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Celebrities Discover The Amazing Chihuahua!
Celebrities Discover The Amazing Chihuahua!
Learn about the history and characteristics of the Chihuahua,
and why they are so popular with celebrities.
by Bill Knell
contributing writer
July 16, 2004
Some say it started with the Taco Bell dog. A five hundred
million dollar ad campaign featured a talking Chihuahua which
continually repeated the slogan, “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” which
is Spanish for “I want Taco Bell.” Then came the Legally Blond
films and the unstoppable Bruiser. The topping on the cake
was when Paris Hilton appeared on the cover of Seventeen magazine
and later tried living The Simple Life on Fox TV with Tinkerbell,
her pet Chihuahua. Celebrities have discovered what many pet
owners already knew: Chihuahuas are the best dogs to own and
care for. In the process, they’ve set off a Chihuahua Craze
that is reaching towering proportions.
When most people think of Celebrities and their toy dogs,
Yorkshire Terriers, Toy Poodles, Pekinese, Lhasas and Shih
Tzus usually come to mind. That’s because famous folks like
Audrey Hepburn, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mia Farrow were regularly
photographed with their beloved pets. In Audrey‘s case, it
was a Yorkie. In her early days of fame, Mia Farrow was rarely
seen out in public without her Lhasa. Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor
loved to walk through the hot spots of Beverly Hills and be
photographed with a multitude of Toy Poodles, Pekinese and
Shih Tzus. But times have changed!
The always innovative Madonna may have set the standard for
change not long ago when she sported her beloved Chihuahua,
Chiquita, for a press photo op. Noah Wyle, one of the hot
stars of ER, was recently photographed with his Chihuahua
while on holiday. Jennifer Lopez has also joined the exclusive
club of famous Chihuahua owners. Younger celebrities like
Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, Christina Ricci and Reese Witherspoon
have found themselves attracted to these fabulous canines
and brought a huge amount of attention to them.
Chihuahuas make great pets because they are very low maintenance,
the world’s smallest dogs and longest lived breed. Celebs
love the fact that Chihuahuas prefer the company of humans
more then they enjoy being with other animals and can easily
accompany their owners everywhere. Chihuahuas love to be held
or carried around in their very own shoulder bag and that
makes them especially attractive to busy celebrities and people
who are always on the move.
Unlike most toy dog breeds, the Chihuahua is not a created
one. The first widespread mention of Chihuahuas occurred during
the mid to late 1800's in weekly or monthly tabloids that
specialized in tales of the American West. Highly fictionalized
accounts of the small dogs spread by these publications claimed
they were actually a mix of rodent and canine or had been
magically created by Medicine Men. In reality, Chihuahuas
were first noticed along the Arizona-Mexico border by settlers,
ranchers and those passing through. This lead to the animals
becoming originally-known as Arizona Dogs. Once it began obvious
that these cute little dogs were actually coming out of the
Chihuahua region of Mexico where they had been discovered
in the early 1800's, the regional name stuck.
For the first time ever this past year, Chihuahuas have made
the top ten list of most registered or licensed dogs in many
areas of the USA. There can be no doubt that part of their
popularity comes from the media exposure the breed has received
and the fact that big-name celebrities are favoring the breed.
But it also has to do with the fact that Chihuahuas are small,
very easy to care for and live a long time.
Most Chihuahuas eat dry dog food and feed once every couple
of hours or as their hunger moves them. A small, full bowl
of dry food and dish of water easily gets them through an
entire day. Chihuahuas are known for being healthy, hearty
dogs that do well in virtually any situation. They can easily
deal with temperatures of forty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit.
When it gets a bit too chilly, doggie clothes solve the problem.
When it gets too hot, Chihuahuas are always happy to enjoy
their owner’s air conditioning. Most have few health issues
and live from fifteen to nineteen years of age, with an average
lifespan of sixteen years.
Those wanting to breed Chihuahuas are often surprised to
find that they can give birth up to twice a year, normally
have from one to five puppies and take just sixty-five days
to give birth. Few have problem births and the survival rate
of pups is very high compared to other toy breeds. Chihuahua
puppies are ready to be adopted by eight weeks.
Because celebrities are constantly exposed to new situations
and always on the go, they can appreciate the fact that most
Chihuahuas tend to attach themselves emotionally to one person
or family and rarely bolt if given the opportunity. All Chihuahua
owners appreciate the intelligence of the breed. They are
very easy to train and adjust well to change. In areas where
it’s legal, Chihuahuas walk obediently near their owners without
a leash.
Chihuahuas come from the same parent breed of dogs that Chinese
Cresteds, Mexican Hairless Dogs and Xolos do. These are known
to be the most ancient of all dog breeds still existing today.
Drawings of what appear to be Chihuahuas are found throughout
the world, some being thousands of years old. This makes us
wonder when and where the Breed actually originated? Most
Chihuahuas are either shorthair or longhair, come in an amazing
variety of colors and purebreds tend to weigh from under a
pound to no more then six pounds fully grown.
As Chihuahuas are featured in more and more films, television
shows and become the beloved pets of an ever growing list
of the rich and famous, we should all remember that they are
more then just the hot breed of the moment. Chihuahuas are
great pets that are very loyal to their owners. If you are
planning to adopt a Chihuahua, do so because the breed is
attractive to your needs, desires and lifestyle, not because
Paris owns one. Read more about Chihauhuas at http://tiny.azpuppies.com.
- Bill Knell
A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell
is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and
experience. He's written hundreds of articles on a wide
variety of subjects. A popular Speaker, Bill Knell presents
seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and
teach. A popular radio and television show Guest, you've
heard Bill on thousands of top-rated shows in all formats
and seen him on local, national and international television
programs. Contact Bill at his website: http://tiny.azpuppies.com.
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