Rescue Chihuahuas

I have a 5 year old, 7 lb, short-haired Chihuahua. He is purebred. He was rescued from a hoarder about a year and a half ago, but he has really come out of his shell in that time. He was initially terrified (he peed on my bed when my mom came into the room), but he has become very confident with my parents and I. He is still adjusting to my two sisters. We fostered him for two months, then decided to adopt him. When I am home from college, he will now cry to be put on my bed (for the record, he CAN jump up there, he just likes to be babied), and glue himself to me. He crawls all over me and licks my face. At night, he crawls under the covers and snuggles up into my stomach. He follows me all over the house, like a little shadow. He's adorable.

I want to remind everyone that Chihuahuas may be tiny, but they're still dogs. They require work (admittedly, not nearly as much as larger dogs, when properly managed) and they need potty breaks just like any other dog. They can be very difficult to housebreak, because their bladders are so small. And they DO bite. (They're so little, they can't seriously injure anyone, fortunately.) Chihuahuas make wonderful pets, but only in the right situation. We adore our Chis, and are absolutely in love with the breed. My mom has decided that there will never again be a day when she does NOT have a Chihuahua in her house.

Please, please, please think before you bring home a Chihuahua. They are amazing little dogs, but they are NOT suitable for families with children, and they do not adjust well to being "given away." Labs love their owners and want to stay with them, but most of them will adjust to a new home relatively easily. Chihuahuas do NOT. They can live 15 years or more, and you must be committed to providing a home for that entire time. Dogs are not something to be tossed out the door when you move, have a baby, or get a new boyfriend/girlfriend (or get married). Please DO YOUR RESEARCH before you bring home any dog. Too many dogs, Chihuahuas and otherwise, end up in shelters because their families did not realize what they were getting into. Nearly 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters every year, and less than half get out alive. They are not "bad" pets, they are unwanted litters, puppies that peed on the carpet, pets whose families moved/married/had kids, dogs that barked at the neighbor one too many times, kittens that scratched the furniture once or twice. Don't get your next pet at a pet store or backyard breeder. (Google "puppy mills" on images and see why you should NEVER buy from a pet store. Pet stores buy from puppy mills - that's what "USDA certified breeders" really means.) ADOPT from a shelter or rescue, or buy your pet from a responsible breeder - one that health tested its parents (Chis are prone to several health problems) and that guarantees they will take your pet back if you ever cannot keep it. Rescued Chihuahuas make amazing pets. Most of them are so upset that their previous family left them that they bond even more closely with their new family. They will LOVE you in ways a puppy can't. We have dogs we have had from puppyhood, and dogs we adopted as adults. The ones we adopted as adults are definitely more attached.