Good things come in small packages: The Chihuahua

[Kalinychta]

Man, I gotta ask: as autistic people, how can you stand their high-pitched yapping without having a complete and total screaming meltdown? Do autistic people who have little dogs not have auditory sensitivities? After about five seconds of listening to little dogs yapping, I want to jab knives into my brain. Also they’re so nervous and needy - they lick you and crawl all over you and need, need, need. I’m just curious, as autistic people how do you deal with them? They honestly seem to me to be the most autistic-unfriendly dogs on the planet.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

For me I’m only sensitive to certain frequencies and louder and more deafening noises such as an air hammer in use. Small dogs barking doesn’t bother me.

 

[Tom]

For me I’m only sensitive to certain frequencies and louder and more deafening noises such as an air hammer in use. Small dogs barking doesn’t bother me.

I am also very tolerant to their barking, and it can reach cacophony stages with 4 of them. I can't play indoor games with them when my wife is home, because while some actively play, the others participate by screaming their heads off.

But somehow it doesn't bother me. I have this theory that chihuahuas have 50-100 barks generated in them every day and they aren't trully happy unless they can use every one.

 

[Judge]

Man, I gotta ask: as autistic people, how can you stand their high-pitched yapping without having a complete and total screaming meltdown? Do autistic people who have little dogs not have auditory sensitivities? After about five seconds of listening to little dogs yapping, I want to jab knives into my brain. Also they’re so nervous and needy - they lick you and crawl all over you and need, need, need. I’m just curious, as autistic people how do you deal with them? They honestly seem to me to be the most autistic-unfriendly dogs on the planet.

Love and tolerance...stretched to our limits. That's how.

But then there's so much more to them than just their yapping. You make the effort because they're worth it.

 

[Kalinychta]

Love and tolerance...stretched to our limits. That's how.

But then there's so much more to them than just their yapping. You make the effort because they're worth it.

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Touché! Actually a good friend of mine had a Chihuahua mix who just recently passed away, and on the one hand I couldn’t stand that damn dog, but on the other she was actually a really sweet girl, and my friend loved her so much, which made me love her in a way. It’s just the sensory aspect that I absolutely can’t fathom. As an autistic person I couldn’t ever live with a little doggy. Maybe it’s different when you live with the dog, rather than having to listen to him/her yap from next door. Possibly like how people tolerate their own kids but can’t stand other people’s.

 

[Rodafina]

She was only half Chihuahua, but I dare to share her here anyway, because she was 100% Chihuahua in spirit! We were best buddies, but neither one of us tolerated other human beings too well!

 

[Tom]

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She was only half Chihuahua, but I dare to share her here anyway, because she was 100% Chihuahua in spirit! We were best buddies, but neither one of us tolerated other human beings too well!

Very cute!

Two of mine are mixes. Both have pretty unique personalities, but I think Chihuahua genes must be dominant. Just like a Chihuahua will tend to be the alpha in any mixed dog pack (even with pits!).

Here we are training for the Iditerod.

 

[Forest Cat]

Chihuahua wedding

Chihuahuas Chester and Izzy tie the knot in Runcorn

 

[Tom]

There are many unusual things about Chihuahuas. One that I haven't seen scientifically substantiated yet is a belief some hold that Chis - while generally accepted as being the most other dog/other animal adverse - actually are the most likely dog to get along with cats.

This is an unusal pack. Richie the cat is both alpha and main social caregiver to 7 Chihuahuas.

 

[Forest Cat]

And to think that a long, long time ago, chihuahuas looked something like this

 

[Forest Cat]

There are many unusual things about Chihuahuas. One that I haven't seen scientifically substantiated yet is a belief some hold that Chis - while generally accepted as being the most other dog/other animal adverse - actually are the most likely dog to get along with cats.

This is an unusal pack. Richie the cat is both alpha and main social caregiver to 7 Chihuahuas.

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Look at the white one to the left lol He is having a great day! So happy.

 

[Tom]

And to think that a long, long time ago, chihuahuas looked something like this

Wolf to Dog evolution is still an intensely debated subject and has always been fascinating to me although a little frustrating as each new DNA study seems to contradict some findings of the previous one. They agree as far as dogs came from wolves but not if it was a single event or group of events from one region and species of wolf, or happened in multiple locations from different wolf populations. It's apparently confused as the early wolf-dogs easily crossed with other and perhaps different populations of wolves.

Interestingly Darwin himself believed dogs come from not wolves alone but had multiple (probably other canid) ancestors.

