Chiweenie - Popular Dachshund-Chihuahua Mix

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In recent years designer dog breeds are starting to get popular and breeds like Chiweenie, Labradoodle, Goldendoodle, Schnoodle, and others, are enjoying a huge popularity boost around the world and especially in the United States. Some dog owners have never heard of Chiweenie, and that is also not a huge surprise, especially since in Europe designer dog breeds are less popular than in the US.

So what exactly is a Chiweenie? How should a Chiweenie look? How big do they get? Why were they created? Those are some of the questions we will try and answer about these rising stars of designer dog breeds.

What is a Chiweenie?

A Chiweenie is a mixed dog breed that comes from a Dachshund and a Chihuahua. It is also known by several other names like Weeniehuahuas, Choxie, German hot dogs, and German Taco. Breeders of the Chiweenie say that the best dogs are produced when a purebred Dachshund is mixed with a purebred Chihuahua and apparently, they avoid subsequent breeding of two first-generation Chiweenies or even a Chiweenie with one of the parent breeds.

Chihuahua

Chiweenie characteristics

Since a Chiweenie is not a recognized breed nor is it registered with any major cynology association, there is much yet to be discovered and learn about these dogs. One of the major issues about any designer dog breed is the lack of a breed standard.

When a breed does not have a standard in place it is hard to determine what traits are desirable, how they should look, what exactly their character should be like, and many other things. Based on data that exists about Chiweenies we can describe what most of them look like and what we can “expect” to get in a designer breed like this.

Chiweenie is a mix between Dachshunds and Chihuahuas so it is expected that new Chiweenie puppies will have traits that are inherited from both of the parent breeds. These dogs are generally small and are between 6 - 10 in (15-25 cm) at the withers. That is completely expected as both of the parent breeds are rather short. The Chiweenie will most likely weigh somewhere between 5 and 12 lbs (2-5,5 kg). Again, this is not a complete certainty and single dogs can become larger or smaller.

There are a few possibilities of how a Chiweenie can look, depending on the traits it inherits from each of the parent breeds. Usually, Chiweenies have a shorter body length than a Dachshund has, and their tail is longer and narrower. Its ears can be floppy, like that of a Dachshund, or they can be pointy and upright, like that of a Chihuahua. The muzzle is in most cases something in between, longer than a Chihuahuas but shorter than that of a Dachshund.

Dachshund

Chiweenie coat and color

To exactly determine what type of coat your new Chiweenie will have you will have to take a long look at both of the parents’ coats. Chihuahuas can come in two varieties - with long coats and with short coats. The same situation is with the Dachshund, only the Dachshund can come in short, long, or wired hair. The new Chiweenie will most probably have a mix of these types of coats, depending on the coat of its parents, of course.

When it comes to the Chiweenie colors, the combinations are endless. Chihuahuas can have nearly all known dog colors with a few exceptions. Dachshunds can also come in a wide variety of colors and some dogs can even have brindle markings on their coat. Again, the new Chiweenie puppy will probably inherit a combination of the parent’s coats, so when you are looking for a Chiweenie puppy, make sure that you have a long look at what their parents look like.

The most common Chiweenie colors are fawn, brown, and black and white.

Chiweenie temperament

The designer breed Chiweenie can have different temperaments. Even in a purebred dog, you might end up with a dog that is not the typical example of the breed and the new temperament of a designer mixed breed is even more unpredictable. Generally, a mixed breed inherits a combination of character traits from both parents, and Chiweenie’s character or temperament is no different.

To fully understand a breed’s temperament, it needs to be studied over a longer period and that is unfortunately not possible for such young designer dog breeds like the Chiweenie. What we do know based on its relatively short history is that most of these dogs are energetic and prone to barking. Chihuahuas are fairly energetic and Dachshunds were once very energetic hunters. Mix all characteristics of the parent breeds and you will most likely end up with a dog that is fairly confident and has the zest for life.

Chiweenies are attention-seekers and they love being in the center of it. Most of these dogs are playful and friendly, and even though Dachshunds have a strong prey drive, most of Chiweenies show little to no interest in hunting and they do not have a strong prey drive. These dogs are rather small and that means that even though they are energetic, their small size dictates that their daily activity needs can be met with a half an hour a day of active playtime.

They are also prone to barking and they usually make great watchdogs since both of the parent breeds are alert.

Chiweenie

Short Chiweenie history

Like in many other designer dog breeds, the Chiweenie has a short history. This doesn’t mean that mixes between Chihuahuas haven’t happened naturally throughout history, it only means that dog owners and breeders have started deliberately breeding these two dog breeds - recently.

The deliberate mixing of Chihuahuas and Dachshunds started in the late 1990s when some breeders had the idea that mixings Dachshunds and Chihuahuas would fix some of the back problems purebred Dachsunds experienced. It is not completely known where this mixing trend started but it most likely started in the USA. The new puppies were extremely cute and soon the demand for these dogs started growing.

Because this is a designer breed, or more precisely, it is a mixed breed, all major kennel clubs and national cynology associations do not accept them, however, some clubs focus on promoting designer dog breeds and they fully accept and promote the Chiweenie.

Chiweenie puppy prices

Like any other dog breed, these dogs are for sale by many breeders across the US. This is a designer breed that is not too pricey and that is certainly a part of their appeal. On average, a new Chiweenie puppy will cost between 200 and 600 $.

World Dog Finder team