The Chiweenie is a mixed dog breed between the Chihuahua and the Dachshund breed. These dogs are small loyal, and energetic, and they inherit qualities from their parent breeds that make them excellent mixed breed dogs. Sometimes, Chiweenies dogs are called German tacos, Mexican hot dogs, or Weeniehuahua.

Chiweenie Personality

Chiweenie puppies are great apartment dogs for urban dwellers. They're best suited for small households with one or two people at most, but they can be great in homes with big families, lots of children, or even other dogs.

These dogs are energetic firecrackers that are as spontaneous as they are bold. Chiweenies are known for their tendency to bark, so even though their small size makes them great for apartment dwellers, owners should keep in mind that they should train their dogs not to bark so much if they live in an apartment building.

Chiweenie dogs were bred intentionally during the late 1990s in North America. The Dachshund breed was starting to have significant back problems, so mixing them with a Chihuahua helped alleviate these problems in their genetic health.

Many pet owners with Chiweenie puppies describe their personalities as funky. These dogs might be small, but they have a dog's attitude triple their size. These dogs easily have more energy than the average owner.

Although some Chiweenies have shown that they have a prey drive, not all of them do, and it's pretty rare in them. However, because hounds commonly have a prey drive, it's a good idea always to keep your Chiweenie on a leash.

Pet owners should provide training sessions to their dogs as early as possible. Chiweenie puppies might become overly fearful of new situations if they aren't socialized properly. These dogs can behave great with other people or animals if they have proper support.

It's always best to train Chiweenie dogs when they're puppies, but owners often adopt these dogs after their puppy stages. Owners shouldn't worry about teaching adult Chiweenies. Still, they should remember because adult Chiweenies have already experienced so many things, they might have certain reactions to specific situations that owners need to train their dogs out of slowly. It will take longer to socialize an adult Chiweenie thoroughly. Still, as long as owners are patient, determined, and consistent, they should train their Chiweenie to be a very social animal.

Chiweenie Health

Chiweenies can weigh between 5 and 12 pounds and stand between 6 and 10 inches tall at their shoulders. They have an average lifespan of 12 to 16 years, but they can live longer if they're healthy. Because this dog is a mixed breed, the size and weight guidelines are not accurate for every dog. So keep in mind that many Chiweenie puppies could be bigger or smaller than these averages.

Even though the Chiweenie alleviates some of the health conditions of its parent breeds, this breed still has a predisposed risk of developing some health conditions.

The Chiweenie is at risk of developing minor physical health conditions like hypoglycemia, diabetes, degenerative disc disease, or dental issues. These dogs can also develop hypothyroidism, joint problems, and allergies. Often when Chiweenie puppies experience these conditions, they are mild problems that you can treat with some supplements or medications.

Even though Chiweenie puppies are at risk of developing these conditions, most dogs will live completely healthy and unaffected by these health issues.

However, many dogs will experience a few different mental conditions at some point in their lives. Many Chiweenie dogs will experience some anxiety disorders or stress in their lives. Smaller dogs, on average, are more dependent on their owners and, therefore, experience separation anxiety more. Chiweenie puppies are even more likely to suffer from chronic anxiety if adopted from an animal shelter or found on the street.

Dogs can experience anxiety for various reasons, and owners can help them with many of these issues. There are many ways to tell if your dog is experiencing stress. There are also many ways to help them through their conditions.

Stress and Anxiety Causes

One thing that tends to affect the Chiweenie more than other issues is stress and anxiety. Smaller dogs tend to bond closer to their owners than larger dogs do. Smaller dogs are companion animals, while larger dogs herd or protect the family. Because of these breeding habits, smaller dogs are much more dependent on their owners for attention and company. Without the constant company of their family, Chiweenies might become fearful to the point of aggression. Or they may bark excessively.

Chiweenies that were homeless will have anxiety when their parents leave since they know abandonment. This previous knowledge of abandonment doesn't help when their owner leaves them for long periods, and this is why they might experience stress more than the typical puppy raised in one home since birth.

