The Teacup Chihuahua

In my endeavor to emulate Paris Hilton's use of her teacup Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, as a fashion accessory, I have taken to hauling around my 20 pound "terrier mix" Pinkus. Somehow "terrier mix" and 20 pounds cannot compete with teacup Chihuahua and two or three pounds. Should I get a teacup Chihuahua?

For starters, the American Kennel Club does not recognize the teapot Chihuahua as a sub breed of the Chihuahua. They claim that the teapot Chihuahua is just a small Chihuahua. Nor is there any such thing as a toy Chihuahua separate from a regular Chihuahua. The AKC classifies the regular old Chihuahua as a toy dog already. The only sub breeds the AKC recognizes are long coat or smooth coat.

That settled there seem to be many breeders who will sell you the non-existent teacup Chihuahua. These dogs range in weight from one and one half pounds to 6 pounds and the smaller the more expensive. Teacup Chihuahuas start at around $400 and go up to as high as $12,875 for a unique coat or a dog in Tinderbell's line. Competing with Paris Hilton is beginning to look very expensive and Pinkus is beginning to look allot better than a teacup Chihuahua. But my curiosity has been piqued.

The Chihuahua has the distinction of being the oldest breed in the Americas coming to Mexico, probably through China. It is found in the artifacts of the Aztec and the Mayan peoples. It also has the distinction of being the smallest dog in the world.

Some people dislike the Chihuahua, claiming that it is a yappy, biting little pest. The Chihuahua must be socialized early and often to prevent these behaviors. It also needs to be trained. It is not the easiest of dogs to housebreak, but it can be housebroken to go indoors on newspaper, which might be handy if you live in a New York high-rise. I'm planning to do that once I get my Paris Hilton act down.

The Chihuahua and especially the teacup Chihuahua have some special health problems. Many dogs are born with an unclosed section of the skull and special care needs to be taken with them until the skull grows over that part of the brain. The Chihuahua is also prone to seizure disorders and may have to take special medication. These dogs can also get water on the brain and the prognosis for this is grim. Because their eyes bug out, Chihuahuas are at special risk for eye infections.

I think I would enjoy a teacup Chihuahua. They are cute, intelligent, and very loyal to their owners. But I'm not quite ready to give up Pinkus for a teacup Chihuahua.