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, Jordon, 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
and find free dog training and health tips at
http://doggiestyle.billknell.com
Author's Email: bill
knell@cox.net
Author's Website:
http://www.billknell.com
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