The Chihuahua Dachshund mix is a toy breed which is well-suited for any single dog-parent, cosy senior or adventurous couple; a perfect addition to any individual who seeks a body guard minus the large physique.
The perfect mix of the petite and fierce Chihuahua and the short and affectionate Dachshund breed.
Loving, loyal and playful to their owners, yet, protective when the time comes. It is hard not to fall in love with this little pooch.
So, what else is there to know?
Let us describe this breed in detail so that you can see if the mini and mighty Chiweenie is the right breed for you.
| Breed Type | Mixes and more |
| Purpose | Companion/Toy Breed |
| Suitable For | Singles, couples, seniors, families (with older children/teenagers) |
| Size | Male and female both stand at 8 to 12 inches |
| Weight | Between 5 to 10 pounds (females are typically smaller) |
| Lifespan | 13–16 years |
| Color Variations | Tan, brown, blonde, black and even multicolored |
| Temperament | Loving, fearless, protective and playful |
| Activity Levels | Medium – Maximum of 30 minutes each day |
| Daily Food Consumption | ½ cup of high quality dry kibble (preferably toy breed specialized) |
| Known Health issues | Allergies |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is a Chiweenie?
Although the Chiweenie is not a purebred dog. It is the perfect mix of two pure breeds, the Dachshund and the Chihuahua. This designer breed was developed from two miniature toy breeds to create a loyal yet fearless companion.
Chiweenie Puppies
The litter size of a Chihuahua Dachshund Mix varies from just two to six puppies. Due to puppies being disproportionally large in comparison to their mothers, canine dystocia (i.e. a difficultly during birth) may be a risk factor.
The price of Chiweenie Puppies is fairly affordable, in comparison to other designer dogs like the cavachon, and should be between $200 to $500 USD.
Due to the differences in their parent’s appearance, the puppies may also have distinguishable features. For example, a puppy may have short-pointed ears (like a Chihuahua) or long floppy ears (like a Dachshund).
Origins of This Designer Breed
Originating in the early 1990’s, it is a fairly new breed which has grown tremendously in popularity in the United States over the last decade.
You may have seen Tuna the Chiweenie on Instagram, who has a whopping 1.9 million followers.
The purebred parent breeds of the Chihuahua Dachshund Mix have relatively different origins. The cheeky Chihuahua is known to be of Mexican descent while the dashing Dachshund is of European descent, being from Germany.
As with every designer breed, the purpose of this breed was to selectively breed traits, temperaments and appearances which would be desired for a specific group of individuals.
| Fearless and Mighty | Loyal and Loving |
The combination of a small guard-like dog, but, loving and loyal temperament, is the perfect substitute for a large protective guard dog, which may not be the perfect travel companion due to its large size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chiweenie Lifespan
An average life expectancy of between 13-16 year providing they have a good quality of life in terms of nutrition, exercise and of course, care. They are a friend for life and you will certainly enjoy every year.
Chiweenie Full Grown
They are a toy breed, standing at only 8 – 12 inches and weighing approximately 5 to 10 pounds. Both these parent breeds may come in two different size classifications (e.g. standard and the miniature) and therefore producing a teacup Chiweenie.
The growth of this breed does not depend on sex; making the male and female similar in size.
Chiweenie Prices
These puppies will only set you back approximately $200 to $500 USD; this can vary based on appearance and breeding standards. A long eared Chihuahua Dachshund Mix usually costs more than a perky eared one. Make sure to find a responsible breeder.
As these dogs are growing in popularity, they are becoming a victim of backyard breeding as well as many dogs being left at shelters. If you want to save money, and most importantly a life, then adopt a dog from your local dog shelter.
Chiweenie Temperament and Personality
Don’t let their small size fool you. The Chiweenie Dog has a bold little soul. Fearless and loyal to their owners, this breed will not hesitate to protect you from any suspicious strangers.
These dogs can bark, and will bark a lot more than other toy dog breeds, making them the perfect look out for your home.
Their loyal temperament will be sure to win you over, if that doesn’t, their spicy Latin attitude and warm little soul will.
They are highly affectionate to those they love. They are actually rather picky and usually they have a favorite dog-parent. If you are lucky then this will be you and you will have your very own guard dog.
