Fun Chihuahua Terrier Mix Facts For Kids

Dogs have been human's best friends ever since time immemorial. In this modern time and availability of advanced technologies and studies has led to the development of designer dogs such as the Chihuahua Terrier mix dog, a cross-breed between a Chihuahua and a Terrier also called a Chi terrier. This breed has several sub-breeds, depending on the breed of the Terrier, for eg. Yorkshire Terriers or Fox terriers. A Chihuahua is a small dog bred for companionship and Terriers are guard dogs who were bred to kill vermins. The combination of the two gives us an adorable dog that is small yet fearless with a great hunting instinct, basically the best of both worlds. Due to its hybrid nature, their temperament can be tricky to understand, especially for new owners. They have both a very loving, caring, and affectionate side along with an anxious, alert, and aggressive side, depending on their mood and situation. They get easily attached to one particular human and generally are most obedient and loyal to them. The Chihuahua Terrier mixes are very graceful as well. They can be a major threat to strangers or guests visiting if proper training and socialization are not provided.

Chihuahua Terrier mix is not an ideal family pet, even if it is a companion dog. They do not meddle well with little children or other dogs. They are ideal for someone who lives alone or with adults only and likes to take their dogs with them on their adventure. They are very loyal and devoted to their owner or the one human they get attached to. In the past, Fox Terrier Chihuahua mix dogs were used for hunting foxes and other small animals. But for an animal so small, they do have a higher life expectancy than bigger dogs as they can live up to 12-20 years. They live long but are very delicate and prone to various health issues, especially heart disease more than anything else, with a risk of being born with structural heart defects and they may need extra care. They also tend to bark more than usual dogs in a high pitch to release their excessive energy. They do not shed much, mostly medium to low, depending on the Terrier breed. So you wouldn't have to worry about your house or apartment getting covered with fur all over.

If you are already invested enough to know more about these adorable little dogs, then you may want to keep reading to learn some interesting facts about the Chihuahua Terrier mix. Also, if you do like what you read and want to know more about various animals, then please check out the Jack Chi and the Australian terrier.

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What type of animal is a Chihuahua Terrier mix?

A Chihuahua terrier is a mixed offspring of two different breeds of dogs, between a Chihuahua and a terrier.

What class of animal does a Chihuahua Terrier mix belong to?

A terrier Chihuahua mix is a mammal).

How many Chihuahua Terrier mixes are there in the world?

There are currently 1,075,861 Chihuahuas in the world but it is unclear how many of them are mixed breed with terriers.

Where does a Chihuahua Terrier mix live?

All Chihuahua terrier mixes are designer hybrid dogs and were developed for companionship. So, they are trained to live with their respective humans in their homes.

What is a Chihuahua Terrier mix's habitat?

Chihuahuas originated in Mexico in their namesake state and were bred for companionship and Terriers originated in England bred to hunt vermin. Thus the mixed breed of the two, a Chihuahua terrier mix is a designer dog bred for people who want the companionship of a small dog but who can also come in handy as a hunting dog. The designer breeds became extremely popular due to their small size and great instincts in the 18th century and were first imported to the United States in 1879. Since they are bred with close proximity to humans, the domestic life of their humans becomes their habitats. Due to their small size, they don't require much space and they prefer covered corner spots or cuddles with their human to help them feel safe and cozy.

Who do Chihuahua Terrier mixes live with?

This designer dog breed shares its characteristics with a loving Chihuahua and a hunting dog such as terriers. But the new designer mix breed retains a lot of traits from its parent breeds such as difficulty to socialize, extremely alert and curious like Chihuahuas, and has very high energy levels like terriers. Even though they are bred for companionship, these designer dogs generally don't tolerate children, other humans, and dog breeds due to their Napoleon Complex or Small dog syndrome, they are not socialized properly at an early age. They generally get very attached to one particular family member and prefer staying close to them all the time.  They can become very aggressive if anyone other than their preferred human tries to interact with them.

How long does a Chihuahua Terrier mix live?

