Long Hair Chihuahua
or
Long Coat Chihuahua
Long hair chihuahua / long coat chihuahua
No matter what you call them, long hair Chihuahua or long coat Chihuahua, they are a thing of beauty. One of the few long hair breeds that don’t need to go to the “beauty shop”. Long haired Chihuahuas are easily kept up with weekly brushing at home, make sure to use lukewarm water to wash them with a good quality shampoo & conditioner.
The Puppy Uglies – 4 to 8 months of age
Does this mean that your puppy will actually be ugly? The answer is a huge NO! It reminds me a bit of a cute gangly looking teenager, for a bit…but not ugly. For the chihuahua is one of the most beautiful dogs in the world and this what is known as a “necessary evil”. It is a step that leads your wonderful dog into the gorgeous dog that he or she was meant to be!
Some long hair Chihuahua owners hope that they can escape the fate of the Puppy Uglies with a dose of good luck. Others have heard of this phrase and do not understand the sometimes shocking results of this long hair Chihuahua term.
Still other Chi owners have puppies that are currently in this stage and mistake the symptoms for more serious medical issues.
Let’s put to rest some of the myths regarding this issue and discuss all of the aspects of what exactly this term means to you and your long hair Chihuahua.
What are the Puppy Uglies, can you avoid them, what happens during this time and how long does this last? We will discuss all of these issues to help clarify the Puppy Uglies.
General Overview
Long hair Chihuahua are born with wonderfully fluffy coats of fur; this is one the features that makes this dog breed so amazingly special and unique. There is a brief interruption where the fur will fall out. This is only temporary; once the adult coat comes in, your long hair Chihuahua will have silky, shiny hair. The Puppy Uglies is simply a stage that all long hair Chihuahua dogs go through as they are growing. Just as humans enter different stages of growing, this is a phase in which your long hair Chihuahua is losing its baby fur. The “Uglies” will be the stage in which the baby fur is gone, but the adult fur has yet to grow in. The phase will end when the adult fur has fully grown in.
A long hair Chihuahua puppy is born with just one coat of fur. It is soft and so heavenly smooth. After the Puppy Ugly stage is done, the long hair Chihuahua will have its adult 2 coats of fur: undercoat and overcoat. The undercoat will be short and thick, the overcoat will be longer, soft and gorgeous.
Can I Avoid This Stage?
You may, if your long hair Chihuahua is in the 20th percentile of Chis that do not appear to go through this stage. This 20% will actually enter the stage during winter months and not have a full-blown phase; therefore not appearing to have this.
The other 80% of healthy long hair Chihuahua dogs will go through this stage. Please note that we stated “healthy long hair Chihuahua”. This process, in which the puppy coat is shed and the adult coat grows in is an elemental part of a growing long hair Chihuahua.
How Can I Be Sure My Long Hair Chihuahua is Having Puppy Uglies?
This is an important element because there are many medical issues, some serious, that cause a dog to lose fur. If your long hair Chihuahua is losing its fur and they are not at the correct age of having Puppy Uglies, this would be a red flag to bring your dog to the vet ASAP.
The 80% of long hair Chihuahuas that enter this stage will do so at the age of 4 to 8 months old. The phase will end when the long hair Chihuahua is 10 to 14 months old. If your long hair Chihuahua is losing substantial amounts of its coat, enough to show patches of skin and the dog is not between 8 and 14 months, you will want to bring them to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
What Else Can Cause Fur Loss?
Beside the Puppy Uglies, fur loss can occur with the long hair Chihuahua from food or environmental allergies, thyroid problems and a host of other medical issues. Most can be resolved with treatment; which is why it is so important to have your dog checked out. However, if your long hair Chihuahua is at the right age to lose its baby fur, there is no reason to rush to the vet. The veterinarian will not be able to stop this stage, nor should they! It is a necessary step to your dog becoming an adult long hair Chihuahua and having that wonderful permanent fluffy fur.
Where Does this Occur?
This will vary from dog to dog. That is where this term got its name. While we would never begin to think that a long hair Chihuahua could actually be ugly, the fur loss can occur in strange areas, thus making the dog look very odd for a while! The fur loss may be only on the legs, causing the dog to look a bit like a Poodle shaving gone awry. The long hair Chihuahua may lose fur just around the eyes, causing the dog to look like it got a bit too close to a flame that sizzled off their “eyebrows”. It is suggested to take this phase for what it is and have a bit of humor. Your long hair Chihuahua is not really ugly, he or she is an adorable little creature who is going through a very large change.
What Can I Do to Help?
Your long hair Chihuahua only needs your love and also a bit of care concerning grooming. Do not stop giving your dog baths and brushings, thinking that this will help slow down fur loss. The baby fur must come out and your dog must be kept clean. To help this process along, you can wash your dog with warm water (instead of lukewarm) and use a Kong ZoomGroom (Found at places like Petsmart) when washing and for regular brushing. This will help the hair to fall out faster while stimulating the new hair to grow in for your long hair Chihuahua. When we discovered the ZoomGroom, it made a drastic difference in the time it took for our long hair Chihuahua to get their beautiful adult coats in! You will want to be careful when you are brushing your dog; the skin that has little hair or is completely bald will be sensitive. Brush carefully around those areas on your long hair Chihuahua.
Be sure to use a high quality dog fur conditioner, as this will help keep the skin soft as well. Make sure that your long hair Chihuahua has soft elements to lay on, such as a soft doggie bed, pillows and cushions. If the dog has lost hair on the legs, sores may appear if your long hair Chihuahua is laying on hard surfaces. Keep your eyes out for any sores or red areas that seem irritated and bring these to the attention of your long hair Chihuahua’s vet if your effort to provide a soft home is not working.
According to the AKC standard:
“In Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Ears – Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Tail – Full and long (as a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff on the neck desired and preferred. Disqualification – In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.”
Here are a few pictures of long hair chihuahua puppies long coat chihuahua puppies and long hair chihuahua adults long hair chihuahua adults
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long hair chihuahua / long coat chihuahua