Hi everyone! When I first got Ruby and was posting photos of her teeny-tiny, chubby-puppy self all over Facebook a lot of people started saying she didn't look like a purebred, one of the reasons being that she was too big. View attachment 9241
(That's her and my dad when she was 7 weeks old). She does seem to photograph huge though, does anyone else find that happens with their chi's?
I think a lot of people think chi's only come in "teacup" size. So I found this pic online to show people that wasn't the case.
View attachment 9249
Now I'm curious as to what sort of weight range each classification would have and where Ruby would fit. At 8 months now, she is 3kg (which I think is about 6.6lb). Also, she has been this weight for the last two or so months, has she stopped growing or will she have another little spurt in the future?
I think there is a huge difference between a small Chi from a responsible breeder and a 'tiny' from a BYB.
To me a 'tiny' (I refuse to use the term 'teacup') is a very small Chi who was bred just to be small. BY breeders breed two very small dogs together and charge more for the smallest puppies. These are the dogs that are going to have issues, because they were not selected for anything other than diminutive size.
When a responsible breeder pairs a normal sized bitch (and a responsible breeder isn't going to breed from a tiny bitch under 4 and a half pounds, and often they will keep bigger bitches just for breeding) to a much smaller dog, there will be a range of sizes in the resulting litter. A dog bred this way that ends up weighing less than 3lbs is no more likely to have health issues than one weighing 5lbs. This is because the parents are selected for all the correct reasons, not just size.
My Mouse has had a litter with her previous owner. She is a poor example of a Chihuahua, she is nowhere near standard and she has an undershot jaw. I couldn't understand why they would have chosen to breed from her when they had other, much nicer (in terms of breed standard) bitches to choose from. (They didn't keep a puppy either, so it wasn't because they loved her and wanted more like her.) The only reason I can think of is that she is small. I'm sure her pups would have been labelled 'Teacup' and sold for a hefty price.
Here all the breeders I've seen have sold the small ones for more. Not ridiculous prices like some I've seen, but still more than the bigger of the litter. Even KC assured breeders. Mylo I got because he was a more average size because I thought there would be less problems in the future when I have children. He'd be less easily hurt. I went for Willow just because I liked her and her breeder. I didn't actually realise she was so small until I got there and then I was afraid of breaking her! She's, if anything, much healthier than Mylo. She doesn't seem to get sick or have tummy upsets the same way Mylo does and she's so brave, almost like she purposely doesn't let her size stop her. Her mum and dad were small (mum was around 4.5lbs and such a lovely, friendly little dog). I haven't weighed Willow but from the weight she was when we got her she's charting to be 4lbs. Saying that, Mylo grew so much so quickly and she's hardly grown in comparison. I don't really have the facilities to weigh her.
Here all the breeders I've seen have sold the small ones for more. Not ridiculous prices like some I've seen, but still more than the bigger of the litter. I haven't weighed Willow but from the weight she was when we got her she's charting to be 4lbs. Saying that, Mylo grew so much so quickly and she's hardly grown in comparison. I don't really have the facilities to weigh her.
Some breeders do charge a bit more, I think it can be logical as long as it's not extreme and ridiculous you know? Some of those little ones have a slower start and need tube feeding and around the clock care to prevent sugar crashes.
They're both adorable! It's funny how we can have ideas about the sort of dog we want and then we see one that we just know is the one! I never imagined I would have a long coat chihuahua I was certan I was shopping for a short coat and then I saw Bijou!
And someone I knew once had a fat chi who's teeth were quite literally rotting from its head and saw no problem with that. The person worked with animals, there is NO excuse. The dog was young too.
It's quite sad how obnoxious people can be about the size of our babies...and the shape of their heads.
Once I was at the store and someone turned to their friend and very snidely said, "That's a deer head." Like it was some kind of crime. He has a rounded skull but longer muzzle, all the better to keep his teeth IMO. I prefer a slightly longer muzzle because the shorter ones seem prone to tooth loss.
Then sometimes you get nice comments..I overheard someone gushing at the store about Douglas.
Too bad people can't just get along. All dogs deserve love. I went looking for a very small chi and ended up with the larger end of the standard, but love him anyway. (part of the reason for size preference is travel and I live with ferrets..a dog the same size will get along much better than one who sees them as something to eat)
A lot of people not familiar with the breed think the "norm" for Chi size is the tinies you see in movies on in a celebs bag. They see average sized Chis & think they're huge...or just can't be purebred. In all actuality, tinies do not do well in general as far as showing goes because, they are just so few & far between. Show breeders do occasionally get tinies depending on their lines. I don't think I know a breeder who ENJOYS having a tiny puppy--it's very nerve wracking & a lot of hard work keeping them healthy & thriving while they're so small.
