Some say it started with the Taco Bell dog. A five hundred
million dollar ad campaign featured a talking Chihuahua which
continually repeated the slogan, “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” which is
Spanish for “I want Taco Bell.” Then came the Legally Blond films
and the unstoppable Bruiser. The topping on the cake was when
Paris Hilton appeared on the cover of Seventeen magazine and
later tried living The Simple Life on Fox TV with Tinkerbell, her
pet Chihuahua. Celebrities have discovered what many pet owners
already knew: Chihuahuas are the best dogs to own and care for.
In the process, they’ve set off a Chihuahua Craze that is
reaching towering proportions.
When most people think of Celebrities and their toy dogs,
Yorkshire Terriers, Toy Poodles, Pekinese, Lhasas and Shih Tzus
usually come to mind. That’s because famous folks like Audrey
Hepburn, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mia Farrow were regularly photographed
with their beloved pets. In Audrey‘s case, it was a Yorkie. In
her early days of fame, Mia Farrow was rarely seen out in public
without her Lhasa. Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor loved to walk through
the hot spots of Beverly Hills and be photographed with a
multitude of Toy Poodles, Pekinese and Shih Tzus. But times have
changed!
The always innovative Madonna may have set the standard for
change not long ago when she sported her beloved Chihuahua,
Chiquita, for a press photo op. Noah Wyle, one of the hot stars
of ER, was recently photographed with his Chihuahua while on
holiday. Jennifer Lopez has also joined the exclusive club of
famous Chihuahua owners. Younger celebrities like Britney Spears,
Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon and
members of Simple Plan have found themselves attracted to these
fabulous canines and brought a huge amount of attention to them.
Chihuahuas make great pets because they are very low maintenance,
the world’s smallest dogs and longest lived breed. Celebs love
the fact that Chihuahuas prefer the company of humans more then
they enjoy being with other animals and can easily accompany
their owners everywhere. Chihuahuas love to be held or carried
around in their very own shoulder bag and that makes them
especially attractive to busy celebrities and people who are
always on the move.
Unlike most toy dog breeds, the Chihuahua is not a created one.
The first widespread mention of Chihuahuas occurred during the
mid to late 1800's in weekly or monthly tabloids that specialized
in tales of the American West. Highly fictionalized accounts of
the small dogs spread by these publications claimed they were
actually a mix of rodent and canine or had been magically created
by Medicine Men. In reality, Chihuahuas were first noticed along
the Arizona-Mexico border by settlers, ranchers and those passing
through. This lead to the animals becoming originally-known as
Arizona Dogs. Once it began obvious that these cute little dogs
were actually coming out of the Chihuahua region of Mexico where
they had been discovered in the early 1800's, the regional name
stuck.
For the first time ever this past year, Chihuahuas have made the
top ten list of most registered or licensed dogs in many areas of
the USA. There can be no doubt that part of their popularity
comes from the media exposure the breed has received and the fact
that big-name celebrities are favoring the breed. But it also has
to do with the fact that Chihuahuas are small, very easy to care
for and live a long time.
Most Chihuahuas eat dry dog food and feed once every couple of
hours or as their hunger moves them. A small, full bowl of dry
food and dish of water easily gets them through an entire day.
Chihuahuas are known for being healthy, hearty dogs that do well
in virtually any situation. They can easily deal with
temperatures of forty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets
a bit too chilly, doggie clothes solve the problem. When it gets
too hot, Chihuahuas are always happy to enjoy their owner’s air
conditioning. Most have few health issues and live from fifteen
to nineteen years of age, with an average lifespan of sixteen
years.
Those wanting to breed Chihuahuas are often surprised to find
that they can give birth up to twice a year, normally have from
one to five puppies and take just sixty-five days to give birth.
Few have problem births and the survival rate of pups is very
high compared to other toy breeds. Chihuahua puppies are ready to
be adopted by eight weeks.
Because celebrities are constantly exposed to new situations and
always on the go, they can appreciate the fact that most
Chihuahuas tend to attach themselves emotionally to one person or
family and rarely bolt if given the opportunity. All Chihuahua
owners appreciate the intelligence of the breed. They are very
easy to train and adjust well to change. In areas where it’s
legal, Chihuahuas walk obediently near their owners without a
leash.
Chihuahuas come from the same parent breed of dogs that Chinese
Cresteds, Mexican Hairless Dogs and Xolos do. These are known to
be the most ancient of all dog breeds still existing today.
Drawings of what appear to be Chihuahuas are found throughout the
world, some being thousands of years old. This makes us wonder
when and where the Breed actually originated? Most Chihuahuas are
either shorthair or longhair, come in an amazing variety of
colors and purebreds tend to weigh from under a pound to no more
then six pounds fully grown.
As Chihuahuas are featured in more and more films, television
shows and become the beloved pets of an ever growing list of the
rich and famous, we should all remember that they are more then
just the hot breed of the moment. Chihuahuas are great pets that
are very loyal to their owners. If you are planning to adopt a
Chihuahua, do so because the breed is attractive to your needs,
desires and lifestyle, not because Paris owns one. You can read
more about Chihuahuas at http://tiny.azpuppies.com
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