They make the perfect travelling companion due to their pocket-sized appearance making them a great little friend for any single dog-parent, senior or young couple.
They are more suited to a family with older children, as this small breed may be quiet feisty and may not make a great combination with young kids. Just because they believe they are big and macho, doesn’t mean they necessarily are. Remember, this is a toy designer breed and therefore may be prone to injuries from rough play with children.
How to Care for a Chihuahua Dachshund Mix
As with any dog breed, it is important to understand the basic care requirements in order to keep your fur baby happy and not yappy.
Food and Diet Requirements
Your Chiweenie is a loving dog yet at times they may be quite active. Therefore, the perfect diet for this breed must provide them with the correct energy requirements.
Top-Tip
Every dog loves to eat. But, don’t forget, this pooch is only tiny and therefore you must be careful to not overfeed this little pup more than it can handle.
Although an active toy breed, the Chiweenie is still a small dog and therefore doesn’t require many calories per day to meet their energy needs. This will change over their lifetime due to differences in the age, size and activity level.
A Chiweenie’s caloric needs are similar to their purebred parent, the Chihuahua, due to the similarity in size. Therefore, it is recommended you feed your dog approximately 250 to 440 calories per day.
This dog is tiny and so their stomach is also tiny, it is not a good idea to pack all of those nutrients into a big meal.
Instead, find a dry kibble diet which can compact these needs into two or three small meals daily. High quality dry kibble also acts to help with your dog’s dental hygiene. The biscuits will actually act as little toothbrushes, scraping away any plaque build-up.
Your Chiweenie should be provided with approximately a ½ cup of dry kibble per day over two to three meals. This will allow your pet to feel satisfied (and thus less demanding), as well as ensuring that they do not eat all of their food in a hurry which may lead to an irritated digestive system.
Exercising a Chihuahua Dachshund Mix
The Chiweenie is small and cuddly but that doesn’t mean that they don’t like to play. Luckily for you, they are small and therefore they don’t require a large back yard. In fact, a little run around the house with their favorite toy, mixed with a daily 20 minute walk; is sufficient enough.
Your mix will only require 20 to 30 minutes of walking a day. This will ensure your little friend doesn’t get bored and stays physically healthy.
Perhaps an evening stroll is the perfect excuse for you to escape the house and unwind after a big day? Don’t worry, your little companion will protect you!
Remember, although active, this is a toy breed, and therefore, they only have so much energy to burn off. They are the perfect lap dog at night for cuddles in front of the TV.
Training a Chiweenie
Unfortunately, even those with paws have flaws. This little dog can be quite stubborn and difficult to train. Therefore, patience and a lot of treats may be required. Here are some puppy training tips to help raise your Chiweenie.
Your pooch may grow tired of training quickly and therefore it is your responsibility to keep training interesting and engaging.
These dogs are not unintelligent, they are just quite active and get distracted easily. If you fail, then it is ok! Try again tomorrow.
Try and start training your Chiweenie from a young age, ideally from eight weeks old, by using positive reinforcement accompanied by a lot of patience.
The rewards of training will be worth it, helping build a strong and well matured dog. If trained and socialized correctly, your pup will be very loyal and loving towards you. They just love you so much that they want to save you from anything.
However, you still want your Chiweenie to make friends and tone down the feisty-ness towards strangers. Like training, socialization from an early age, is very important so that your puppy does not get into a habit of being overly aggressive. You can try:
- Puppy classes (also great for training purposes)
- Doggy day care
- Dog parks
- Walks around the neighborhood
Begin socialization as soon as possible so that your puppy can grow up to watch you interact with a variety of different people and animals.
Known Health Problems
The Chiweenie is a fairly active and healthy dog. However, like any mixed breed, this dog may inherit common diseases which may be associated with each parent breed.
It is therefore important for any responsible dog-parent to understand which health problems may arise from their purebred Chihuahua and Dachshund parents so that their pooch is able to stay fit, fabulous and feisty.
Allergies are the most common health issue seen in the Chiweenie. This is unfortunately due to their parent breed, the Chihuahua, who is known to suffer from a variety of allergies. An allergy is a negative immune response by your pup’s body to a particular item, such as food, pollen or even dust.
Common symptoms of your dog having an allergic reaction are sneezing, coughing, irritated skin, hair loss and licking their paws.
