The CHIHUAHUA is the world’s smallest dog and the ultimate apartment dog.  It probably originated in Mexico.  The long-haired variety was developed later on in the United States.  The Chihuahua is the perfect dog for older people or those living in small apartments.  It hates the cold and the damp, and therefore does not have to be taken outside much.  But it is desperately unhappy if it is left out of any activity.  The Chihuahua has a spot on the back of its head where the bones of the skull are not entirely fused; this fontanel always has to be protected – a blow to it could kill the dog.

 A Chihuahua needs close contact with its people and loves everybody it knows.  It tends to have delusions of grandeur and is a noisy, furious watchdog.  It also approaches other dogs with the self-confidence of a Newfoundland.  Because of this, it has to be watched closely since it would not have a chance if it really got into a fight.  The Chihuahua is sometimes given to fits of temper and can be a fussy eater.  If it is overprotected and babied too much, it will often become timid and insecure and snap at people – better to leave it to its illusions of being a Newfoundland!  All in all, the Chihuahua is a little tyrant that turns its owners into its slaves.  But that is exactly its purpose in life: to exist purely and solely to be loved and spoiled.