The Americans who visited the state back then fell in love with the dog and brought him to America. The small size of the dog is what made them fall in love with him.
The Chihuahua has a confident personality and it is very alert. The dog is also sensitive. It has the tendency of becoming fond of one person in the household. Early socialization is also very essential for the chihuahua.
Appearance
The Pitbull chihuahua is a medium-sized dog. The chipit has a height of about 2 to 18 inches and it weighs about 15 to 45 pounds.
Since it is a designer breed, the Chipit can have the looks of one of the parents or have a mixture of both of the parents.
Generally, the dog has a body that is broad and muscular. It has a neck that is usually short. It also has ears which are short and a tail that is long.
The feet are usually small and the muzzles are thin.
The breed has a coat that is short to long. The coat also has a glossy to smooth texture and can come in various colors such as black, white, brown or tan.
The female Chipit mostly has a height of 12 to 16 inches and a weight of 6kg to 13 kg. The males on the other hand have a height of around 14 to 18 inches and a weight of 9 to 15 kg.
The Pitbull chihuahua mix temperament
The chipit is a very loyal dog. This dog has the tendency of having a strong bond with one person in the family. It also lobes to spend most of its time with this person in the family. The dogs voice is quite high pitched.
The dog can sometimes be a little too defensive.
The chipit is also very affectionate especially towards the family members and it loves to be around them, it takes this from its chihuahua parent.
The chipit is also a dog that likes attention and therefore needs you to give it attention and involve it in most of the family activities. The dog also has a very affectionate and will not have a problem with staying in your lap.
The chihuahua does not bark excessively but when strangers and intruders come towards your house it will bark. The dog is also very enthusiastic and it loves to have a lifestyle that us very active.
The dog is very smart and can easily be trained. With its smart nature and the dog can be taught some tricks. These will not be the qualities of all the Chipit’s and this is because it can inherit the characteristics from either of the parents and therefore knowing more about the parent breeds is very helpful. The dog also needs to be trained properly and this can help in shaping them with good habits.
The Pitbull chihuahua is also a good dog that is suitable for these people who like to spend time outdoors, it is also great for the family that has kids that love to play around with dogs. The Chipit will also need a lot of exercises.
Because of the Pitbull terrier characteristic that associates it with being aggressive, with proper training and socialization your Pitbull Chihuahua can ward off these characteristics if they were inherited by any chance.
Living conditions
The Chipit is a very active, hyper, and energetic dog. It is also very enthusiastic. The dog has a moderate tolerance to hot conditions. The dog’s tolerance to cold weather conditions is not that good. The dog does not like to be left alone for many hours and hence it does not tolerate well to isolation.
The dog is also very suitable for apartment conditions and it adapts very well to apartment living conditions. Nonetheless, this dog breed require time to play outside, you will still need to give your dog a lot of playtime outside.
The chipit can also do very well in households that are spacious and have backyards where it can play around. It can also be a great dog for those people who are owning a dog for the first time but experience training can be good for him.
Feeding
The chihuahua Pitbull mix is a medium-sized dog. The diet that is given to this dog is that of a dog that is medium in size. The dog should be given at least one and half to two and half cups of dry dog food. These should be divided into two meals each day. This is because of their size.
You can also add more of the food to the dog. You should always be sure to remember not to overfeed you do because this may make your dog to gain more weight and can lead to obesity.
You should also make sure that the food that is being given to your dog is that of high quality. The Chipit is a dog that loves canned food. Giving the dog kibble food helps to remove the accumulation of bacteria around your dog’s teeth.
It also helps to remove plaque from the dog’s teeth. This is because this helps to clean the teeth and reduces all the chances of developing teeth diseases.
You should also ensure that your dog is given fresh water every day and multiple times a day. This will help to keep your dog hydrated and healthy. This is a must especially when you give your dog dry food because it helps in digesting the food.
You should also remember that the diet of your food changes when it grows, and it will not always be the same. To know more about the kind and the amount of food that you give tour dog, you can ask the veterinarian or go to a nutritionist, this is because the amount of food and the type of food that you give to your food can be determined by a lot of factors such as the health conditions, the size and many more.
Behavior with other animals and children
The chihuahua Pitbull mix is very excellent when it comes to children. It is very friendly with children of all ages. The dog is also a very food family dog and it can socialize very well with children. No matter how friendly the dog may be, it is still very important to always supervise when it is playing with toddlers.
