Chi Chi Dog Breed

Chihuahuas and Chinese Cresteds are two prized and beloved companion dogs. Your Chi Chi will be no different with his loving and loyal attitude towards his family (especially that 1 person). They make bold, courageous watchdogs; a simple glance at their eyes instantly shows how alert they are. Friendly and outgoing, a well socialized Chi Chi can live with other dogs. Those with small kids should consider another breed, as these dogs are very delicate. Certainly they are indoor dogs and require owners that can spend time with them daily.

PROS

• Sized well for small living spaces
• Fenced yard not necessary
• Exercise needs can be easily met
• Grooming is easy, shedding light to moderate
• Loyal companion, especially to a single owner
• Alert watchdog
• Can do well with other pets
• Long lived companion
• Should be fine while owner is at work, school, etc.
• Natural knack for agility and tricks
• Beyond adorable!

CONS

• Must live indoors
• Requires sunscreen in sun, sweater in cold
• Fragile, only for older kids
• Frequent barker
• Not hypoallergenic
• May be moderate-difficult training
• May suffer separation anxiety
• May not initially be friendly towards other dogs, strangers

The Chi Chi is produced when a Chinese Crested and a Chihuahua are crossbred. The adorably ugly meets with the notoriously petite and elegant to produce a hybrid that is tiny and very, very cute. Their slender bodies are longer than tall. The "deer like" heads will display large eyes that are lively and alert, which is a good match for their energetic, prancing gait.

This breed is certainly intelligent and alert, but are also rumored to be stubborn in regards to training. Patience, calmness, and consistency and if you do not possess these traits, take them to a trainer; a Chi Chi left untrained will develop destructive behaviors such as increased chewing, barking and scratching. Members of this breed are are quick and can jump high so they may excel with agility training.

These tiny little dogs will be very loyal and loving to their families, often pick a favorite person and following them around like a shadow. While they can spend time alone for your daily routine, they will miss you badly and may develop destructive behaviors (both to themselves and the home). A well socialized Chi Chi can coexist just fine with other pets, although they may be indifferent towards them. Either families with older kids or single owners are best for this breed and they will make excellent watchdogs.

Chi Chis are very small and are considered low to moderate activity level and will be active indoors. They may like to follow you around the house or accompany you running errands but they are not considered exercise companions by any means. A few short walks per day combined with some playtime with toys should take care of their needs. These guys are also rumored to be agile and excel at tricks and agility training.

As a hybrid the Chi Chi will show much more variation than either purebred parent. For this breed, most owners want to know how much hair their Chi Chi will have. Chihuahuas are relatively simple and come in both short and long haired varieties. The Chinese Crested is usually hairless (save for a few small plumes here and there), however, a genetically recessive one can have a full coat of long, straight, silky hair; these are referred to as "powderpuffs". If your Chinese Crested is a powderpuff, you will most likely get puppies with full coats, but if he is hairless you may just get hairless Chi Chis (not necessarily, since Chihuahuas always have coats).

Your breeder should be able to tell you the difference between each generation of Chi Chi and what the expected outcome of their litters will be.

Hybrid Generations:
F1= Purebred Chinese Crested x Purebred Chihuahua
F1B= F1 Chi Chi x either a Purebred Chihuahua or Purebred Chinese Crested
F2= F1 Chi Chi x F1 Chi Chi
F2B= F2 Chi Chi x either a Purebred Chihuahua or Purebred Chinese Crested
F3= F2 Chi Chi x F2 Chi Chi or F2 Chi Chi x F1 Chi Chi

Chihuahua x Chinese Crested crosses produce Chi Chi puppies that are much healthier than their purebred parents due to greater genetic variation. We recommend visiting both parent breed pages for an inclusive list of health issues that your hybrid may inherit. It's not uncommon for a member of this breed to live 12-15 years.

This breed is very small, they have fragile bodies, especially the legs so supervise them around tall furniture or large sets of stairs. Patellar luxation, when the knee disks slip out of place is a possibility for them.
Also, if you obtain a hairless Chi Chi you will need to pay extra attention to their teeth and ensure they have a light sunblock if spending time outside.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a issue commonly reported in Chi Chis. Keep their food as recommended by your veterinarian or breeder, yet as natural as possible.

Eye infections and diseases will likely present themselves over the years (Glaucoma, Dry Eye, Retinal Atrophy). Wiping your pets eyes as needed and monitoring them frequently will help prevent or identify these conditions.