The Chihuahua is a very small companion dog with smooth- and long-coated varieties. The AKC’s official Chihuahua standard describes both coats and an alert character. A standard describes the breed, not the preferences of the individual dog you meet. Use it to identify questions about daily life, not to decide that a dog will be quiet, confident or easy to handle.
Plan for ordinary moments: a visitor entering, a child moving quickly, a larger dog passing nearby, or someone opening the door with bags. Individual Chihuahuas differ, so treat breed descriptions as a starting point.
Make handling safe and voluntary
RSPCA’s children-and-dogs guidance calls for close adult supervision and a quiet space where a dog can rest undisturbed. Small size is not a reason to let children carry, hug or chase a dog. Plan who supervises interactions, and ask the caregiver what handling the dog already accepts.
Rehearse an arrival before the dog comes home, using only the people in the household. One person plays the visitor while another manages the door. Decide who puts bags away and who is responsible for the dog. Write down where visitors should wait and which resting space they should leave alone. This rehearsal checks your coordination, not the dog’s reaction.
Use an individual dog’s history as your guide. Ask a rescue or breeder what the dog has experienced with handling, visitors, children and other animals, and what situations it avoids. Breed descriptions are a starting point, not a substitute for meeting the dog and discussing its known behavior.
Compare the two coat routines
The AKC’s Chihuahua ownership overview distinguishes smooth-coat maintenance from the more involved brushing a long coat needs. Ask about this dog’s existing routine and which steps it accepts comfortably. Coat length does not settle temperament or household fit.
- Smooth coat: what brushing routine does this dog already know?
- Long coat: can the caregiver demonstrate how the longer hair is kept free of tangles?
- For either coat: which tasks will you do at home, and what help will you arrange?
- Who will schedule grooming, keep the supplies together and cover when the usual caregiver is away?
Rather than choose by a photograph, ask the current caregiver to show the coat-care routine and let the dog participate at its own pace. That gives you a more realistic picture of the commitment than a simple ‘low-maintenance’ label.
Plan for a dog who notices the world
RSPCA recommends reward-based training and notes that dogs learn at different rates. Ask a qualified trainer which everyday skills to start with for this dog, rather than copying a fixed timetable. Keep the agreed plan available to everyone who will care for it.
If a small companion is the goal, compare your expectations with the dog you meet rather than assuming size means quiet, easy to carry or content to stay home alone. Use the free pet life checklist to make a shared household plan, and browse the wider dog guides. For another compact dog with a very different activity profile, see the Pembroke Welsh Corgi guide. The Shih Tzu guide offers a separate look at coat-care workload and ownership questions.
Questions to discuss as a household
- Who is responsible for the dog when the usual caregiver is away?
- Where can the dog retreat during guests, deliveries or noisy activity?
- Can children and visitors follow the handling and resting-space rules?
- Which coat-care tasks will the household take on, and who can help?
- What individual behavior questions remain for the rescue, breeder or qualified trainer?
If these answers depend on everyone remembering an unwritten rule, write the plan down and practice the household’s part first. The worksheet helps you spot missing arrangements; it cannot decide suitability or replace meeting the individual dog.
Sources and further reading
AKC: Official Standard of the Chihuahua; AKC: Is the Chihuahua a Good Fit for You?; RSPCA: Children and dogs; RSPCA: How to train your dog. Sources checked 13 October 2026.
Cover: AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph, breed-identification reference or depiction of a specific dog.