Wondering how long do Chihuahua dog breed live for? Though on average the lifespan of Chihuahuas ranges from 10-20 years, there’s enough evidence that backs that excessively miniaturized dogs tend to have the worst health lifespan than any other dog breeds including mixed cross breeds which seem to bear the brunt of it.
Here’s a table which breaks down the lifespan of Chihuahua by their type:
| CHIHUAHUA DOG BREED TYPE | CHIHUAHUA LIFE EXPECTANCY | CHIHUAHUA HEALTH CONCERN |
| Teacup Chihuahuas: | 10-13 Years | Digestive system |
| Fawn Chihuahua Lifespan: | 10-13 Years | Cataracts, Digestive |
| Long Haired Chihuahua Lifespan: | 12-14 Years | Eye Problems |
| Apple Head Chihuahua Lifespan: | 14-16 Years | Luxating patella |
| Short Haired Chihuahua Lifespan: | 14-18 Years | Eye Issues |
| Deer head chihuahua lifespan: | 15-20 Years | Joints, Digestive |
| Average Chihuahua Life Expectancy: | 10-20 Years Lifespan | Eyes, Joints, Luxating patella, breathing |
Teacup Chihuahuas: Unlike their stand cousins, the majority of teacup Chihuahuas will live to a maximum of twelve years. By far, this is the possibly the shortest lifespan for any Chihuahua dog breed type.
Long Haired Chihuahua Lifespan: 12 -14 years is how long the long haired Chihuahuas live.
While other Chihuahua breed types aren’t generally as healthy as they should be, the long haired Chihuahua dog breed enjoys an average lifespan of 12-14 years. The one ailment to keep an eye on when you get a long haired Chihuahua puppy is pet dog deseases like Luxating patella, eye problems like cataracts and worms when they are puppies.
As long as you can detect any of these common deseases in Chihuahuas, your dog is most likely going to enjoy a long and happy lifespan. And, if you are considering owning a Chihuahua puppy, make sure that you schedule frequent routine checkups at your local Veterinanary practice near you.
Short Haired Chihuahua Lifespan: 14-18 years is the life expectancy of the short haired Chihuahua. And if you get a female short haired puppy, you should expect them to live much longer than male short haired Chihuahua. So, apart from living anywhere between 14 to 18 years, female Chihuahuas will live 1 to 2 years longer on average than males.
With the majority of popular dog breeds only living an averege of 15.5 years on averege, Chihuahuas live longer than the life span of most domesticated canines currently ranked at 12.8 years on averege.
Deer head chihuahua lifespan: 15-20 years is how long Deer head Chihuahuas live on average. Though Deer head Chihuahuas are inherrently fragile dog breed, they are the healthiest Chihuahua type and tend to enjoy a relatively long lifespan free from healthy issues that plague the majority of other regular sized dog breeds.
Apple Head Chihuahua Lifespan: 14-16 Years is the averege life expectancy for any Apple Head Chihuahua. Though 14 to 16 years life expectancy is comparatively longer than what Teacup Chihuahuas live, Apple head Chihuahuas have slightly fewer health concerns than the challenges most Deer Head Chihuahua pet owners tend to deal with.
Nonetheless, both the Apple Head Chihuahua and the Deer Head Chihuahua are more susceptible to common health issues like heart problems, patent ductus arteriosus and mitral valve disease.
Fawn Chihuahua Lifespan: 10 -13 years is how long Fawn Chihuahuas Life expectancy on averege. Though Fawn Chihuahuas are naturally tiny and frail in appearence, they are one of the healthiest lad dogs of all small toy dogs you can have. These dogs can live as long as 10 to 13 years from when they are puppies.
In retrospective, small dogs breeds like Fawn Chihuahuas tend to enjoy a much longer life expectancy than what you get with larger dog breeds on average. So, if you are looking a healthy and agile cuddly dog breed, I would recommend that you look at Chihuahua puppies as these dogs actually live as long as 15 to 20 years.
Compare that lifespan to medium and large dog breeds who tend to live fewer years than Chihuahuas (large and medium dogs live anywhere between 10 and 13 years on average).
What is the lifespan of the Chihuahua breed?
The Chihuahua dog breed has an average lifespan that ranges from 10 to 18 years, with a few reaching 20 years of age.
However, these dogs are susceptible to health issues such as Patellar Luxation, Hypoglycemia, Heart Murmurs and Pulmonic Stenosis (among others). With a proper diet and medical care, the Chihuahua can live a long, happy and fully healthy life.
Are you ready to welcome the Chihuahua breed into your home? Would it make a suitable pet for you and your family? In this post, we are going to explore the history, characteristics, health issues as well as the grooming required. So buckle up. Let’s start with the breed’s history.
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The History of Chihuahuas
The Chihuahua is said to have originated from Mexico, and most of its history is surrounded by many myths.
Some believed that the dog were spirit guides that protected souls as they traveled through the underworld. Those stories are pretty interesting. However, there hasn’t been any proof to support that theory.
Other experts say the Chihuahuas were among the first native dogs of the Americas, others that they were brought to the New World after the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
On the other hand, others believe the little dogs may have originated as miniaturized versions of pariah dogs, which existed a long time ago.
Regardless of which story you choose to believe, the breed actually takes its name from the state of Chihuahua, which is located in Mexico, where late-19th-century American tourists first encountered these dogs.
