The Chihuahua breed, bred in Mexico, is the smallest dog on the planet. The weight of an adult does not exceed 3 kg.
Such pets are easy-going, active, inquisitive and sociable; they do not tolerate loneliness well and happily perceive new people, pets, smells, etc.
These are born researchers. Despite their external fragility, Chihuahuas are easy to care for; they have strong immunity, rarely get sick, and do not require special housing conditions.
In this article we will talk about whether it is possible and necessary to cut a Chihuahua's hair, and we will show photos of dogs with haircuts.
Do I need to cut my hair?
According to experts, grooming is an important component of caring for any dog.
You should know that these dogs of this breed have two types of fur:
- long;
- short.
Both require care, including haircuts.
The coat of short-haired Chihuahuas is smooth and lies close to the body. When touched, it gives the impression of a plush cover. If your pet is not groomed, then over time even a smooth-haired dog will have an unkempt and unkempt appearance.
Long-haired Chihuahuas have much longer hair, have a wavy texture and require salon care. The fluffiest parts of these dogs are their paws, neck, ears and tail. It is advisable to trim these parts of the body once every two to three weeks.
Expert opinion
Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich
Expert dog handler.
Grooming a Chihuahua (especially a long-haired one) is a necessary and mandatory procedure. And it doesn’t matter how long your pet’s fur is. This is necessary not only for aesthetics, but also for the health of the dog. That is why, the task of every owner from childhood is to accustom her to hygiene procedures. Any puppy should calmly accept all procedures, not twitch, or behave aggressively. He should not be afraid of a hair dryer and a flow of warm air. Subsequently, this will serve well when visiting special salons or during home care.
Grooming is the key to healthy pet skin. If you do this procedure regularly (about once a month). Then the dog’s skin will breathe freely and be saturated with oxygen. And your baby will be healthy and active.
And finally, I would not recommend cutting pets at home, as this requires not only special tools, but also skills. Here you will have to take into account all the characteristics of the dog, its mood, condition, etc. You must not injure your pet, frighten it or cause harm to its health.
Pros and cons of the breed
| pros | Minuses |
| There are good guard qualities | Requires careful care during shedding period |
| Usually neutral with other animals | Does not have pronounced protective qualities |
| Does not require active physical activity | Doesn't get along well with small children |
| Easily trainable | Requires constant monitoring |
| Suitable for apartment living | |
| Possible agility class | |
| Suitable for inexperienced owners |
At home or in the salon?
You can cut your Chihuahua's hair either in a salon or on your own.
However, if an exhibition is planned, the pet will definitely have to undergo full grooming in the salon. But this is not enough. Before entrusting your dog to a groomer, take an interest in his portfolio, talk to dog owners (his clients), and read reviews.
If you want to get the perfect result, look for grooming salons only based on recommendations from real clients.
If the dog requires a cosmetic (hygienic) haircut, then it can be done at home. This requires two conditions - a good tool and skill.
Training and education
It is better to start training dogs at 3 months. This is the optimal age to buy a puppy. The first thing he must learn when coming to a new home is his own name. The owner must ensure that the animal comes when called, being distracted from all matters. It’s good to reinforce success in training with food, so your pet will learn commands faster.
Chihuahuas are smart dogs; they usually do not have problems with training. Therefore, the owner should achieve results with patience and reward them with treats. The pet will perceive the manifestation of irritability and impatience very acutely and may be offended for a long time.
Haircut types
Model
While a hygienic haircut can be done at home, a model haircut definitely requires the hands of a professional groomer.
Moreover, the master must not only have skill, but also excellent taste, understand dog breeds and exhibition standards. After all, the haircut for each pet is selected separately depending on the exterior.
NOTE!
An experienced and professional master will easily determine what exactly is right for your pet. Most likely you will be offered several photo options, and you will be able to choose the appropriate model .
Model haircuts are performed only before exhibitions and are not cheap. After all, it is designed to highlight the pet’s exterior and, if possible, hide flaws.
Hygienic
Its purpose is to ensure the supply of oxygen to the dog’s skin and make the pet’s appearance neat. The procedure is carried out as the hair grows. Typically, pets are cut more often in summer than in winter.
Particular attention is paid here to hard-to-reach places (groin area, armpits, area under the tail). In addition, be sure to “cultivate” the neck, ears and head, and also trim the claws.
The remaining parts of the body are treated as needed and at will. The minimum required is to trim split ends and remove tangles.
