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Breed guide · Dogs
She takes the stairs like a mountain goat. I carry her down them anyway.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
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At home
A skipped breakfast, then quiet, trembly or wobbly an hour later.
What's going onHypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is the first risk on a teacup Chihuahua's health record. Feed them on a schedule, several small meals a day, and never let them miss one. Weak, wobbly or very sleepy means contacting your vet now.
At home
A tiny dent on top of the head, under the softest fur.
What's going onThat soft spot, the molera, may never close. Handle their head gently, keep them away from falls, and tell your vet about any circling, head pressing or wobbly walking.
At home
Down from the bed in one leap, and wriggling to get out of someone's arms.
What's going onNot safely. Their bones are fragile and their kneecaps can slip. Give them steps, keep them off high furniture, and let children hold them only when sitting on the floor.
At home
Barks at every dog in the lift, and squares up to dogs ten times their size.
What's going onInside, they are all Chihuahua: they bond hard with their person and bark at anyone they are unsure of. Let them meet people and calm dogs slowly, on their own feet, with you close by.
At home
Waits outside the bathroom door, and watches your keys and shoes.
What's going onThey were bred to be near you. Teach short spells alone while they are a puppy, and if they are distressed when you leave, contact your vet rather than trying to fix it at home.
At home
Baby teeth that stay put, and grown-up teeth squeezed in at angles.
What's going onTheir teeth are squeezed into a tiny jaw. Brush them every day, and their health record sets a professional dental clean every six months.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their body
Built for: A Chihuahua's personality.
In Dubai: In a body smaller than the breed was built for.
Their meals
Built for: Little and often, on a schedule.
In Dubai: Fed around everyone else's busy day.
Their world
Built for: Meeting it on their own feet.
In Dubai: Carried everywhere, and handed round at gatherings.
Their size leaves no room for a missed meal, a fall or a knock to the head.
You cannot make them bigger. You can make their day safe and predictable, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around a teacup Chihuahua's health record: the risks that come with their size at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They bond hard with one person, and time alone is easiest to learn as a puppy.
Every age, most of all puppies
Why
They bond hard with one person, and time alone is easiest to learn as a puppy.
What to do
From their first week, leave them in a safe pen with a chew for a few minutes while you are home, then longer. Come and go without a fuss.
Separation distress is treatable, and home fixes can make it worse.
Every age: a move, a new job or a new baby can set it off
Why
Separation distress is treatable, and home fixes can make it worse.
What to do
Film them for twenty minutes after you leave. If you see howling, pacing, scratching at the door or accidents, do not punish it and do not use an anti-bark device. Show the film to a vet.
Their blood sugar can drop dangerously between meals.
Every age, most of all under 4 years
Why
Their blood sugar can drop dangerously between meals.
What to do
Feed several small, weighed meals a day at set times, and make sure anyone who feeds them knows when each meal is due. Keep treats small and inside the daily amount. Their plan includes a feeding schedule, little and often, from the juvenile stage.
Their bones are fragile and Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their health record.
Every age, more so from 7 years
Why
Their bones are fragile and Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their health record.
What to do
Give them steps up to the sofa and bed. Keep them off tables and anything they cannot climb down from. Lift them with one hand under the chest and one under the back end, close to your body. Their plan includes an orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) as a young adult.
Collapsed Trachea (a weak windpipe) is on their record from 4 years, and their neck is tiny.
Every age, most of all from 4 years
Why
Collapsed Trachea (a weak windpipe) is on their record from 4 years, and their neck is tiny.
What to do
Use the smallest well-fitted harness you can find. Never clip a lead to a collar, and refit the harness if their weight changes.
Crowded teeth in a tiny jaw are on their health record from puppyhood.
Every age
Why
Crowded teeth in a tiny jaw are on their health record from puppyhood.
What to do
Brush daily with a finger brush and dog toothpaste, a few seconds at a time with a reward. Watch for baby teeth that stay put, and tell your vet if they start chewing on one side. Their plan includes a professional dental clean every six months from the juvenile stage.
Their skull and bones need protecting every time someone picks them up.
Every age, most of all puppies
Why
Their skull and bones need protecting every time someone picks them up.
What to do
Practise gentle handling every day: paws, mouth, eyes, with a reward. Show visitors how to hold them, sitting on the floor, and never let anyone tap their head.
A dog who is always carried never gets the chance to learn the world is safe.
Every age, most of all under 2 years
Why
A dog who is always carried never gets the chance to learn the world is safe.
What to do
Let them walk on quiet, clean ground, and meet calm small dogs and people at their own pace. Carry them over hot, busy or high ground, and let them walk the rest.
A tiny body heats up fast, and pavement heat reaches them before it reaches you.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
A tiny body heats up fast, and pavement heat reaches them before it reaches you.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and keep it short. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds. If you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it.
Heart disease is on their health record, and small changes matter on a small dog.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
Heart disease is on their health record, and small changes matter on a small dog.
What to do
Weigh them weekly on kitchen scales, and write it down. Their plan includes cardiac auscultation (listening to their heart) as a young adult.
Four of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Teacup, micro or mini
A teacup Chihuahua is a Chihuahua bred smaller than the breed was built to be, usually under 1.5 kg. Teacup, micro and mini Chihuahua are selling words, not types, and no kennel club recognises them. Underneath is the same bold, loyal Chihuahua, in a smooth or a long coat.
Colours
Solid, marked or splashed, from white and cream to fawn, brown and black: a teacup Chihuahua can be any colour a Chihuahua can. Whatever the colour, the care is the same.
The first six months
Vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Feed several small, weighed meals a day at set times, because a missed meal can drop their blood sugar fast.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the flat ready
Put dog steps up to the sofa and bed, rugs where they will run on marble, and a safe pen with a chew for time alone. Buy the smallest well-fitted harness you can find, and show visitors how to hold them: sitting on the floor.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Teacup puppies are bred by pairing the smallest dogs, and their size is where the health risks come from. If your heart is set on a Chihuahua, look for one bred to the standard, ask to see both parents' weights and health records, and be wary of anyone selling "teacup" as a feature.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
She'll keep climbing the stairs. If she goes wobbly or sleepy between meals, contact your vet now.
Before they were yours.
Before 1900
Every teacup Chihuahua comes from the Chihuahua, a small companion dog from Mexico, chosen from the start for being small and for sticking close to their person.
What they still carryThe Chihuahua's temperament: bold, loyal and close to one person.
1904
The American Kennel Club registered its first Chihuahua in 1904. Its rules set a top weight of six pounds, about 2.7 kg, and no lower limit.
What they still carryRoom for breeders to keep going smaller.
Late 20th century
Breeders began pairing the smallest Chihuahuas and selling the puppies on their size, as teacups. No kennel club recognises them as a breed.
What they still carryA dog under 1.5 kg, carrying the Chihuahua's health risks, made larger by the size.
Today
In Dubai, many teacup Chihuahuas live in flats and travel in their person's arms.
What they still carryA very small dog with a big personality, a fragile body and someone who loves them.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Teacup Chihuahua suits you, so might these.
ChihuahuaThe same kind of dog: the Chihuahua at its usual size, just as bold, with fewer of the risks of being extra small.
PapillonAnother tiny companion, far friendlier with strangers, in a light coat with butterfly ears.
PomeranianThe same bold, wary-of-strangers temperament and readiness to bark, in a fluffy spitz with a little more energy.
Teacup YorkieA similar very small size with the same need for careful handling, in a terrier with a silky coat that needs daily care.
