10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Chestie

Chestie

The Chestie is a designer dog, meaning that it was created for the purpose of combining the best characteristics from two breeds. One of those two breeds would be the small, yappy dog known as the Chihuahua. The other would be the West Highland White Terrier.

1. Small Dog

Both the Chihuahua and the West Highland White Terrier are small dogs. As a result, the Chestie is on the smaller side of things as well. This makes the breed an excellent choice for people with limited living space.

2. Expect the Chestie to Cost At Least $800

A number of websites mention that people who want a Chestie puppy should expect to pay at least $800. As such, they shouldn’t be surprised if they are asked for a much bigger sum than that, particularly since Chesties are pretty popular. Of course, this isn’t including the costs of pet ownership, so people will need to take those into account as well.

3. Be Cautious of Suspiciously Low Prices

Speaking of which, people might be offered a Chestie puppy for a lower price. However, they should be cautious of suspiciously low prices because that could mean that something is wrong with the puppy. For example, the Chestie puppy might have serious medical issues. Similarly, the Chestie puppy might not be vaccinated. It is always a good idea for people to check the relevant records to make sure that their prospective dog is problem-free. Otherwise, they could find themselves regretting their hastiness.

4. The Chihuahua Is Named for a Mexican State

The Chihuahua is named for the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua, which is one of the 32 federal entities that make up Mexico. It is situated in the country’s northwest, with the result that it borders both the state of Texas and the state of New Mexico. Chihuahua is huge, so much so that it is bigger than the United Kingdom. As such, it bears the nickname of El Estado Grande, which means exactly what it sounds like. Having said that, Chihuahua is also interesting because of the sheer range that can be found in its landscape. For instance, it is famous for the Chihuahuan Desert that serves as its namesake. Despite this, Chihuahua is home to more forests than any of its counterparts in the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this range has provided the state with a wide range of both fauna and flora.

5. The Chihuahua Is Believed to Be Descended from the Techichi

It is thought that the Chihuahua is descended from the Techichi, a small, mute dog that was kept by the Toltecs. For those who are curious, the Toltecs are a pre-Colombian people that predated the founding of the Aztec Empire. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine facts about them for a number of reasons. One would be the limited availability of archaeological evidence, which is always an issue when it comes to ancient civilizations. The other would be the fact that the Aztec Empire saw the Toltecs as its cultural predecessors, with the result that it described the Toltec culture as the epitome of civilization. Something that presumably influenced their accounts of the latter, thus calling those accounts into serious question.

6. Chihuahuas Can Be Either Apple Head or Deer Head

Chihuahuas are often divided into Apple Head Chihuahuas and Deer Head Chihuahuas because of the different appearances of these different varieties. Apple Head Chihuahuas are called thus because they have rounded skulls. In contrast, Deer Head Chihuahuas have flatter skulls. There are other physical characteristics that can be used to distinguish the two as well. To name another example, Apple Head Chihuahuas have big, round eyes while Deer Head Chihuahuas have eyes that are more widely set.

7. The West Highland White Terrier Has a Strong Prey Drive

The West Highland White Terrier has a strong prey drive. This is perhaps unsurprising because terriers are labelled terriers because they are meant to hunt small prey. In the case of the West Highland White Terrier, they were meant to hunt rodents at farms as well as other locations where such protection was important. Regardless, the important point is that this prey drive can carry over to Chesties, meaning that it can influence the behavior of such dogs.

8. The West Highland White Terrier’s Coat Color Is a Safety Feature

West Highland White Terriers are exactly what they sound like, which is to say, dogs with white coats. There are some members of the breed that have a light wheaten coat. However, those are very much the exceptions rather than the rule. Supposedly, the West Highland White Terrier’s coat color was meant to be a safety feature. As the story goes, a Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm was hunting with Cairn Terriers when he accidentally shot his favorite dog after he mistook it for either a fox or a rabbit. Thanks to this, he started breeding white terriers with other white terriers, thus contributing to the creation of a breed whose coat color would always stand out even when obscured by foliage.

9. The West Highland White Terrier Can Be Wide-Ranging in Temperament

The West Highland White Terrier can be wide-ranging in temperament. Sometimes, they are very friendly. Other times, they have a preference for solitude. Regardless, West Highland White Terriers have certain characteristics that make it important for them to receive training from an early age. For example, they can be stubborn. Similarly, they can be possessive of their food as well as their toys.

10. Chesties Are Often Vocal

Speaking of which, Chesties are often vocals because of their ancestors. It is common for them to bark when they see other dogs as well as other animals. Moreover, it isn’t uncommon for Chesties to chase other animals in spite of their small size. Due to this, people should start training and socializing their Chesties sooner rather than later, which should enable them to minimize the chances for these tendencies to become serious problems.

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