Chihuahua Information Center
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Exercise for Your Chihuahua
Proper Chihuahua Exercise
Exercising your Chihuahua will keep her from becoming over weight and it will allow her muscles to be strong. As your Chihuahua grows older, all the years of a good exercise program will make a different. Proper exercise, along with a good diet will help your Chihuahua live as long as possible. When your Chihuahua is a pup, he will be very active.
A pup can weigh from a 1/4 pound to 1/2 pounds and this small, fragile puppy does not need any more exercise than he will get by normal curiosity of looking around and the playful jumping around that he will do. Just this alone will wear him out; as you will notice that your puppy sleeps a lot.
Why Exercise is Vital
Because a Chihuahua is such a small dog, some owners think that just walking around the house or walking up stairs is enough exercise for this toy breed dog. It is not!
In the same way that exercise keeps a person healthy, it will keep your Chihuahua in good shape. Exercise is needed to keep the heart healthy and provide overall good health. Since a Chihuahua is so small, you must give your dog exercise that fits their size.
If you live in a location that has a lot of cold weather and can not go outside for walks each day, there are still ways to make sure your Chihuahua is as active as he or she should be.
Because a Chihuahua is such a small dog, some owners think that just walking around the house or walking up stairs is enough exercise for this toy breed dog. It is not!
In the same way that exercise keeps a person healthy, it will keep your Chihuahua in good shape. Exercise is needed to keep the heart healthy and provide overall good health. Since a Chihuahua is so small, you must give your dog exercise that fits their size.
If you live in a location that has a lot of cold weather and can not go outside for walks each day, there are still ways to make sure your Chihuahua is as active as he or she should be.
Note: Exercise is just 1 of the many important aspects of taking excellent care of your Chihuahua. Your Chi needs to be physically and emotional healthy. Click here to see how you can learn much more. 
Once your Chihuahua is one year old, you may start an exercise schedule. Having a pet is meant to be fun and bring joy to you; therefore it is not recommended that you plan a strict exercise program and obey by it as if it is written in stone. Exercising with your Chihuahua should be fun and an activity that you both look forward to.If your Chihuahua appears sick, do not try to exercise with him. That would be the time to bring him to your trusted vet. However, if your dog is just lazing around, it is an ideal time to show your dog that exercise is fun. Do not allow your dog to become lazy; this breed can easily become overweight...And it is much easier to maintain weight than lose it.
When you are ready to have some fun and provide some exercise for your Chihuahua, make sure to bring ample water if you will be outside. Also, pay attention to the weather. What might seem like a great sunny day may be too hot for your little Chihuahua. It is not recommended to exercise your dog outside if it is above 80 degrees or below 50 degrees.
Since a Chihuahua is a delicate dog and a small breed dog such as this should not be exposed to high or low temperatures for any length of time. If you must bring your Chihuahua outside into cold weather, it is strongly recommended to obtain Chihuahua clothing. You can find clothing just for Chihuahuas. Chihuahua clothing does not just make a dog look cute. Chihuahua clothing is meant to protect your dog. You can find rain coats, sweaters, booties and all clothing items to protect against harsh winds and bitter temperatures. Usually, getting clothes for your Chihuahua is rather easy, as makers of specialty dog clothes will have a line of clothes for "small" or "toy" dogs.A great form of exercise for your dog is of course walking. Most enjoy this very much as it is a good release of energy. Some Chihuahua service dogs walk for miles each day.
Remember that a normal exercise walk for you is a very long walk for your Chihuahua. Walking is a great way to train your dog to walk beside you while on a leash. You should begin on a quiet street without a lot of traffic. After your Chihuahua understands the need to walk near you where it is safe, you can begin to journey further. Always keep him or her on a short leash when walking, no longer than six feet.
Retractable leashes work well and offer a lot of control over your dog. Know how much exercise your Chihuahua needs. A good exercise walk for your Chihuahua will be a ½ mile. You may walk your Chihuahua one mile for extra good exercise; however make sure to take a couple of breaks to allow the dog to rest and to drink plenty of water.Exercising your dog inside equals fun. All kinds of activities with your Chihuahua will count towards exercise. Playing games with your dog will keep them active and provide the movement that they need. This works best with a toy that a Chihuahua will find tremendously appealing; we are not talking about a squeaky ball! You can find fun toys at just about any online doggie toy site. Most dog stores in local malls do not have the ability to carry all of the items they have; therefore surfing online will show you the enormous collection there is. Find the ones that will make playing games with your Chihuahua fun.
How to play: Take a unique toy and hide it in an easy spot to find. Persuade your Chihuahua to find it. When he does, reward your dog with lots of patting and hugs. Then, hide the toy in a location that is a bit harder to find. Again, show excitement when your dog is looking for it. Give rewards of happy, excited words. You can keep making this game more difficult until it takes a moderate amount of time for your Chihuahua to find the toy and the final reward can be a healthy dog treat.
