Chihuahuas ‘not interactive cats’
It’ll be ‘‘raining dogs’’ when the postChristmas joy of puppy ownership wears off and reality sets in, a Christchurch charity says.
NZ Chihuahua Rescue Trust (NCRT) founder Casey Walters said despite a reprieve in the number of dogs being surrendered over summer, she was preparing for a huge influx next month.
At its busiest point last year, a dog a day was being handed over to the trust from owners struggling to deal with the breed’s complex and often expensive needs, she said.
Walters started NCRT in 2017 to house dogs abandoned by puppy farms, backyard breeders and struggling owners.
People bought the ‘‘designer dogs’’, made famous as handbag accessories by celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, thinking they could treat them like cats, which ‘‘simply is not the case’’.
‘‘People think chihuahuas are cats that are a bit more interactive. They do need to be walked, they need to be socialised . . . you need to be able to put the time into them.’’
Breathing difficulties, heart disorders, neurological conditions and neck deformities were not uncommon and though their protruding eyes and tiny mouths might look cute, they were often the cause of expensive dental and eye problems.
Walters said owners treated little dogs ‘‘very different to how they treat big dogs’’.
There were things people let small dogs get away with that they would never let a rottweiler do. This created behavioural problems and an unstable mentality that the dogs could ‘‘do what they want’’.
Failing to train them resulted in the ‘‘yappy little things’’ that unfairly gave the whole breed a bad name, she said.
For one ‘‘difficult’’ night, Walters had nine dogs staying in her Bishopdale house. Her six ‘‘permanent’’ pups include her original dog Alfie, the loudest of the bunch who was spotted in a pet store and Walters couldn’t leave him behind, and a formerly feral dog called Pippin.
She also had smooth-coated Spencer, who was an award-winning show dog but Walters said she would never use him for breeding and strongly encouraged people not to buy from ‘‘dodgy breeders’’ offering cheap deals. Puppy farming and backyard breeding were rife so picking quality, accredited breeders was important.
She said it was frustrating when people said they did not understand the need for the NCRT given Christchurch’s ‘‘huge’’ chihuahua community. More than 40 dogs had been rehomed by the trust so far, with each new owner paying an average adoption fee of about $500.
‘‘You do bond with the foster dogs, especially the ones who have a long stay. I’ve definitely cried . . . but if you keep one, you won’t have any space for another.’’