Most of the time the "teacups" I see advertised are just people who are trying to trick buyers into buying their "teacup" puppy when it's actually either average sized...or a lot of the time BIGGER as far as size goes! All Chi puppies are small... When I got my very first Chi...she was 8 weeks & she was bigger than I had expected. We love her to this day of course...all 8lbs of her.
I personally do not like tiny puppies. When getting a pup in to grow out for show...the hardier the better! When we got Sassy she was quite small (just over 1.5lbs at 13 weeks old) & I had a hard time getting her to eat anything but being small she HAD to eat something every so many hours to avoid hypoglycemia. She is a chunky 3lbs 10oz now at 6mo--I will be thrilled if she reaches 4lbs adult weight. She has a bit more growing to do & that is perfectly fine to me!
ANYWAY, size is ineteresting but IMO really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. A Chihuahua is a Chihuahua--get it from a reputable breeder who breeds for health & to the standard & you can't go wrong. You may end up with a larger than standard Chi but that doesn't mean they're not Chi. If size is that important...I would strongly suggest getting an older puppy closer to 5-6 months old
OP...your pup is adorable & looks Chi to me. Good healthy size & all.
Thank you! I love my Ruby to bits, and would do no matter what size she was. I really was just curious to find out what sort of size differences there were out there, I didn't mean for things to get so heated.
My husband thinks Moose is too small at 8.5 lbs. To us, he is tiny and I can't imagine a smaller one around my human kids, it's just too tempting for them. I do want another Chi someday but he gets next pic and it won't be a Chi....
It's the same with large breeds! Everyone wants to know how much they weigh, larger being preferred! Almost every person that would see us with our Rottweiler or Pit bull fosters wanted to know how much they weighed, and then wanted to tell us about a huge one they owned or knew. Our Rottie was perfect standard at 115, some people would say "Wow that's big!" and be impressed or "Oh he's little, ours is 185!" and be smug. People are too weird! lol
I can't be happier with Miro! He is a very sturdy 5 lb 4 oz at almost 7 months. He is a great size for us, even if he gets bigger because we have a toddler and a baby on the way. Both of his parents have very stocky cobby bodies, mom was 5 1/2 lbs, dad was 5 lbs, and he looks like he is filling out that way too. I don't know if he will get over 6 lbs, but when I first got him 2 show breeder friends told me he could end up big(6-9 lbs) because Merles can be bigger. (Their dogs are short, thick, tiny bull dogs, with almost no snouts! They look like little wingless bats, super cute!) My friends and families chi's are all standard to BIG(16 lbs!), no one under 4 lbs. I don't think I have ever seen one in person under 4 lbs outside of a dog show... People still ask all the time if 'Ro is a "teacup" and "apple head". I don't get offended, as long as they acknowledge he is adorable.
My rescue, Miss Angel, is 7lbs 2 oz. I read the standard and it said that 6 lbs was the largest they should be but I think all breeds have smaller and larger dogs in them. I wouldn't worry about it. Just love the breed and the dogs as God made them.
chi come in all sizes, me personally i don't want a under 6 lb baby. they seem to have more health problems sure they are cute and all but nope i have enough with worry with my littlest one she is 7 lbs. i have 3 and one weights 11 lbs, another 9 lbs and then the 7lb one. i am not into showing or BREEDING so the weight thingie doesn't even interest me
When they are under 3 lbs., they can indeed have more health problems. Under 4.5 lbs., they are so tiny that your lifestyle must meet the ability to care for and keep them safe. Younger kids, or a lot of company can make it difficult with the wee guys. Over 3, 3 1/2 lbs. the "health" issues, if coming from a reputable breeder, are not as prevalent. I really don't understand the "breed size standard." There are far more Chi's in the 5 to 10 lb. range, than 2 to 6 lbs. There are many over 6 lbs. that are show dogs. I have a friend that breeds, and has shown for years. She said she never breeds a female under 5 lbs., and prefers 6 lbs. They whelp much easier, and less complications. On the rare occasion she ends up with a "tiny," she said its a night and day job getting them past the hypoglycemia stage. The early months it can be a challenge to keep them alive. I know this all to well having 4 that have gone through it. A 6 lb. Chi is still tiny. A 10 lb. dog is by any means "big." I think a lot of it is just plain misconception. People not familiar with the breed just assume they fit in a teacup as adults. Kinda like anything we aren't real familiar with. We just assume until we are educated. It can be a fun subject. Just the mere fact that Chi's can be so small. Considered the smallest breed, it's just amazing they are actually dogs. :lol: When you get under 4 lbs. grown, they are going to have limitations that their owner has to be prepared for. They are very cute, but definitely not as easy as having a 5 lb., and over pup.
Ahhh thanks T.Would I do it again YES as you say rewarding and such a pleasure to have around,but a bit of a bully sometimes,she stands up for herself alright and keeps the other 2 in line
Unfortunately, that is a generalization and not necessarily true.
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