Many Chiweenie puppies will suffer from anxiety, and anxiety can result from being left alone for too long, boredom, or lack of stimulation. When Chiweenie puppies suffer from anxiety, they can present signs in a few different ways.

Symptoms

Dogs don't communicate verbally the way humans do, and they communicate with body language most often. When dogs experience potent emotions, their body is the first thing to tell their owners that something is up. If a dog is holding its paw up and limping, owners immediately understand that their puppy is hurt.

Many dog owners know how sometimes dogs will destroy their homes when they're left alone for too long. Destructive behavior is bad behavior, but these dogs could have a panic attack. Often, dogs destroy their homes in their parents' absence to communicate their feelings of anxiety.

Chiweenie puppies will show their anxiety symptoms through their actions and body language. There are many different ways animals show their anxiety, and some dogs will urinate or defecate when they have anxiety.

Some dogs even urinate or defecate when they are anxious.

Other symptoms of anxiety could be whining, whimpering, barking, attempting to stop their owners from leaving the house, and even attempting to escape.

Some dogs will experience stress from other events besides their owners leaving home. Dogs can develop anxiety when certain situations occur. For example, some dogs get very anxious when fireworks are going off, when loud sirens are going off, or when there is a thunderstorm present.

Chiweenie puppy owners shouldn't stress too much about their dogs experiencing anxiety. There are plenty of ways dogs can get help dealing with their anxiety.

Chiweenie puppies with anxiety might become aggressive, although it's rare for a Chiweenie to do that. Sometimes dogs drool when they have anxiety, and although they don't drool often, your Chiweenie might be dropping saliva on the ground when they feel stressed.

Some dogs that experience anxiety responds by barking excessively or having depression symptoms. Many dogs may pace around and typically avoid laying down.

Even though small dogs are noisier than large dogs, they still communicate through their movements. Owners should observe their dog's behavior to understand how they're feeling.

What Owners Can Do

There are many ways owners can help their Chiweenie overcome their anxiety. First, owners have to figure out how severe their dog's condition is. Typically the more complex the situation, the more powerful the symptoms. So an adult dog that is defecating in the house is probably suffering from more severe anxiety than a dog just barking outside. However, this is not always the case. The owners should be sure to observe all of the dog's behaviors instead of just one aspect of their behavior. All dogs communicate differently, and the number of symptoms you see your dog showing can also indicate the severity of their anxiety.

5 Ways to Help Your Chiweenie Overcome Anxiety & Stress

After figuring out the severity of their dog's anxiety, an owner can adequately help their dog overcome fears.

