Chihuahua Puppies for Sale

Almost any color is possible, because the AKC standard accepts any color, solid, marked or splashed. Registration colors include black, black and tan, chocolate, cream, fawn and red. Merle markings are accepted under the AKC standard but not under the UKC or FCI standards.

A Chihuahua's tail should be moderately long, carried in a sickle, curve or loop over the back, and never docked. A docked tail or a bobtail is outside the AKC breed standard.

The breed standards call for a scissors or level bite. Deformed jaws are outside the breed standard, so ask your vet about any bite that looks uneven. The breeder's licensed vet checks the bite before your puppy travels, and it goes into the Veterinary Health Report.

A Chihuahua is alert, confident and lively, with a terrier's courage in a very small body. Personalities vary from bold to timid, and many are wary of strangers until they get to know them. Most bond very closely with one person or one family.

Many are, because Chihuahuas bond very closely with one person or one family. They are also alert and lively, so expect a busy little dog as well as a cuddly one.

Chihuahuas are very vocal and bark at visitors and noises. Start training early, before barking becomes a habit.

They make alert, courageous little watchdogs that bark an alarm at visitors and strange noises. Early training keeps that alarm bark from turning into a habit.

Chihuahuas suit adults and older children best. They are not recommended for homes with young children, because a dog this small is easily injured, and play should always be supervised.

Many are reserved or wary with strangers, so early socialization is needed. With other dogs, they do best with those they are raised with, and small-dog areas are safer than mixed-size dog parks.

Usually they do when they grow up together, because Chihuahuas are generally fine with pets they are raised with. Breeders reported socializing 51% of Pawrade Chihuahua litters with cats before the puppies went home.

Chihuahuas are well suited to apartments and small homes. If your neighbors are close, start work on barking early.

About 30 minutes a day suits most Chihuahuas, ideally as two short walks plus indoor play. Energy is high, so games, tricks and puzzle toys help too, along with time to sniff and explore outdoors.

Not for long stretches, because Chihuahuas cope poorly with being left alone and can develop separation anxiety. A small crate or safe space with toys makes short absences less stressful.

Not well, since Chihuahuas lose body heat quickly and many need a sweater or coat in the cold. Dry a puppy fully after a bath and keep it out of drafts.

Keep it on a leash in public and watch it outdoors, where hawks, larger dogs and a frightened escape are real risks. Walk it on a harness rather than a collar, to protect the windpipe. At home, supervise its time with children and larger pets.

Chihuahuas shed moderately whichever coat they have, and no dog is truly hypoallergenic.

Very little, because both coats are kept natural, with no trimming style, and need only regular brushing and an occasional bath. The daily job is brushing the teeth, and the ears need a regular check.

Brush daily if you can and book a yearly dental check, because dental disease is common in the breed. Baby teeth that do not fall out are common too, and your vet can check for them once the adult teeth are in.

They learn quickly, but many have a stubborn, independent streak. Reward-based training and consistent rules work best, and force backfires.

It takes patience, because house-training a Chihuahua is often slower than with many breeds. Start a steady potty routine on the first day, with trips out first thing in the morning, last thing at night and after naps. Breeders on Pawrade report whether they have started crate training, so ask how far your puppy has got.

Many Chihuahuas do well with an indoor potty system. House-training often takes longer than with other breeds, so pick one spot or system and keep the routine the same every day.

A common rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold its bladder for about as many hours as it is months old. By that rule, a 3-month-old can usually wait about 3 hours. The rule works up to about 9 months to 1 year, and every puppy is different. Take your puppy out first thing in the morning, last thing at night and after naps.

Your Chihuahua is most likely in adolescence, a normal phase that runs from about 6 months to 2 years. Young dogs this age test boundaries and may seem to ignore commands they knew last month. Consistent training, lots of patience and plenty of play and mental exercise carry your dog through it.