The terrier Chihuahua mix is a very small dog but they have quite a long lifespan of 12-20 years approximately. Because of their hybrid nature, Chihuahua terrier mix puppies have lots of complications at birth and need extra care and warmth. As is common to small dogs they prone to certain diseases leading to health problems like Hydrocephalus (water in the brain), Luxating Patella (improperly aligned Patellas leading to abnormal gait), and a number of heart-disease which limit the blood flow around their body making them lethargic, fatigued with respiratory distress.

How do they reproduce?

Both males and females of the terrier Chihuahua mix reach puberty by six or seven months and almost stop growing after nine months. Small dogs are known to mature comparatively faster. The females get their first heat around the age of four to six months, the estrus cycle typically lasts between two and four weeks.

What is their conservation status?

The Chihuahua and terrier mix are designer dogs bred for human needs. Neither of their parent breeds is listed in IUCN as they are very common making them quite a popular dog among the people, especially in America. In the year 2020, LA registered nearly 60,000 Chihuahua terrier mix breeds alone.

What do Chihuahua Terrier mixes look like?

The terrier Chihuahua mix inherits its size from both its parent breeds, which is very small, they are typically 10 - 28 in (25.4 cm - 71.2 cm) tall. The appearance of a terrier Chihuahua mix varies according to their terrier breed. Chihuahua Terriers can have short or long coats depending on their parent breeds' coat type. They can vary from any color from black, brown, white, tan, chocolate, or even bi and tri-colored. For example, the Yorkshire terriers have a double coat, fox terriers have a wired-haired coat, rat terriers have short and smooth coats, Jack Russell terriers have a short coarse coat, and bull terriers have a short smooth coat as well. There is no generic appearance of a Chihuahua terrier mix, they all are unique.

How cute are they?

The terrier Chihuahua mix-breeds are simply adorable and considered to be very cute due to their small size. A Chihuahua terrier mix puppy is very delicate and inherits various features of its parent breed, but most of them seem to inherit the Chihuahua snout and its alerting curious eyes. They are fun-loving, fearless, athletic, and confident little dogs who need a lot of loving, caring, and attention. They often love to snuggle with their favorite humans under their covers. But these mixed Chihuahua terrier breeds are not so welcoming to strangers and children. They are also quite stubborn so training them can be hard but regular sessions with the correct positive reinforcement can become an excellent pet.

How do they communicate?

Like all dogs, the terrier Chihuahua mix bark, growl and can get very aggressive if not socialized or trained at an early age with positive reinforcement. They are extremely affectionate and devoted. These designer breed dogs like the companionship of their owner and will follow them around everywhere demanding their attention. A chi terrier can get very annoying as they can sometimes get into a high-pitched monotone bark, as they are high-energy dogs they need to release their energy in some form without enough activity throughout the day. These dogs are quite anxious and can get clingy at times when separated for too long. Chihuahua terriers are very confident and like most small dogs they also show Napoleon Complex, that is barking or challenging bigger dogs. They are very intelligent but also very small so the owners have to keep an eye out for the dog and keep them away from young children.

How big is a Chihuahua Terrier mix?

Chihuahua terrier mix breed is normally 10 in - 28 in (25.4 cm- 71.2 cm) tall. Comparing to their parent breeds a chi terrier is not as small as a Chihuahua nor as big as a terrier, they range in between the two, typically depending on the breed of terrier used for crossing.

How fast can a Chihuahua Terrier mix run?

Chihuahua terriers have very high energy that needs to be released so they need exercise. Depending on their mood they might like to run around or just snuggle up. The smaller breeds of the terrier and Chihuahua mix are slow runners in comparison to their bigger breed dogs due to their size and small legs they cannot move them fast enough. Chihuahuas have an average speed of 15mph but it is uncertain about the speed of a Chihuahua terrier mix as they vary depending on the terrier breed.

How much does a Chihuahua Terrier mix weigh?