Types of haircuts
For boys
For Chihuahua boys, a short clipper haircut (clipper cut) is perfect. After this procedure, your dog will look neat and “courageous.”
Puppy hairstyle. The pet is trimmed using a clipper, leaving hair 3-5 cm long. The paws in this case are trimmed to “0”.
An excellent option is the “Lion” hairstyle, when the hair is removed from the back of the body, and the so-called “mane” is left in front. A short length of hair is also left on the paws. The tail in this case should be fluffy, but well-groomed.
For girls
One of the most popular options is blending. This is a haircut that uses thinning scissors. With their help, the border between hair of different lengths on different parts of the body is leveled. Thinning also gives additional volume and a neat appearance to the coat.
Flatvec is a universal haircut, the purpose of which is to even out the length of the coat. It can be classified as hygienic and is performed quite often using scissors or a machine.
Character traits
All Chihuahua dogs have common personality traits. These small animals are smart and affectionate, brave, and sometimes cocky towards other four-legged representatives.
- Pocket dogs are very loyal to their owner, but can be willful and selfish if they feel a lack of attention.
- They feel good in small apartments and do not need long walks.
- These pets should be handled with care and precision.
Young children should not get such a dog because of the risk of injury to the animal, as well as because of jealousy that may arise towards the child.
How often does a dog need to be trimmed?
If you have a Chihuahua puppy in your home, try to have him get his first grooming immediately after he has had all his vaccinations. In the future, your pet will need to be cut once every 4-6 weeks.
The history of the appearance of long-haired Chihuahuas
The history of the Chihuahua goes back several centuries. Their homeland is Mexico, so the breed got its name from the state of Chihuahua, where the dogs were first discovered. For a long time they lived in the wild, they were greatly valued by the Mayan Indians, and later the Americans liked the dogs and were exported to the USA and Europe. As a result of selection work, the breed decreased in size and was divided into two types - short-haired and long-haired. At the end of the 19th century, the first exhibition took place where Chihuahuas were presented to the general public. From that time on, they began to quickly spread throughout the world and in 1959 they entered Russia as a gift to N. Khrushchev from F. Castro.
What will you need?
If you decide to cut your dog’s hair at home, then you can’t do without special tools:
- medium-sized hairdressing scissors;
- special comb for cutting;
- slicker;
- brushes and combs for dogs;
- trimmer or special machine;
- standard height table;
- a rubber mat or thick fabric for the dog’s comfort;
- good lighting.
How to carry out the procedure yourself?
This process can be divided into two stages:
- Preparation;
- a haircut.
Preparation
Preparation includes bathing and brushing your pet. It probably goes without saying that no decent groomer will cut a dirty and unkempt dog. The same goes for cutting hair at home. Before the procedure, be sure to bathe, blow dry and comb your dog's fur.
Preparation stages:
- thorough combing, removing or unraveling tangles;
- washing with special shampoo. It is highly desirable that the shampoo matches the breed of the pet, as well as the length and type of its coat;
- processing wool with a special balm. If you don't know how to do this, read the instructions or watch the video;
- blow drying;
- re-combing.
CAREFULLY!
You should never cut your pet's hair when it is wet. Otherwise, you risk injuring the delicate skin of a miniature dog.
A haircut
The most important thing to remember is the safety of your pet. Under no circumstances should you move your pet, irritate it or force it.
Stages:
- decide on the final option. You must have an exact idea of what you want to get as a result;
- cutting split ends;
- removing hair from the ears, nose and head. When trimming the head, you need to be especially careful - in some representatives of this breed the fontanel does not heal, so the dogs are easily injured;
- body haircut. Here you will have to remove the hair in the area of the dog's genitals and anus, then smoothly move to the stomach. It is better to treat these areas with a clipper, as scissors can injure the animal. But even when working with a clipper or trimmer, be extremely careful so as not to injure the animal’s nipples. If you trim your belly with scissors, be sure to hold them with the ends down;
- treatment of sides, back, and neck. It is best to use a trimmer designed specifically for this purpose (not a human trimmer). In this case, you should move the machine, repeating the anatomical contours of the animal’s body. Recommended coat length is at least 2 cm;
- cutting paws. Immediately before the procedure, comb the fur on the paws and begin cutting it in a circle. Remove anything that sticks out below the pad, then be sure to trim the fur between the toes. The hind legs can be trimmed with scissors, moving from top to bottom. In this case, the cuts must be vertical or oblique;
- If you plan to have a short haircut, do not remove all the hair at once. It is better to do this in several stages;
- the final stage is the tail. You can cut it either with a machine or with scissors in the direction of hair growth. As a rule, the hair on the tail is left longer than on other areas.