When the dog has been socialized early and trained properly it can get along with all the other pets and dogs in your household. It will also get along well with other dogs outside the household.
You should always remember to exercise caution especially if your dog has not been properly socialized or when it is not very used to spending time with other animals.
The chihuahua Pitbull mix is not aggressive even though the parent breed has a reputation for being aggressive.
The Chihuahua Pitbull can also inherit a prey drive characteristic from the Chihuahua parent. This characteristic can make the dog to start looking at the other dogs which are smaller as prey.
Training requirements
The Chihuahua Pitbull mix is a dog that is very intelligent. This is because its parents are very intelligent dogs. Due to its intelligence, the training requirements are quite low because it is very easy to train.
When training the chihuahua Pitbull mix, you should use positive reinforcement. It is also very essential to be consistent when you train the dog because this helps in ensuring that the dog can be able to practice all the things that he has been taught.
When it comes to the chihuahua, it is very important that it is socialized very early because this also helps in training it. This is because early socialization helps to ward off ye bad behaviors and it prevents behavioral complications as the dog grows up.
You can also use reward-based training technique when training your dog, you can do this by giving your dog treats when he does something correctly, but always remember not to give him too much of the treats.
You should also make sure that the training sessions are light and that they are interesting to your dog.
Training should start when the dog is very young so that it can easily learn and do the things that you are teaching him. You can also use dog toys when training him. Training him early also helps to prevent your dog from becoming dominant.
The chihuahua can also be stubborn sometimes and can sometimes make the training to appear a little more challenging. Therefore because of this, Chihuahua can give trouble for first-time owners.
Including mental stimulation in the training is also very important and this helps to ensure that the dogs are out of trouble.
Exercise needs
The Chipit is highly energetic and hyper. Exercising is required every day for the Chipit. The dog should be exercised for at least 60 minutes every single day.
Exercising the dog is very easy. You can take the dog for long runs every day. You can also take it on trips or simply play with it. You can also take your dog to the park at least once a week so that he can socialize with the other dogs. The dog is also prone to obesity therefore exercises are very helpful.
The dog is very active and it does well with the owners that are also very active. The Chihuahua Pitbull also have a lot of energy and exercises helps to release energy. Exercising the dog helps to keep it healthy and fit. It also helps in preventing the dogs from developing behaviors such as barking or chewing because of boredom.
You should also practice leashing because during exercises the dogs can get too excited and pull out.
Grooming requirements
The type of coat that Chipit has varied from short to long, not all the Chipit’s have the same coat. Therefore because of this the grooming needs of these dogs will not be the same.
For the Chipit’s that have a coat that is shorter, grooming will be very easy. It will also be very easy to brush them and you can easily do this at home even when you are not a professional. These will also require low maintenance.
These kinds of Chipit’s can also be very good for those people that do not have a lot of time to groom the dogs. You can brush the coats for up to 15 minutes at least three times a day.
For the Chipit’s that have a longer coat, the grooming might be a little hard and you may need to do that almost every two months. When it comes to shedding, that also differs, but generally, they shed between low to medium.
The Chipit should only be given a bath when it needs to be bathed. You can give your dog a bath at least after every two months, bathing it regularly can make it lose its natural oils on the skin and can make the skin to become dry.
The dog’s teeth should also be brushed on a weekly basis, you can brush them at least four times. The Chipit’s also have weak teeth therefore brushing will also help to prevent dental problems. The nails should also be clipped when they get long. Inspecting the ears should also be done and they should be cleaned.
Health issues
The chihuahua Pitbull mix inherits most of the problems from its parents. Therefore, it is imperative that you do a genetic background on its parent breeds. You should also take the puppy to the veterinarian for checkups regularly. Some of the health concerns that the chihuahua Pitbull mix can face are:
- Patellar luxation
- Hypothyroidism
- Open fontanel
- Heart problems
- Collapsed trachea
- Hip dysplasia
- Skin allergies
- Asthma
- Shivering
- Pregnancy complications
Conclusion
The chihuahua Pitbull mix is a cross between the chihuahua and the American Pitbull terrier. pretty much like the German Shepherd Pitbull mix, this breed is known for its hyper, active and intelligent characteristics. The dog is extremely intelligent and has a good life span of up to 3 years. It goes by the names Pithuahua and chipit. The dog requires a lot of exercise and can adapt well to apartment living conditions.
