Apple Head Chihuahua

What is Apple Head Chihuahua?

Of the small dog breeds, there are few as interesting as the Chihuahua; it has bulging eyes, an expressive face, impressive intelligence, and of course, its head is in the shape of an apple! It is sometimes referred to as the Apple Dome Head Chihuahua, Chi-Chi, Teacup Chihuahua, Hua-Hua, Techichi Chihuahua, or Taco Bell Chihuahua. It is mostly popular for its charming and fragile character, but the Apple Head Chihuahua can also be authoritative at times.

The Chihuahua is not recommended for young children or as a family pet since the dog is prone to injury in rough play or tumble. This little delicate purebred dog is easily the cutest you’ll find anywhere in the world. 

History/breeding

The Chihuahua is believed to have originated from Mexico, and is considered their National Dog. The Chihuahua was discovered around the 1800s, in the Chihuahua area in Mexico; hence its Mexican name Chihuahua. To support this, there are ancient drawings discovered across Mexico with features similar to those of the Techichi dog. The Techichi dog is also found in Europe, with similarities to an ancient Chinese Crested dog.

According to the findings, it is believed that the small Techichi dog may have been an early ancestor of the Chihuahua, and somehow crossed with the Chinese Crested dog somewhere along the bloodline to give us the Chihuahua we love today

What do they look like?

Head shape:

The Apple Head Chihuahua has a head shaped like an apple. According to the American Kennel Club, the breed standard requirement is an ‘apple dome-shaped head’. The Apple Head Chihuahua has a bigger head size to body ratio than most dog breeds in the world. Additionally, it is the only dog breed known to be born with a Molera: a soft spot on the skull that is also found on human babies’ skulls. The Molera takes between 3 and 4 months to close. 

The Deer Head Chihuahua features a head shaped like a young deer. However, unlike the apple head Chihuahua, it is not born with a soft spot on its skull. Its head also has a smaller shape than that of the Apple Head Chihuahua.  

Face Shape: 

With perhaps the most distinctive face in dogs, the Chihuahua features its characteristic 90-degree angle between the muzzle and the forehead popularly known as a “stop”. This gives the Chihuahua its distinctive face profile that looks like a neat L shape. The Apple head Chihuahua features a shorter neck and jawline than the Deer-head Chihuahua. 

Weight Size and Height

Chihuahua is among the smallest toy dog breeds, which are small-sized dogs. For both female and male Applehead Chihuahuas, you can expect them to reach the adult weight of 1.8kg to 2.7kg (4-6lb) and a height of 6” to 10”. 

Temperament

The Apple Head Chihuahua, like the Deer-head, has a relatively charming and adorable temperament. Breed enthusiasts agree that the Chihuahua is a generally pleasant dog breed that knows how to charm just about anyone who sets their eyes on them.

While they seem harmless, the Chihuahua still needs proper socialization skills and lots of obedience training taught to them while they are young. The Chihuahua is very intelligent and if not well trained, they could be somewhat bossy and ignorant to social etiquette.

As stated earlier, the Apple Head Chihuahua is not recommended for families with young children, however, they do pretty well in families with older children. This is essentially due to their small size and fragility, which will likely not be among the concerns of little kids while they play.

Deer head Vs. Apple Head Chihuahua

  

There are two officially recognized variations within the Chihuahua breed; the long haired Chihuahua and the short coat Chihuahua. Though the Apple Head Chihuahua and the Deer head Chihuahua are considered as part of the same breed, they have never been officially interbred. They are, however, not separate dog breeds, but two different types of Chihuahuas.

Physical Characteristics and Appearance

The Deer-head Chihuahua is bigger than the Apple head Chihuahua overall, but it is still among the toy dog breeds. There is an even smaller Chihuahua breed known as a Teacup Chihuahua. 

The Apple Head Chihuahua also has smaller and less erect ears, shorter legs, a smaller muzzle, and a shorter snout, and of course lighter weight than the Deer Head Chihuahua. 

Coat Variety

Both the Apple head Chihuahua and the Deer-head Chihuahua feature either varieties of short or smooth coat dogs. While this might not be true for most dogs, long-haired Chihuahuas shed less than short-haired smooth coat Chihuahuas.

While the most common Chihuahua coat color is fawn, they can come is six different color varieties including:

• Black
• Fawn
• White
• Chocolate
• Gold
• Cream

You will also find Apple Head Chihuahuas as well as Deer Head Chihuahuas in mixed color pattern combinations on their coats including splashed or solid marked patterns, spotted, sable and a mix or match of color.

Shedding/Grooming

Apple Head Chihuahuas, like Deer Head Chihuahuas, feature a double coat and are considered as moderate shedders. However, they shed all year round but have two seasonal shedding periods. Although the Apple Head Chihuahua is a small dog, you will need to check out a good brush for the cute little companions.

The coat of a Chihuahua contains natural oils which can easily be stripped away with over-bathing and might cause increased shedding or skin problems. It is therefore recommended that the Chihuahua be bathed only when needed. To clean a Chihuahua effectively, it is recommended that you use dog formulated shampoos that clean the dog coat as well as protect it from insect bites and fleas.

