How tall should a chihuahua be

This may seem odd to someone with a standard-sized Chi; however, even this tiny toy breed can become overweight. This is covered up ahead. If your Chihuahua is well over 6 pounds, the first thing to assess is if this is a matter of body structure or excess fat. If this is simply your dog's natural body structure, don't give this any more thought; the majority of Chihuahuas are larger than 6 pounds and are perfectly healthy. If you cannot feel your dog's ribs or see the outline of them when your dog is wet from a bath, and particularly if this is paired with mobility issues, this is a sign that your dog may be carrying excess weight.

This said, the veterinarian will be able to do a full assessment for this and be able to rule out certain health issues that can cause weight gain such as canine diabetes and conditions such as patella luxation or arthritis that can limit a dog's ability to exercise. If a Chihuahua is given a clean bill of health but is carrying excess pounds, a combination of fewer calories and more activity can gradually get a Chihuahua back on track.

In regard to food, you may wish to consider a switch to a low-calorie kibble. If you are offering a top-quality food, stick with the same brand, if possible.

For this, Fruitables Skinny Mini Dog Treats are a great option to offer tasty all-natural tidbits with only 2 to 3 calories a piece. Gradually increasing exercise is also part of this. The basic exercise requirement for this breed is a minimum of two walks per day for at least 20 minutes, done at a brisk pace. This should be the goal for sedentary dogs and if a Chihuahua is already meeting this, adding on an extra walk, adding on 10 minutes to each walk, or engaging your dog in a daily session of cardio such as fetch can be done.

Undersized Chihuahuas While there is no minimum weight per the AKC breed standard, a fully grown adult Chihuahua that weighs under 2 lbs. Though not an official variation of this breed, dogs this tiny are often referred to as miniature, toy, or teacup Chihuahuas.

Whether or not this is an unhealthy state depends on a particular dog's height, bone structure, and level of nutrition; however, Chihuahuas this small do tend to have several issues to contend with. With trauma being the 2nd leading cause of death for the Chihuahua second only to cardiovascular disease , tiny Chi will be susceptible to a wide range of injury. This includes accidents at home like being stepped on or tripped over and activity-related injuries such as bone sprains and breaks.

Some pups lose a little of their weight in the first one and a half years. They should get sleeker with age as they lose their puppy fat. At NO point should their ribs protrude. Plus, it stops them from living their best life. Human scales are not sensitive enough to pick up on gradual changes nor detect very light puppies. Veterinarian scales can be quite pricey. For an affordable alternative, food scales work great for weighing your Chi pup. Genetics plays a big part in determining how big or small your puppy will grow up to be.

Chihuahua puppies require proper nutrition from puppy food formulated especially for small dogs to grow well. It should be a well-balanced diet composed of adequate protein, amino acids, fatty acids, calcium, phosphorus, carbs, and fiber. Insufficient nutrition could cause the puppy to be stunted. As delicate breeds, they should not be encouraged to jump from high places.

Even going down the steps could hurt their growth plates. Once fractured, it would stop developing or grow incorrectly. Low blood sugar is a common occurrence, not due to their breed but due to their tiny size. Parasites such as roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms can affect their nutritional intake and wreak havoc on their development. If you have adopted a Chihuahua puppy or are considering adopting one, you will need to know everything about how they grow.

And you might be also wondering when do Chihuahuas stop growing. You can refer to a Chihuahua growth chart to get an idea of what you can expect, but there is a lot of other information to take into consideration as well.

You will need to make sure your pup is growing at the right pace and is as healthy as possible. This is what you need to know. They will not make big leaps in growth like large breed dogs do, but they do grow steadily. While your puppy is growing, he will be gaining a few ounces a week. He should be at his final size at around 20 weeks, or 5 months. The weight of the dog should be listed horizontally with the age listed vertically. To figure out where your dog is on the Chihuahua growth chart, locate his age in weeks along the side first.

For example, if your dog was 9 ounces at 2 weeks, you can expect him to weigh around 21 ounces by 8 weeks. Birth weight can be a good indication of final size in some cases, but that is not always the best tool of measurement. If your dog was born in a litter with several other puppies, some puppies receive more nutrition than others that can be made up for within the first few weeks after birth.

If this is the case, your pup might not stay on his growth curve, but watch out for it either way. Since Chihuahuas are naturally small dogs, they do not weigh more than a few ounces when they are bo rn. You can expect to see a rapid growth between birth and 2 weeks as your puppy will increase in size on a daily basis. Your Chihuahua puppy will continue to grow rapidly between 3 weeks and 12 weeks. The first month is when your puppy will have the fastest growth rates.

After that, your puppy should continue to grow steadily , but there will be periods where your pup might gain rapidly and then plateau for a period of time.

There should be weight gain, however. The growth of your puppy should slow down between 4 months and 9 months. Some Chihuahuas will stop growing during this period and simply continue to gain weight as they move to adulthood. Other Chihuahuas might not hit their full size until they are about a year old. By this time, your puppy should have reached about his full size. They are not big and will stop growing at some point. Your puppy should still be hyperactive, but should be slightly calmer at this point than he would have been a few months before.

On average, a healthy adult Chihuahua should weigh between 2 and 7 pounds , depending on the sex and size of the dog. A full-bred Chihuahua should not weigh more than about 7 points.

Your adult Chihuahua should still be high energy and needs lots of exercise. The general rules for neutering and spaying Chihuahuas are different than what you will find with other breeds.

When it comes to spaying, earlier is better. They are at a greater risk of cancer if they are left to fully mature, and they will mature much earlier than larger dogs will. For that reason, Chihuahuas can be spayed between 8 weeks and 3 months. Typically Chihuahuas enter puberty between 4 and 7 months. For neutering your male pups, you can neuter them between 8 weeks and 6 months. Either way, 8 weeks is the absolute earliest you can go. Based on the Chihuahua growth and weight chart above, you can expect your Chihuahua to grow another half pound to pound and a half.

Pro Tip: Check out the ultimate pet parent guide detailing 39 dog care tips on health, puppy-proofing practices, training, dog safety, and more! A Chihuahua will finish growing around nine months of age. They may continue to gain a little weight from 10 months old to 1 year old, but this weight should not be significant.

If your Chihuahua is older than nine months, they are likely at their full size or close to it. If their paws look a bit oversized, they may still be growing into them. A Chihuahua may weigh as little as two pounds and up to six pounds though there are sometimes slight differences in genetics and environmental factors that may affect their overall size. Chihuahuas should appear well-balanced with a slightly longer than tall body.

Image Source: Canva. Preventive care is crucial in ensuring your Chihuahua has a long, happy lifespan.