IMPORTANT!
You should only trim your pet in the direction of hair growth.
Pet care
Like all breeds with long fur, the Chi needs careful grooming.
Wool and bathing
The smooth, silky fur of representatives of the breed is combed out at least every other day using a mitten with soft plastic teeth or a delicate brush. If for some reason the dog is neglected and the fur becomes matted, you will have to either clip it with a clipper or visit a professional groomer.
Dogs are washed (with the exception of pet-class representatives purchased exclusively for exhibition activities) 1-2 times a year, in the summer. They use dog shampoos; you can dry the hair with a hairdryer, but it is not advisable - the dog may get scared.
Ears, teeth, claws
Representatives of the breed are characterized by increased lacrimation, due to which the muzzle becomes covered with “tear tracks”, so the eyes are washed every 7 days. Use suitable drops as prescribed by your veterinarian.
How to accustom your pet to a haircut?
There are several aspects here and they are all important:
- the sooner you start, the easier it will be for the Chihuahua to tolerate this procedure;
- the second important point is regularity, if your pet is often cut, he will quickly get used to it and will endure the procedure painlessly;
- the third aspect is the professionalism of the groomer. The better the specialist, the easier the dog tolerates grooming and gets used to it faster. And over time, the pet even begins to enjoy this process;
- trusting relationship with the dog. Know that if a pet does not allow you to touch certain parts of the body (tail, belly, paws) - this is a sign of mistrust. And this can cause problems when performing grooming;
- and most importantly, the dog should not have bad associations. After each procedure, give your pet a treat, pay more attention, and play with him. Let him associate a haircut with the most pleasant moments.
To what age do they grow?
Until the age of three months, Chihuahuas are considered to be “children”; from 3 to 5 months they begin intensive growth, then it slows down, and the pets begin to slowly gain all the remaining grams and centimeters, if the pet is destined to become a very small dog whose weight does not exceed 1, 5 kg, then at 5 months its growth stops altogether.
At this time, the teenager looks more like awkward, awkward animals, in which literally all parts of the body seem to require improvement: the head is too small, it is disproportionate, the sternum is small, the legs are long. From the outside it seems that the dog is all just corners. If your pet is a long-haired breed, then at the age of five months it bears little resemblance to the beautiful dog it will turn into over time.
During the same period, animals begin to change their teeth, first the sharp incisors change, and immediately after them the fangs
At the same time, the very first shedding occurs, some individuals begin to lose their fur literally in shreds to bald patches and bald spots - at this moment it is extremely important to ensure that the animal receives vitamins, minerals, and biotin
Very often, after replacing teeth, a young Chihuahua’s ears fall off, so it is imperative to introduce special calcium components into the food.
By 8 months, the change of teeth is completely completed. Keep in mind that chi-chis often grow molars at a time when the baby teeth have not yet fallen out; they grow as if in an additional row. In this case, you need to contact a veterinarian in order to pull out the milk fangs that have become unnecessary.
Do not try to do this yourself, otherwise you may vomit permanent ones instead of milk ones and thereby harm your pet’s health. It is undesirable to delay a visit to the doctor, if you do not get rid of baby teeth in time, then the bite of young chi-chis begins to deteriorate, in addition, between the fangs growing in two rows, food residues begin to accumulate, which leads to inflammation and caries.
By the age of 8-9 months, females have their first estrus; males, at about the same age, begin to be actively interested in females and place “marks” throughout the territory. From this moment on, animals can already give birth. After the very first heat, growth most often stops in females; in males this process is completed by 9 months. However, the final appearance is formed only after 1.5-2 years.
How much do groomer services cost?
When talking about grooming prices, you should definitely take into account the region and level of the salon.
So in Moscow and the Moscow region, prices for a haircut range from 1200 to 1800 rubles. Combing will cost about the same. Prices for comprehensive grooming can vary from 2000 to 5000 rubles, and sometimes higher.
What is included in the service package:
- bathing;
- blow drying;
- a haircut;
- combing;
- nail trimming;
- teeth cleaning;
- ear cleaning;
- eye care.
