Despite the Chihuahua’s small size, like all dogs he needs exercise and training. The amount of energy an adult Chihuahua has can be surprising. He’ll endlessly chase squirrels in the backyard and is willing to play as long as you are.

Chihuahuas enjoy walks, supervised romps around the yard, and retrieving toys. They’ll go until they drop, so it’s important to make sure they don’t tire themselves out, especially on hot days. As much as they enjoy playing outdoors, Chihuahuas should never live outside.

They aren’t safe from raptors such as hawks, coyotes, or other larger dogs that could go into your yard. They are bred as companions, and the best place for a companion is with you. Training a Chihuahua can be an enjoyable task.

They are successful in several different dog sports such as agility and obedience, but puppy kindergarten and basic obedience class are important even for a Chihuahua who’s strictly a companion.

Your Chihuahua will meet many different dogs and people in class, contributing to his socialization, and he’ll learn the manners all dogs should know. Chihuahuas are as easy to housetrain as any other breed as long as you take them out frequently and on a consistent schedule. Puppies need to go out as soon as they wake up in the morning, after every meal, after naps, after playtime, and just before bedtime.

Using a crate to confine them when you’re unable to supervise them will teach them that they can control their bladder and prevent them from having accidents in the house. If they’re not crated, plan to take them out every one to two hours, and don’t crate them for more than two to four hours at a time except overnight.

Beyond housetraining, crate training is a kind way to ensure that your Chihuahua doesn’t get into things he shouldn’t. Like every dog, Chihuahuas can be destructive as puppies. They might not do as much damage as a Lab puppy, but those little teeth can definitely leave their mark. Crate training at a young age will also help your Chihuahua accept confinement if he ever needs to be boarded or hospitalized.

Never stick your Chihuahua in a crate all day long, however. It’s not a jail, and he shouldn’t spend more than a few hours at a time in it except when he’s sleeping at night. Chihuahuas are people dogs, and they aren’t meant to spend their lives locked up in a crate or kennel. Train your Chihuahua using positive reinforcement techniques such as food rewards, praise, and play, and you will soon find that he can learn anything you can teach.

Recommended daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cups of high-quality dry food a day NOTE: How much your adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don’t all need the same amount of food.

It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. The quality of dog food you buy also makes a difference — the better the dog food, the further it will go toward nourishing your dog and the less of it you’ll need to shake into your dog’s bowl. For more on feeding your Chihuahua, see our guidelines for buying the right food, feeding your puppy, and feeding your adult dog.

Chihuahuas come in two different coat types: smooth and long. The smooth-coated Chihuahua has a smooth, shiny coat that fits close to the body with a ruff of thick, longer hair on the neck. The hair on the head and ears is thinner, and the tail is furry. The long-coated Chihuahua has a soft coat that’s flat or slightly curly.

On the body it’s almost as smooth as that of a smooth-coated Chihuahua, but the ears have a fringe of hair, and the plumed tail spreads out like a fan over the back. He also has a ruff on the neck and longer hair called feathering on his feet. The hind legs are also covered with long hair that resembles pants — and that’s what it’s called.

On the stomach is longer hair known as a frill. Besides coming in two coat types, Chihuahuas are found in a range of colors and markings. They can be solid colors such as black, white, fawn, chocolate, gray, and silver as well as tricolor (chocolate, black, or blue with tan and white, for instance), brindle, spotted, merle and a variety of other markings. Shades can be very pale to very dark for all the colors.

The Chihuahua is a wash-and-go dog. Grooming him takes only a few minutes each week. Brush him weekly with a rubber grooming mitt or a brush with short, natural bristles for a shorthaired Chihuahua and a pin brush for a longhaired Chihuahua. A fine-toothed flea comb helps remove loose or dead hair. Chihuahuas shed small amounts year round and may shed somewhat more heavily — a relative term for a dog this small — in the spring and fall. The longhaired Chihuahua’s undercoat may come out in little clumps. Regular brushing will help keep shedding under control.

With regular brushing, a Chihuahua shouldn’t need a bath more than every month or two. Use a shampoo formulated for dogs so you don’t dry out the coat and skin. Ears are an important area to check when you are grooming your Chihuahua. If you smell an odor or see wax, clean the inner ear with a cotton ball, using a cleanser recommended by your veterinarian. Avoid going into the depth of the ear, past where you can see.

If the ears are dry along the edge, rub a little baby or coconut oil onto them. Some Chihuahuas develop tear stains beneath their eyes. You can carefully wipe the eyes to remove discharge, and there are products available to remove the stains. A Chihuahua’s nails grow quickly. Keep them trimmed short. If you can hear them clicking on the floor, they’re too long. The earlier you introduce your Chihuahua to nail trimming the less stressful the experience is. At the same time, check the pads for any foreign objects or injuries.

Like many small breeds, Chihuahuas are prone to poor dental health. Brushing their teeth can help their mouths stay healthy. Brush the teeth at least two or three times a week — daily is better — to remove tartar and bacteria.

Start when your puppy is young so he’ll be used to it. As you groom, check for sores, rashes, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, in the ears, nose, mouth, and eyes, and on the feet. Ears should smell good, without too much wax or gunk inside, and eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge. Your careful weekly exam will help you spot potential health problems early.

Many Chihuahuas love children, but the combination of a tiny dog and a young child can be a recipe for disaster. A Chihuahua may leap from a child’s hands and injure himself if he’s not being held correctly, and he won’t hesitate to defend himself if he’s being mistreated.

Many breeders won’t sell puppies to families with toddlers for fear that the dog will be injured. Chihuahuas do best in families with quiet, older children who understand how to interact with them. Make it a rule that young children can only hold or pet the Chihuahua if they’re sitting on the floor. Always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party.

Teach your child never to approach any dog while he’s sleeping or eating or to try to take the dog’s food away. No dog should ever be left unsupervised with a child. Even if your family doesn’t have children, your Chihuahua should always be exposed to them when he’s young so he won’t be fearful of them if he encounters them later in life.

Just be sure you supervise carefully. Chihuahuas get along well with other pets in the family, including cats, if introduced at a young age. The fearless Chihuahua will often boss around dogs much bigger than he is, and this may or may not cause problems. It’s not unusual for the smallest dog to be the one in charge.