Breed Appearance: Coat, Color and Grooming
The Chiweenie is the perfect mix of both parent breeds, with the cute and stumpy short legs from the Chihuahua, and, a long sausage-like Dachshund body.
The face, a petite little head with structures either resembling a Chihuahua (a little compact) or a Dachshund (slightly elongated).
The ears of the Chiweenie are where things get interesting. Unlike many other designer dog breeds, this toy mix has two different ear types. Floppy OR perky.
This toy breed has nice and short to medium length fur which is beautifully silky. Their fur may come in a range of colours from black to tan to brown and even blonde. Some are even multi-colored.
Their eyes also come in a variety of colors ranging from green, to brown, to black and blue.
Grooming Requirements
The Chiweenie is very low maintenance dog when it comes to grooming. Having only a short to a medium length coat, grooming this breed is a breeze.
Brush your puppy two to three times a week, as they do not shed much, this will be plenty. Brushing sessions should last for only a few minutes.
Unfortunately, Chihuahuas are prone to dental problems and this may be passed down to your mixed dog too. Therefore, be sure to brush your pup’s teeth often; as a minimum each time you groom them. Try to start this from a young age so that your pup will grow accustomed to the routine.
You could also try dental treats for your dog. In fact, try giving them a dental treat as a distraction while you brush their fur.
Just keep up with the basic dog grooming requirements. Such as nail cutting, and don’t forget regular health checkups.
Summary
By now have you should have a rough idea if the Chiweenie is the right dog breed for you.
Loyal and loving yet fearless and strong (in their own mind), this little toy dog breed is like no other, although they may look small, they believe they are tough and will do their very best to protect you.
Perfect as a travel companion, perfect for the apartment-life, and perfect for any mature individual, they are praised for their attentiveness.
A motivator to keep you active, yet perfect for a quiet night in whilst being easy to maintain with limited grooming requirements.
With a loving and patient owner, this little breed will thrive and will easily become your very own Mexican Hotdog for life.
Comment below if you are lucky enough to have one of these little and mighty protectors in your life!
Other Dachshund and Chihuahua Mixes
If you’re interested in learning about other Dachshund mixes or Chihuahua mixes, check out the hybrid dog breeds below.
Yes I have a 6 week old little girl Chiweenie mixed colored brown black & white so far she has blue eyes, her name is Jazzy Kay Lyn. She’s afraid of nothing & very loving.
My wife and I have 2 chiweenies we have adopted from kill shelters. They’re the best little buddies in the world. My 3 year old girl is laying on my lap snoring as I write this. They are the best breed ever.
We just adopted our little Chiweenie from our local shelter. She is absolutely adorable
They named her Bitty…we kept the name & I call her Little Bit. She wants us to scratch her
belly all the time! I think she came from a backyard breeder who was
done with her. We are SO happy that we are able to give her a good home.
We’ve had doxies & a Chi…now we have a great combo!
I have a senior chiweenie named Milo. He’s 9 1/2, but he’s still just as healthy and active as he was at 2. Fortunately the only real problem he’s had is skin irritation from allergies. We have a huge yard and all kinds of plants and flowers, so the spring and fall we have to pay extra attention to qhere he’s roaming. Since his underside is ring in the grass/flowerbed, we have to wipe him off every tome he comes in the house from outside in the back. It’s annoying, but not as annoying as his skin being irritated at 2 am and having to give him a bath to give him relief! 😊😊😊 I love my guy, though, and I’ll do anything for him. He’s my bany for sure. My whole family adores him, but he’s been mine and I was immediately his person from the time we got him at 8 weeks old. He’s a great travel companion on the road too. He stands in the middle (he’s harnessed with his seatbelt) and sings along to the radio. His favorite song is Understanding by the 90s group Xscape lol. He’ll “sing” the whole song with he and even hits the high note!😆😆😆 I can’t even begin to think what I’ll do without him. I’m thinking of getting a puppy for him. I hear it helps them stay active as an older dog.
Forgive my misspelled words. It’s 4 am lol.
I am lucky enough to be raising my second Chiweenie. I lost my first little girl a couple of years ago due to cancer. She was such an outstanding little friend and protector that I longed to bring another into my life. I rescued one on the internet and she has been a very welcome addition to my, and my other teacup Chihuahua’s life. The description above is totally accurate. What a beautiful little friend. But, it looks like I am feeding her too much. ;-(.
