Chihuahua
Long-lived and cheap to keep — but fiery, noisy, and fragile around children.
About the Chihuahua
The Chihuahua or Chihuahueño is a Mexican breed of toy dog and the smallest recognized dog breed in the world. It is primarily kept as a companion animal and is characterized by its compact size, large erect ears, and rounded skull. The breed occurs in both short- and long-coated varieties, with a wide range of colors and patterns.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Key facts
- Origin
- Mexico
- Weight
- 1.5–3 kg
- Height
- 15–23 cm
- Lifespan
- 14–18 years
- Est. monthly cost
- $64 (≈ $768 per year)
- Purchase price
- $1,400–$2,450 from a breeder
Where the monthly cost comes from
Routine care for a Chihuahua averages about $64 a month, or roughly $768 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food (scaled to 2 kg) | $52.99 |
| Treats | $60.00 |
| Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues) | $347.55 |
| Medications (flea, tick, heartworm) | $101.85 |
| Grooming (2/5 coat requirement) | $150.00 |
| Toys | $37.00 |
| Licence | $15.00 |
| Total | $64 |
Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.
If you insure, board and budget for emergencies
Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $166 a month — about $1,990 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Routine care, as itemised above | $768 |
| Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium) | $676 |
| Boarding (10 days at $25/day) | $250 |
| Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years) | $300 |
| Fully-loaded total | $1,990 |
Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.
Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.
Temperament and care profile
Health issues to watch
The FDA's animal adverse-event database holds 38,214 reported events filed under this breed name (data current to 2026-10-05). Reports are not proof of causation and are not adjusted for how many animals of the breed exist.
More photos
Photos via Dog CEO.
How it compares
Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.
- Chihuahua vs Boston Terrier
- Chihuahua vs Dachshund
- Chihuahua vs Pug
- Chihuahua vs French Bulldog
- Chihuahua vs Beagle
- Chihuahua vs Chinese Rural Dog
- Chihuahua vs Greyhound
- Chihuahua vs Doberman Pinscher
- Chihuahua vs Shiba Inu
- Chihuahua vs Pembroke Welsh Corgi
- Chihuahua vs Pomeranian
- Chihuahua vs Miniature Schnauzer