Expert: Jo Ann - 4/29/2011

Question
Hello there!
Since you have so much experience with Chihuahuas I hope you would help me determine if my current living conditions would suit a Chihuahua. I am 19 years old and live in an apartment with my friend although he works a lot so I'm usually home alone unless I'm working, I work a part time job with only about 20 hours a week or less and I'm not in school because I'm not sure what to major in. I just want someone to give me company and to cuddle with on the couch. Would a Chihuahua suit me?

Answer
Hi Carri...

I can't answer this question specifically as it relates to you, but I can answer it based on my own experiences, the experiences of other people I know that have Chihuahuas and based on research that I've done and the opinions that I've formed.

First off, let me say that you are a role model for anyone else out there contemplating the possibility of getting a dog!  The fact that you're asking for opinions and researching the breed puts you just LOADS and LOADS ahead of the majority of people out there!!!

Chihuahuas are extremely devoted and loyal little dogs who really do not handle being left alone all that well. It has been my experience that they literally live for their owners and can suffer emotionally if they feel they have been abandoned. Separation anxiety is quite common with this breed and I receive a lot of questions on AllExperts in regard to separation anxiety (you might want to look through past questions and answers).

You're 19 years old and you will have so many changes in your life in the next several years.  I run a Yahoo group called Chihuahua_Health_Behavior and there's a fantastic gal on that group who is 24 yrs. old that is trying to balance college with working.  The economy forced her employer to cut her hours to p.t.  So, she had to find 2 more p.t. jobs (paying less, but that's all she could find) to be able to cover her bills.  During this time she realized how important college is so that she doesn't have to continue to take multiple low-paying jobs in the future...and that's when she enrolled in college. She has a darling little Chi that is left at home with her cats and recently he has been displaying behavior problems related to the abandonment that he obviously feels.  She feels horrible about it and is asking my Yahoo group for help and ideas as she still has another year of school and can't quit her jobs now either.  Trust me, when she got her Chi, things were far different and she certainly didn't anticipate ever going through all the changes that she's been going through.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and took a look at a well-known national advertising forum and in the pet section I counted over 47 ads where people were giving up their dogs (Chihuahuas included) due to:

a) apartment manager found out they have the dog and want it OUT (there were multiple ads saying this!)
b) moving and cannot take the dog   
c) can no longer take care of the dog and continue with school
d) was working p.t. when they got the dog and work hours have now increased
e) now have a baby and don't have the time

You say that you're not in school right now because you're not sure about what you want to major in.  Consider getting the required courses out of the way so that you can be more specific in your major later...  You also say that you want "someone" to give you company and to cuddle with on the couch.  THAT is a good reason for getting a Chi for right now, but NOT a good reason for the long haul. Have you considered taking the extra time that you have right now, along with that need that you have to cuddle and be a companion, and use it in a way that will be a win/win situation for both you and some needy Chihuahuas that might otherwise be euthanized?  Why not consider volunteering to be a foster home for Chihuahuas that need someone to cuddle with...someone that will get them ready for permanent homes?  This way, you are fullfilling your own needs and that of a needy Chihuahua (or many) while still being able to adjust your availability for fostering when your work or school schedule changes. You can google "Chihuahua rescue" for the state, city or county that you live in and get in contact with some Chihuahua rescue organizations and apply to be a foster.

What do you think of this?

Jo Ann