We have a black 4 year old Chiweenie, he was a rescued at age 4 months. Came with issues – figured out allergies and allergic to chicken. He is full of life loving very territorial when it comes to strangers taking to myself or husband, he is very very spoiled and very playful , was easy to potty train , he is a lap dog and cuddles a lot, He is party of family
Do you have any suggestions on how to trim nails. As my dog has gotten older he has gotten aggressive towards the groomer. I’ve trued using a muzzle but it’s still very difficult holding him still. Going to the vet is s nightmare! I would appreciate any ideas you may have.
Hi Juanita,
Has your dog been socialized with a groomer from a young age and is he used to having his paws touched and nails trimmed? You should not be using a muzzle or any kind of force to hold him still whilst being groomed. It sounds like he hasn’t been socialized correctly, you can try reading our guide to socializing a dog and focus on the sections specifically to grooming.
Congratulations Jerry!
We just adopted our first puppy, a Chiweenie! We are completely smitten, he’s 4 months old, was potty trained a month after we got him, he sits and fetches. We are still working on stay, he doesn’t seem to want to grasp that one yet. He is funny, loving, sweet and the friendliest little dog we’ve ever experienced. Everywhere we go, he wants to say hi, and gives love to complete strangers. He is protective of our home which is nice and he’s so smart, has a good memory! We feel so fortunate to have this little dog! He has brought so much joy to our family! We definitely recommend a chiweenie to brighten anyone’s life!
Good luck. My two know what commands mean. If they choose to obey those commands is a different story altogether. 😉
We have four of these awesome furbabies, all of which have the perky ears. We adopted all four from the same litter when they were just a few weeks old and were very lucky to have found all four. All are awesome in their own ways but one really touched my heart and is my little bundle of joy, Hazel. My wife tells me when she knows it’s time for daddy to be pulling in she looks out the window and goes crazy when she sees me pull in. I get lots of attention from her, lots of licks in the face (no, I don’t mind that at all), and then she’s never more than a few feet away from me the rest of the evening. This article is right, they bark a lot if they see someone they don’t recognize. Ours are all fascinated by birds that are raising their own little families in birdhouses in front of our house.
I highly recommend chiweenies to absolutely anyone at all. We’ve had a lot of pets over the years but none have ever touched our hearts like these have. You really do fall in love with them, almost immediately, and they spoil you as much as you spoil them. Not surprisingly, my little Hazel is a very spoiled little girl! They are all 2 1/2 years old now. Love them as part of our family.
We have a chiweenie. We rescued him and he is supposed to be around 4 year and yes a very loving! Trying to house break him been a lot of work though.
John – I adopted 2 females from the same litter. I think it was a crazy thing to do! I am so glad to hear someone else say they got 4 of them at the same time 🙂 Please tell me all you can about training them, socializing, etc. Mine are just under 6 months old right now.
We adopted two females from the same litter ourselves. Their markings are very similar but otherwise they look completely different. We have only had them a month, but they are super.
We have a darling little Chiweenie that we adopted from a shelter in Sedona. He is smart, loveable, funny and friendly. He is also a great little watch dog. He was 2 in December when we got him. He is a joy and we love him very much.
I have had my first ChiWeenie a year now. He is such a sweet, loving, funny, protective little guy! I live alone and I do not know what I would do without my Jack now. I rescued him from a shelter and he was approximately 2 years old at the time. He is very spoiled and rules my house, but I do not mind. He is the best dog I have ever owned!!
I have 2 baby Chiweenies as this is my first experience with this crossbreed. I so far have enjoyed every second of watching them grow. They are only 5 weeks old but so much progress has been seen in these little pups. I am an analyst therefore have researched this designer dog in every aspect of their lives… and what a treat! I also have my baby boy chihuahua named Yuki whom is 20 months. He is absolutely the most protective of me, from any and everything. Is there hope that he will be accepting of our newest members? So far he protects them as well, yet wants no part of them getting near him. He has bitten people getting close to me, so I’m hoping he will be accepting due to their being babys. What do you think?
Hi Carri,
5 weeks old? They are young babies, we assume you bred them too?
