How big will your chihuahua be when it grows up? At what age do Chihuahua puppies stop growing? For all these questions, the owner of a dog of this breed should know the answer.
Features
The smallest litter puppy can surpass its own littermates in size by the time all puppies are one year old. And there is no difference, it's a boy or a girl. All puppies grow almost the same.
The best method to determine how big a chihuahua will be is to look at the pedigree. This will be considered its standard. Size along with other physical traits is hereditary.
Genetics transmitted from parents will undoubtedly affect the size of the Chihuahua; although looking back at 3 generations, you get the best idea of the future size of your puppy.
How fast do they grow?
Newborn puppies most actively grow in the first 30 days of their lives, while they double in size in about a few days.
During the first 12 months, Chihuahua puppies grow to about full size. Nevertheless, there will be times when puppies will start to grow rapidly in weight. It is recommended to check the increase in this indicator once every 30 days. If your Chihuahua is not gaining weight, stopped growing and does not become neither longer nor taller within four weeks, it is recommended to visit a veterinarian who will carefully examine your animal.
Starting from 12–18 months, this breed ends up growing and acquires its full height and size. Although chihuahuas can officially be considered adults when they reach a year, in the last few months of growth they often become larger in width.
Newborn puppies of Chihuahua breed are quite large. They have excess fat, but it is necessary to provide the body with heat and energy, there is no need to worry about excess weight. Puppies are very energetic, problems with the thyroid gland or some other diseases that can affect the accumulation of excess weight, they are very rare.
In the first 12 months, just as in the first six months, the puppy's body will be pulled out. The chihuahua will be pulled out before the puppy becomes an adult. Over the years, chihuahuas will look sleeker and slimmer. There will be a gradual weight loss in the sides as the fat layer is depleted.
Although puppies in adolescence, like adults, are rarely overweight, health problems that can prevent dogs from remaining active can lead to an unhealthy weight gain. Reducing exercise, consuming the same amount of calories, of course, will lead to an increase in body fat.
How to evaluate whether growth is normal in a chihuahua?
The size of an adult Chihuahua depends on various factors:
- dog activity;
- getting nutrition;
- heredity.
Newborn puppies usually weigh from 0.07 to 0.18 kg. Babies who eat mother's milk in the first weeks of life get better nutrition, so they will grow faster. A healthy diet after weaning a puppy from a mother can also affect growth.
Puppies that do not receive enough food or receive poor quality nutrition may be less than normal.
Overfeeding, in turn, can lead to obesity of your dog.
Medical conditions can also affect growth. Chihuahuas who get sick in the first few weeks of life are usually smaller.
Adult breeds have a body weight of 1.3 to 2.7 kg. There are dogs that weigh less, but they are usually not very healthy.
With regard to the growth of an adult Chihuahua, on average, dogs grow to 15–23 cm in height.
Breed features
The length of the dog's body more than the height. This little animal tail is always above his back.
The head is the most distinctive feature of this breed. The rounded skull is similar in shape to an apple. Eyes bulging and round. The ears of this dog are quite large and always remain upright. The neck is moderately short, the muzzle is slightly elongated.
Traits
Chihuahua is one of the pocket breeds of dogs. By their nature, they are very friendly and cheerful, so they are excellent for living in families with children. They are quite strong and even look like terriers in terms of temperament - they are full of confidence. Of course, each dog is individual, but in general they are beautiful and even amazing animals.
Learnability
Training seems to be one of the weak points of the Chihuahua. This does not mean that they are not smart enough to learn. With all this, these animals are driven by strong territorial instincts. Therefore, the dog will definitely protect the area near the house and will mark its borders.
Chihuahuas really learn obedience well and can learn to consistently execute commands. This can actually help with learning problems faced by many owners. Agility training also attracts their thinking.
How to care?
It is quite simple to care for such a pet. Breed is of two types: smooth-haired and long-haired. Smooth-haired dogs can be easily bathed and dried. For dogs with long hair is not enough: besides bathing and drying, they are required to be combed. You can bathe dogs once a week.
In this breed, it is necessary to regularly check the nails and ears, since they do not spend much time on the run, like other breeds, without having the opportunity to whack off the claws in a natural way. Ears should be cleaned several times a month with a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of alcohol.
Weight gain tracking
Such a small breed of dogs like chihuahua develops and matures faster than dogs of large breeds.. Puppies weighing 85 grams at birth will be about 1.36 kg at 18 months. A newborn chihuahua weighing 140 grams upon reaching 18 months will weigh 2.5 kg.
Each week, newborn puppies will recover by 30–60 grams, it will last about 8–10 weeks. Then weight gain per week increase by 60 grams or more, this will be up to 18 months. Puppies can add weight "jerks."
It is necessary to monitor the average weekly weight gain, until the dog reaches the full 18 months. Puppies that were larger at birth, as a rule, will gain more weight each week than smaller puppies.
Healthy puppies can gradually gain weight until they reach 90 percent of their intended weight in a developed adult age. Weight gain slows down between 4 and 6 months, with small spikes in growth. The final weight of an adult individual will depend not only on genetics, but also on diet.
Feeding
A Chihuahua puppy should be fed following the instructions on the dog food packaging. The size of the portion will depend on the protein content of the food and whether the food is dry or not. When the chihuahua's growth slows down, you need to adjust the amount of food in order to switch to adult feeding.
For chihuahua health, it is important to avoid overeating and obesity.
Individuality in growth
It is important to monitor the body weight and behavior of each Chihuahua puppy.A very active puppy can be thin, so he will need extra calories. Considering the weight gain of your puppy is considered useful, so you can follow the successive weight gain.
Weight loss or an unexpected increase in it may be cause for concern. Consult a veterinarian for professional advice.
On the peculiarities of the Chihuahua breed and some interesting facts, see the following video.