Chihuahua Terrier mix has an average weight of 7 lb - 25 lb (3.17 kg- 11.33 kg). It is much higher in comparison to a pure breed Chihuahua (1.5 kg - 3 kg) but much lower than its European side of a pure breed terrier (2.3 kg - 38 kg). These designer hybrid dog breeds were bred to become purse dogs for companionship, as they are easy to carry around.

What are their male and female names of the species?

A male Chihuahua terrier mix is called a dog and the female Chihuahua terrier mix is called a bitch.

What would you call a baby Chihuahua Terrier mix?

A Chihuahua terrier mix is a dog, so their offspring or baby is called a 'puppy' or 'pup'. But as a mixed dog breed, to be more specific you may also call them Chihuahua terrier puppies.

What do they eat?

As Chihuahua Terrier breeds are considered small dogs, they don't require much food, merely one cup of kibble a day. But since they are extremely active dogs so they require a proper nutritional and balanced diet full of protein and amino acids for energy. They love raw meat too, along with commercial kibbles or dry food and simple home-cooked food in careful quantities. They also require oils and fats for omega 3 for a healthy shiny coat. New owners are advised to be careful with the treats as small dogs can easily become overweight causing health issues.

Are they slobbery?

Not all Chihuahua terriers slobber. It totally depends on the Terrier breed. For example, a bull terrier Chihuahua mix may drool or slobber more than a Jack Russell terrier Chihuahua mix. Purebred Chihuahuas don't slobber a lot except before mealtimes or while chewing a toy.

Would they make a good pet?

Chihuahua terrier mix is the best dog to have as a pet if you live alone or in an adult-only family or if you travel a lot and want to take your dog with you everywhere or if you want a small adorable, devoted guard dog that's loving and affectionate as well. These mixed breed dogs can be small but also very aggressive as they share genes with Chihuahuas. They can be extremely unfriendly towards strangers or little children. Chihuahua terriers can be very possessive over their favorite human and often prefer to be the only pet in the household. The maintenance, flooding, and grooming requirements are quite due to their size, but they are quite prone to various health problems as a senior dog requiring more attention.

Did you know...

There are several breeds of Chihuahua terrier mix available. The most popular ones are the Rat Terrier Chihuahua mix (or rat chi), Jack Russell Chihuahua mix (or Jack chi), fox terrier Chihuahua mix (or chitoxy), Yorkshire terrier Chihuahua mix (or chorkies), and bull terrier Chihuahua mix (or bullhuahuas).

The rat terrier Chihuahua mix was first launched in the 1990s and was claimed to be the best designer dog between the 1920s and 1930s and mostly used as farm dogs or hunting dogs.

The Yorkshire terrier Chihuahua mix is the first Chihuahua terrier mix dog dating back to the early 1800s. They were bred to be small enough to hunt out rats in the mines of Scotland and Northern England.

The Jack Russell terrier Chihuahua dog became very popular among sportsmen and horse riders in the 19th century as they were developed as hunting dogs. They were known in America as well by the 1930s.

Chihuahuas are believed to be descendants of an ancient dog breed, the Techichi dog, bred for companionship, religious ceremonies, and rituals.

How big do Chihuahua Terrier mixes get?

Chihuahua terrier mix dog breeds are small. Their height varies between 10 in-28 in (25.4 cm - 71.2 cm) and weighs around 7 lb -25 lb (3.17 kg - 11.33 kg). The biggest Chihuahua terrier mix would be the bull terrier Chihuahua mix breed (20 lb-30 lb).

What is a Napolean complex?

Napolean complex is basically theorized as an 'inferiority complex' in humans (mostly men) of short stature when short men try to compensate for their lack of height through aggressive and domineering behavior.  This personality trait originates from the French military leader, Napolean's small stature and fiery temper. This personality trait is often visible among small dogs as well. A Chihuahua terrier mix also displays similar traits of high curiosity (even the slightest sound makes them curious). Lack of proper socialization can also mislead Chihuahua terriers to think of themselves as big dogs. With proper and consistent training from a young age with positive reinforcement and mental stimulation they can become a very compatible pet dog.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the Staffordshire bull terrier and the black Russian terrier.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Chihuahua Terrier coloring pages.