1. The first thing an owner can do to help your dog with anxiety is to provide them with a comfortable place to go whenever they feel stressed immediately. It can help them whenever they are scared because of the weather or experiencing something new for the first time. By providing their dogs with their favorite toy, treat, or blanket in their time of anxiety, owners can distract their pets and refocus their attention on this thing that gives them positive feelings. It is great for owners because whenever their Chiweenie experiences stress, owners can give them a special treat that they don't usually receive. Treats like cream cheese, bananas, or other special treats that they only get when they are stressed can help redirect this anxiety until a positive feeling occurs. If owners offer great snacks, like cream cheese, a raw diet meal, or their dog's favorite canned food, the dog will likely get distracted by the food after their owners leave. Don't get it wrong, your Chiweenie puppy will still be sad you're away, but dogs are naturally optimistic and are likely to make the best out of a bad time by eating their tasty snack.
2. Another thing owners can do when their pet is experiencing stress is provide a comfortable bed their dog can relax in. Some dogs with anxiety benefit from moving to a quieter, less busy area in the house and laying down in a comfortable bed. Owners can help their Chiweenie overcome anxieties by giving them their own safe space.
3. Many dog owners have turned to dog CBD to help treat their dog stress symptoms. CBD has helped dogs with other medical conditions but is commonly used to aid separation anxiety, although you can use it for anxiety. Chiweenies can take CBD treats in a variety of methods. Some droplets can be put on a dog's tongue, treats of their own, or mixed into wet food. Some pet parents decide to give their pets CBD-infused dog treats. This method of CBD can help many dogs with anxiety, but it will not permanently remove anxiety from their lives. Dogs that don't eat when they are anxious have more severe anxiety levels. These more extreme anxiety cases require more help to ease dogs out of their stress. Dog CBD is an excellent alternative if you can't provide your dog snacks during times of anxiety. CBD calms many dogs that struggle with anxiety.
4. Similar to CBD, some owners give their dogs medication. Veterinarians can prescribe dogs anti-anxiety medication if they suffer from chronic anxiety. Certain health conditions can cause chronic anxiety to appear in dogs, but some dogs, especially ones rescued, can already suffer from this condition. Dogs that experienced extreme traumas such as abuse, neglect, or homelessness might have trouble recovering from those experiences even once adopted and put into a lovely home. Some owners find that certain anti-anxiety medications help their dogs during their anxiety attacks and help them adjust to their new homes. Some dogs might need medication long-term to help them cope. For example, abused dogs might be scared of loud noises and might also get scared of anything that reminds them of their past abuse. That's why some animals tend to be more afraid of one gender than another. Some dogs are scared of certain white vans as they remind them of animal control vehicles. These dogs had terrible experiences with these particular things, and now they associate their memory with that thing. The only way to permanently break this association is to condition them out of it. However, many owners find it easier to provide medication because it can help their dogs resist their anxiety altogether.
5. As previously mentioned, one more permanent method to help your Chiweenie overcome stress is counterconditioning. Counterconditioning is a great way to help dogs break the negative associations they make. Counterconditioning is the only method to help a dog successfully overcome whatever is triggering their anxieties. Dogs who experience counterconditioning have to go through a detailed approach explicitly designed for them and their fears alone. Owners cannot do counterconditioning on their own in more severe cases of anxiety. Dogs with more complicated anxiety may need a professional dog behaviorist to provide counterconditioning treatment to them. Only professional dog behaviorists can understand how to help the dog change this trauma response.

Prognosis

A dog with anxiety will always be expected to live the normal lifespan of the dogs in that breed. Anxiety is no reason to shorten the expected lifespan unless other health conditions are also present. Chiweenie owners can help their stressed-out dog in many ways as long as they are committed to helping their dog.

Daily exercise is also a great way to guarantee a dog will have less anxiety. Dogs that can release their energy daily are less likely to experience stress. Owners need to ensure they are patient when helping their Chiweenie overcome anxiety.

If your Chiweenie is an incredibly anxious dog, and you try to force him into a newly created safe space, these dogs can become more scared of it.

Less anxious Chiweenie dogs will be easier to help than dogs that deal with more severe anxiety. Owners with more severely anxious dogs might need to get creative and try a few different methods to help their dogs. Some dogs can benefit from a combination of calming techniques. For example, a severely anxious Chiweenie probably won't eat during moments of anxiety, but giving these dogs CBD and a safe space to relocate can help them feel much better. These are all excellent ways to help your Chiweenie dog de-stress.

Outcome

There are many ways that Chiweenie owners can help their dogs with their stress and anxiety. Whether the owner wants to permanently help their dog overcome stress or temporarily alleviate anxiety symptoms, there are many options out there. Owners can help their dogs relax by providing minor distractions like toys, treats, or blankets. Owners shouldn't worry too much about their dogs having anxiety. It's very natural for dogs to experience anxiety.

And Chiweenie owners need to keep in mind that they shouldn't indulge their anxious dogs too much. When dogs are anxious, being hugged or watched closely can make them more nervous. Ownes can allow their dogs to calm down without standing over their shoulder every second.

Often anxious dogs have yet to be properly acclimated to their surroundings, and these dogs will adapt better over time. You can handle most cases of stress and anxiety in dogs before any medication or counterconditioning treatment is necessary. Owners need to remain calm and provide positive and encouraging environments.