While the breed originated from Mexico, the Chihuahua we know and love today was actually developed by North American breeders. Today, the Chihuahua ranks in 13th place among the breeds registered by the American Kennel Club. It is also recognized by many other Kennel Clubs and registries around the world.
Size
The Chihuahua has a weight that ranges from 3 to about 6 pounds on average. According to records, some Chihuahuas can weigh less than this, but that will generally mean that they are not very healthy.
Besides that, some Chihuahuas can also be oversize, with a fraction reaching 12 pounds or more. These tend to be a lot healthier and they make excellent pets for families, especially when you have children in the house.
Personality
The Chihuahua has an amazing personality, yet one of the factors that makes this one of the most popular dog breeds out there. The dog’s bold and confident is often described as beings somewhat terrier-like.
Since he is very alert as well as very suspicious of strangers, the Chihuahua automatically makes an excellent watchdog. Though, you must know, the Chihuahua barks a quite a lot when he is alarmed, so be prepared to be woken up at night.
Another well-known characteristic about the Chihuahuas is that they often bond to a single person. Despite this personality, they are always open and willing to make friends with new people- that’s if they have been properly introduced to them. But, it is normal for them to be a little reserved at first, though.
Just like every other dog, Chihuahuas need to be socialized at a very early age. They have to be exposed to many different people, sights, sounds, as well as different experiences while they are still young. In time, your puppy grows up to become a well-rounded Chihuahua.
Health
Typically, the Chihuahua doesn’t have any major health problems. But, like all breeds, he can sometimes be born with a certain health condition, though this is unusual nowadays.
The following conditions may affect Chihuahuas:
- Patellar Luxation
- Hypoglycemia
- Heart Murmurs
- Pulmonic Stenosis
- Collapsed Trachea
- Hydrocephalus
- Open Fontanel
- Shivering
So not all Chihuahuas will get all of these diseases, but it’s important to be aware of them. Make sure you buy a Chihuahua or any other dog breed from a reputable breeder.
Buying from a responsible breeder will make sure that you get the healthiest Chihuahua possible.
As a plus, a puppy that you have bought from a reputable breeder will be vaccinated and dewormed before you can take him home.
Buying from unknown sources or untrusted breeders will increase the chances of owning a Chihuahua that has so many health problems.
Care and exercise requirements
Despite the fact that the Chihuahua is very small, it needs exercise and training, especially because he is an active dog by nature. The amount of energy in a Chihuahua can actually surprise you.
For the most time, he enjoys chasing squirrels in the backyard, and he will be willing to play with you all day. He also enjoys walks, romps around the yard, as well as retrieval games. While they like playing, make sure they don’t tire themselves out, especially on hot days. Oh and don’t let your dog sleep outside.
Training a Chihuahua can be an enjoyable task, especially because they are so much fun to train. Chihuahuas pick up commands very easily. They’re also sporty dogs as they are successful in several different dog sports such as agility and obedience.
When training your dog, always use positive reinforcement techniques such as food rewards, praise, and play. With such measures in place, he will learn at a very fast rate.
Also, your dog must be subjected to a lot of socialization when they are young. You can also enroll for trainings so you can train him in a class well there are a lot of other dogs too.
Once your Chihuahua is meeting many different dogs and people during this learning process, he’ll learn the manners that all dogs are supposed to should know.
Feeding
The recommended amount of food that your dog should take is 1/4 to 1/2 cups of high-quality dry food on a daily basis.
However, how much actually feed your adult dog depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and of course activity level.
That being said, young dogs and adults won’t eat the same quantity of food. They are just like us. You active dog will need more food that a regular couch potato dog.
Children and Other Pets
One of the most important characteristics that we look for in a dog are their ability to hand out with children and/or other pets in the home, or lack thereof.
As for Chihuahuas, there are certain conditions to the rule. While Chihuahuas love children, it can be a very bad idea to let the dog play with a very small child.
I hope you haven’t forgotten that this is a very active dog. A Chihuahua may leap from a child’s hands and injure himself, especially if he hasn’t been held correctly by the child.
This becomes a very big issue of concern, even to breeders. As such, most breeders won’t sell puppies to families that have young children for fear that the dog will be injured.
But that shouldn’t be a factor that should stop you from owning a Chihuahua. You can still get this dog and teach your kids on the best ways to interact with the dog. For instance, you can make it a rule that young children can only hold the Chihuahua if they’re sitting on the floor.
This way, you won’t be worries about the child dropping the tiny dog. Besides, you should supervise them too.
Also, the other thing you can teach your child is to never approach any dog while he’s sleeping or eating.
Conclusion
As a recap, the Chihuahua can live from 10 up to 18 years on average. For a sweet-natured and companion dog like this, the number of years are simply not enough though.
But, some dogs are known to have a lot of health issues as compared to others, and these usually die very early, which is even more depressing for us.
There are a couple of issues that can be pointed out here. First of all, make sure you purchase the dog from a reputable breeder, and even before you purchase the dog, make sure that the breeder produced this dog from healthy parents.
Pups mostly inherit their diseases from their parents. On a second note, make sure that you take the dog for regular checkups.
You can set up a monthly or quarterly visiting schedule. In this way, if any diseases are noticed in time, they will be treated before your dog’s condition gets worse. You should also check the dog yourself by inspecting its skin and ears during bath times.