It would pay to keep some distance between your Chiweenies and your Chi whilst you understand more of their behaviour. If possible, can you partition areas in your home? This will ensure the safety of the pups if you need to take your eye off them.
Chihuahua’s do have a reputation for being protective of their owners – and because of their small size, most find it endearing rather than aggressive. But as you’ve noticed, it is aggression, he has bitten someone who has gotten close to you.
We understand your concern with your puppies, we are thankful that you use the comment, accepting. This may be the extent of their relationship.
It would be beneficial to just allow your Chi and Chiweenies to co-exist and not expect them to be romping anytime soon. This is also important for your Chiweenies, with them being so young, you don’t want them to learn inappropriate etiquette from your Chi.
Your Chi needs to know that not much will change in your relationship with him, so still take him out for walks/interact/play on his own. Do the same with the Chiweenies. Do you have a long chew/puzzle you could give your Chi whilst you’re interacting with your Chiweenies?
This is where partitioning is helpful. Is your Chi crate trained? Or have you considered it with your Chiweenies (once they come out the whelping box)?
Let them exist from their partitioned areas. Let your Chi explore, let your Chiweenies explore. Don’t force any interactions. Have you read much on the idea of flooding? It is a particularly relevant topic in your situation.
The hope is that your Chi learns your new additions firstly pose no threat to him or you, and secondly, don’t impact on his life, but if they do, in a good way.
If you are concerned about the interactions between your pups, please seek the advice of a qualified behaviourist.
Had this dog for seven weeks from a friend, 5 years old, is practically perfect and low maintenance. And fun to have around.
Recently I took in orphaned Chiweenie puppies that are 11 days old today. Bottle feedings are exhausting but needed. 2 boys and 1 of them seams to be a runt. They were 2 days old when we got them. Now I’m researching everything I can. Our other dog we’ve had for 8 yrs and she’s a chihuahua, miniature pinscher mix. Do you have any tips or suggestions about raising puppies this young and keeping them forever. I’ve taken care of orphaned cats and dogs before but never kept them.
Hi Ida,
If you’ve raised puppies this young, I’m assuming you know to weigh them daily, ensuring they are gaining sufficient weight? You’re keeping them warm, and helping them to toilet etc? They need regular handling because they don’t have their Mom for comfort. I’m assuming you’ll be worming them from week 2 onwards too.
At around 4-6 weeks you can start to socialize them, introduce them to noises, things around the home etc. At this point you could introduce them to your resident dog, but monitor the interaction and don’t push it if either of them are struggling.
Have you spoke with your Veterinarian about the vaccination schedule? This will help determine when you can start taking them out to experience even more of the world.
Because they have had limited interaction with littermates or other dogs, they may be more wary of other dogs or totally disregard their behaviour in any interactions. It’ll be up to you to keep the interaction amenable and always try to end it on a positive.
The bonus is they have each other to learn certain skills from, but they may mouth/chew more as they’ve not had their Mom to learn from. Here you need to distract and provide them with something they can chew on. So rather than punishing the unwanted behaviour, encourage the wanted behaviour.
The most important thing is to get their health on track, once they are growing and thriving, that’s when you can get stuck in to their socialisation and training.
We recently adopted two Chiweenie puppies from a shelter. They are male and female siblings. Should we train them separately or together? Having difficulty getting them to focus when they are together and they get anxious when apart.
This is often the difficulty when two siblings are adopted at the same time. Ideally, they should be trained and socialized both together and separately. How old are they and what sort of training are you thinking of? Their age will dictate their attention span and dependence on their sibling – as will their history pre-shelter.
You comment that “we adopted.” I’m assuming there is more than one of you? Have you tried training them separately but at the same time? Partitions can help in the home. Further information about their age and history would help us figure out a better plan moving forward so please feel free to get back to us.
I just adopted a tiny Chiweenie, black with white under his neck, big ears. Breeder was eager to get rid of him & said he was 8 weeks, but Vet thought 6 weeks at most. He eats very well 4 times/day (soft food only) high calorie newborns/puppies. I’ve had him 6 days, so maybe close to 7 weeks now. He’s gained weight, but weighed slightly under 1 lb. 6 days ago. Today 1.6 lbs. My big concern is whether he’s drinking enough water. He fights me when I try the give him bottle with water, but I’ve seen him lap some water from his bowl. Any advice? Thank you,
Valarie Barbour
Hi Valarie,
Just to confirm (so I can give you a better answer), are you trying to bottle feed water or bowl feed water to your dog? Would you also confirm which feed you are using for your Chiweenie (as lots of his hydration will come from his diet too). In the interim, I would leave a fresh water supply in a bowl which is easily accessible for him.