To prevent onset of skin diseases, tooth decay and plaque it is essential to clean your Chihuahua’s teeth, nails, and ears. However, remember to use soft toothbrushes and doggie chew toys since chewing breaks down plaque. You will also need to trim your dog’s nails regularly, say twice a month, and check for any infections under the nails. Additionally, you will need to check for build-up of dirt or infection in their ears at least once every week.

Health Problems

Purebred toy dog breeds are known to inherit certain genetic health conditions due to their small sizes. Unfortunately, the Apple Head Chihuahua is no different. Chihuahuas may suffer from:

• Dental disease: The Apple Head Chihuahua has a small head and thus very tiny teeth with not so much space to grow strong. The mouth of your Apple head Chihuahua could easily become overcrowded, building up plaque and ushers in tooth decay, and infections and in some instances, gingivitis and pain. To limit dental diseases in Applehead Chihuahuas, it is essential to brush their teeth and keep them clean.
• Collapsing Trachea: Due to their small bodies, Apple Head Chihuahuas may experience windpipe collapse which causes shortness of breath, coughing, legarthy, and difficulty in breathing.

• Eye problems: Eye problems are quite common in the Apple Head Chihuahua due to their prominent eyes that are quite exposed to dust and other harmful elements.
• Luxating Patella: Being a hereditary condition, Luxating Patella leads to the dislocation of kneecap on one or more knees. The disease can lead to arthritis and severe bone pain.
• Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BAS): With a short muzzle and a restricted nasal passage, the Apple Head Chihuahua is prone to BAS, a health condition that restricts breathing. The disease leads to difficulties in breathing which causes discomfort to your dog, sleep anea, snoring, and strange snuffling noises while your dog breathes.
• Hydrocephalus: This is a condition in which Apple Head Chihuahua puppies are born with abnormally large heads. Hydrocephalus causes legarthy and abnormal development and temperament. 
• Hypoglycemia: Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the blood sugar levels of a dog fall rapidly to extra-ordinarily low levels. This can cause the dog to have seizures or faint and make it appear very weak and inactive. Hypoglycemia may be caused by poor nutrition or illnesses or giving your Apple Head Chihuahua the wrong type of food.

Other conditions that can affect the Apple Head Chihuahua include heart conditions such as Patent ductus arteriosus, which typically calls for surgery.

How to Train

To train an Apple Head Chihuahua, you will need plenty of patience! You will need to train and socialize the tiny energetic pups early in their lives to help them behave appropriately at home as well as in public. 

Apple Head Chihuahuas are small dogs with a delicate build and any exercise that they have needs to be subtle with no activities forced on to them too quickly. While they are fragile little adorable pets, Chihuahuas tend to be strong willed and very intelligent and more often than not they will want to do things their own way. 

The trainer therefore needs to have a firm and persistent stand during training but be careful and gentle in any attempt to teach the adorable furry little dog how to respond to commands and behave appropriately. With intelligent dogs like the Chihuahua, you will also need to establish who the leader is early since they tend to take charge of the training.

There are several levels or categories of training you will need to teach your Apple Head Chihuahua before maturity; obedience, agility, discipline, and socialization. It is therefore essential that you teach the following lessons to your dog early: 

• Basic Commands: find easy but different-sounding command words such as Come, Stop, and Wait, etc. and consistently and persistently use them when training your dog as well as at home and in public.
• Crate: buy a crate for your Apple Head Chihuahua puppy and get them used to it. The crate will eventually become its nest and will be sleeping there. Lock the cage early on so your dog knows it has to sleep there, which is a useful lesson in bladder control. When your dog learns this, you can easily transport them in your car without having to worry about them messing up your car seats.
• Potty Training: Young Apple Head Chihuahuas tend to become easily excited and lack control which means new puppies may be quite hectic to train. However, the pet products market is teeming with products such as odor sprays and mats to attract the puppy to go to the same potty every time.
• Walking on a leash: For your Chihuahua’s safety, you will need to give them training on road awareness and have them master voice commands. Remember they are very delicate dogs and will need you to be on the lookout for danger.

Feeding and Dietary needs

Small dogs also need a high-quality diet with their age, weight and activity level put to perspective. Chihuahuas typically thrive on dog foods that are largely made up by animal proteins. To tell if a dog food has animal protein as one of its major ingredients, the meat protein ingredient is usually listed as one of the first few ingredients.

It is also essential to make sure the dog food is made for smaller breed dogs since they are manufactured differently from large breed dog foods for their different nutrients requirements. You will also need to supply your Apple Head Chihuahua with plenty of fresh and clean water. Treats should be offered during training, but sparingly, as they are usually rich in calories.

Lifespan

The lifespan of an Apple Head Chihuahua is generally between 12 and 15 years. However, they have been known to live to 20 years, making them one of the dog breeds with the longest life expectancy.

Cost of Apple Head Chihuahua

On average, you can expect to acquire your own Apple Head Chihuahua puppy anywhere between $500 and $1000. The prices will, however, be higher if the parents of the puppy are show quality. You could also get a rescue Apple Head puppy from one of the shelters close to you. For Chihuahuas, the typical adoption fees range between $50 and $100.

You will also get your first trip to the veterinarian covered if you get your Apple Head Chihuahua from a shelter, reassuring you on the health condition of the Chihuahua as well as making sure the dog is up to date on the necessary vaccines and is ready for adoption.