Games, tricks, puzzle toys and short sniffing walks suit most Chihuahuas. They can also earn AKC titles in agility, obedience, rally, tracking and trick dog, and the Canine Good Citizen award.

Pawrade puppies travel only once they are at least 8 weeks old and 2 lb, and the breeder's licensed vet examines each one first. Most Chihuahua puppies go home at about 13 weeks, usually between 10 and 18 weeks.

The breeder's licensed veterinarian examines every Pawrade puppy before it travels. If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved. Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first. Anything else the vet notes is shared with you. Very small puppies can get low blood sugar when meals are missed or they get chilled, so plan frequent small meals and warmth for the first days at home.

Keep the breeder's food at first and feed small, frequent meals, four or more a day for a young toy puppy. Adults usually eat twice a day, and small snacks add up quickly. You can ask what your puppy is eating now before it comes home.

Set up warmth, a small crate or safe space with toys, and a plan for supervising children and other pets. Put the crate in a room where the family spends time, or in your bedroom at night. Find a vet, and bring the breeder's shot record to the first visit.

Start right away, because the first 3 months are the most important time for socialization and small dogs can quickly become wary. Puppy classes can start as early as 7–8 weeks, as long as sick dogs are kept away, and your own vet can advise.

Most puppies finish teething by about 6 months, when the adult teeth are in. Baby teeth start to fall out from about 12 weeks, and chewing is strongest in between. Offer a few safe chew toys at a time and rotate them, and ask your vet about any baby tooth that stays in.

Most puppies finish their core vaccine series at about 16 weeks, as your vet advises. Until then, keep your puppy close to home. A puppy class is fine before the series ends, as long as sick dogs are kept away.

Breeders on Pawrade report a typical Chihuahua litter of 4 puppies, usually between 2 and 5.

Breeders report that 98% of Chihuahua litters placed through Pawrade were socialized with small-breed dogs, 78% with older children and 65% with younger children. Most litters also get used to everyday sounds and car travel before going home. Breeders report that 82% of litters heard loud music or TV, 65% rode in a car or truck and 63% heard a vacuum cleaner. These figures come from the breeders' own litter forms. Keep introducing new people and other dogs once your puppy is home, because small dogs can quickly become wary.

The Veterinary Health Report is the record of your Chihuahua puppy's exam before it goes home. The breeder's licensed vet gives the puppy itself a full hands-on exam to PetPay's standards and writes down what they find. It gives you and your own vet a clear starting point for your puppy's care.

The breeder's licensed veterinarian examines every puppy before it goes home, to PetPay's exam standards. The results are recorded in the puppy's Veterinary Health Report, and a copy travels with your puppy for your records.

The breeder's vet examines the whole puppy and pays close attention to a few things that matter in Chihuahuas. The vet feels and grades the knees, listens to the heart for a murmur, feels the soft spot on the skull and checks the bite, teeth and eyes. The vet also checks body condition and weight and, in a male, checks that both testicles have come down. A molera on its own is common in Chihuahuas and is not a diagnosis.

Before travel, every puppy follows PetPay's vaccination and deworming schedule as far as its age allows: deworming at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, and the distemper, parvo, adenovirus and parainfluenza combination shot at 6–8, 9–11 and 12–14 weeks. Bordetella and corona are given at the vet's discretion, and no vaccine is given within 3 days of travel. Rabies is given by a licensed vet on the schedule your state requires. Your own vet completes the series. Your puppy's vaccination and deworming records are separate documents that travel with your puppy. Bring them, with the Veterinary Health Report, to your first visit so your vet starts from the same record.

If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved. Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first. Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.

Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no single exam can find everything. Some Chihuahua conditions, such as a leaky heart valve, usually show up from middle age. The report is a strong early look at your puppy, and your own vet builds on it at every checkup.

Every puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.

Chihuahua buyers rate their Pawrade experience 4.7 out of 5 on average across 628 reviews, and 86% of those reviews give the full 5 stars.