Love my little girl chiweenie we adopted her from a high kill shelter in california, brought her all the way to calgary alberta. the sweetest most loving little pooch I have had opportnity to share my home with.
Missy Mae is my little chiweenie pup, and she has been like a true GODSEND for me – especially as I have had a tough year this past year. No matter what happens in my life though Missy is always a constant reminder that she has love in abundance for me!
We have two Chiweenies, mommy and child. Both are female. We have had the mommy for over five years. The baby is almost a year old. We love them both very much. Our only issue is that the baby is aggressive when playing with her mommy and she does not seem to discipline baby at all? We are unsure as to what to do.
When you say aggressive, what do you mean? How does the Mom react? It’s not fair to expect the Mom to always manage the puppy’s behavior. If you are concerned about their play time, then limit it to only positive interactions. When it gets boisterous, separate them; either in play pens or separate areas of the home. How does the younger pup behave with other dogs outside of the home? Further information would help us understand this particular issue.
I just put a deposit on a Chiweenie. He will come home in late July. I am so excited. I learned about the “breed” 11 yrs ago a friend had one. She was so sweet. When I decided to get a dog I did not think twice. I tried to rescue one but in the time of the virus I was unsuccessful. So I tried some other toy breeds, no luck. I came full circle when I found a local breeder had a new litter.
I have 2, Rocket, and Apollo. They are my best friends.
I have a four month old chiweenie. He is the BEST dog I’ve ever had and I am 64 years and old and have had many dogs. He is very cuddly and loves to play fetch. He’s an outstanding pet.
My husband and i got a chiweenie from his mom and her husband. Her name is Cupcake. I have autism, and since we’ve had her, I don’t even think about it anymore. She is only 7 months, and keeps both of us very busy. What would be the best dental treat for her teeth? Your advise really helped us learn more about her specific needs, and health concerns.
Hi Margaret, you can try chopped Carrots! I’m sure Cupcake will love them and it will really help scrub her teeth.
Hi John, I bought a Deer Head Chi. 2 days after I got her she came in heat. I also have a male chi weenie omg I love these babies. So he got with her and she had 3. The other 2 are 13 weeks old and so different. One is mellow if you can believe that and the other one is so hyper. I can’t believe it but a friend called and had a female chi weenie she is so little. I couldn’t turn her down. I had 3 seniors that I had to put to sleep, 1 of them died this past year. I have 3 more seniors and others. I know I have more than I need but I love everyone of them. My chi weenies are so precious. I’ve never had a chi. So this has been a blessing to me. All my dogs are lap dogs. You should see the chair when I sit down.My male (Pup Pup) that got with the chi (Kali) he is so jealous of all the other dogs and shows it. Very aggressive but nothing I can’t handle. The 3 puppies were all males the 2 that lived are named (scooter) and (frisky). The little girl I named (trixie). All my dogs have different personalities and love me much. I love them all back and they know it. Thanks for listening! Joe Ann
Love my boy, Kobe.
Rescued my ChiWeenie ‘Merk’ 3yrs ago, think he is 4-5 now. He is the best dog I’ve been blessed to have. My best friend and always there for me, highly recommend.
I have my Dora, now know as “moma”, she is chihuahua, soon to be 12. Then theres Dixie, my chiweenie soon to be 5 years. Moved about 4 years ago and my sister helps with them as i work. Dora got with the neighbor kid charlie down the stree, charlie got dora pregnant. I was not thrilled about this concerned by her age, however she has the spunk of a 3 yr old toddler so i hoped for the best. She delievered a week ago a,d had 1 still born and 1 live. The puppy is doing fine as i thought she maybe struggling with weight i searched and stumbled upon this site. It seems she is moving along fine for her age actually average. I do feel like mothers replacement could help considering the mothers age any help on bottle feeding i cant get the pup to take it. Thanks