Darwin [5] stated that 'I do not believe, as we shall presently see, that all our dogs have descended from any one wild species'. Rather, he suggested that domestic dogs 'descended from several wild species'. Phylogenetic analyses derived from molecular markers support an origin of the domestic dog from one ancestor, the wolf (Canis lupus), thus refuting Darwin's hypothesis ([11, 22]; Figure 1).

A belief some apparently still hold today

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-...ed-from-wolves-chihuahuas-20131114-story.html

Chihuahua lineage in particular has long been debated with various theories presented including decent from small dogs kept by the Mayans/Toltecs and Aztecs. Having come from an interbreeding with Fennec Foxes. And whether they come from Asian stocks (came over with first people into the Americas) or European stocks.

The Fennec fox connection was disproved by one study but the Asian or European linage is still debated. I think it is hampered currently by the limited number of older/ancient samples and that should improve over time.

 

[Forest Cat]

Wolf to Dog evolution is still an intensely debated subject and has always been fascinating to me although a little frustrating as each new DNA study seems to contradict some findings of the previous one. They agree as far as dogs came from wolves but not if it was a single event or group of events from one region and species of wolf, or happened in multiple locations from different wolf populations. It's apparently confused as the early wolf-dogs easily crossed with other and perhaps different populations of wolves.

Interestingly Darwin himself believed dogs come from not wolves alone but had multiple (probably other canid) ancestors.

Darwin [5] stated that 'I do not believe, as we shall presently see, that all our dogs have descended from any one wild species'. Rather, he suggested that domestic dogs 'descended from several wild species'. Phylogenetic analyses derived from molecular markers support an origin of the domestic dog from one ancestor, the wolf (Canis lupus), thus refuting Darwin's hypothesis ([11, 22]; Figure 1).

A belief some apparently still hold today

If dogs are descended from wolves, then explain chihuahuas

Chihuahua lineage in particular has long been debated with various theories presented including decent from small dogs kept by the Mayans/Toltecs and Aztecs. Having come from an interbreeding with Fennec Foxes. And whether they come from Asian stocks (came over with first people into the Americas) or European stocks.

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The Fennec fox connection was disproved by one study but the Asian or European linage is still debated. I think it is hampered currently by the limited number of older/ancient samples and that should improve over time.

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I like to think that chihuahuas used to be wolves And that deep down they still have a wolf in them.

 

[Rodafina]

I like to think that chihuahuas used to be wolves And that deep down they still have a wolf in them.

Agreed. Just look at this wild wolf girl.

 

[Tom]

I like to think that chihuahuas used to be wolves And that deep down they still have a wolf in them.

Oh they do. And being the smallest of all they have had to learn to be the most badass of all.

 

[Forest Cat]

Oh they do. And being the smallest of all they have had to learn to be the most badass of all.

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Small dogs are badass all day long. My yorkie did something crazy. We walked outside one lovely morning a few summers ago and found a moose cow and her calf standing in my yard. 40 yards away from us. We looked at them, they looked at us and I think everyone was very surprised. And before I had time to react, my yorkie was already half way across the yard, heading for the moose as fast as her tiny legs could go.

The moose panicked and ran for its life, the dog ran after them and I ran after the dog. It was a busy morning. Such a brave little dog. Or stupid... A moose cow weighs 500 pounds. A yorkie weighs 4 pounds. I call it brave. I would love to know what her plan was, what she would have done if she had caught the moose.

 

[Tom]

Small dogs are badass all day long. My yorkie did something crazy. We walked outside one lovely morning a few summers ago and found a moose cow and her calf standing in my yard. 40 yards away from us. We looked at them, they looked at us and I think everyone was very surprised. And before I had time to react, my yorkie was already half way across the yard, heading for the moose as fast as her tiny legs could go.

The moose panicked and ran for its life, the dog ran after them and I ran after the dog. It was a busy morning. Such a brave little dog. Or stupid... A moose cow weighs 500 pounds. A yorkie weighs 4 pounds. I call it brave. I would love to know what her plan was, what she would have done if she had caught the moose.

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I have done exactly the same chasing Chihuahuas chasing Bears more then once. One time it was trully a monster. My guestimate being about 700-800 pounds and standing 7 foot high upright. I was terrified. If the bear turned and attacked, Molly the Chihuahua can run a heck of a lot faster then me.

I actually got a picture of the beast but it's on another laptop. I shall try and get it off it.

 

[Tom]

This is a pretty famous video of a girl taking on a Brown Bear (with cubs) to protect her dogs including some Chihuahuas.

 

[Forest Cat]

I have done exactly the same chasing Chihuahuas chasing Bears more then once. One time it was trully a monster. My guestimate being about 700-800 pounds and standing 7 foot high upright. I was terrified. If the bear turned and attacked, Molly the Chihuahua can run a heck of a lot faster then me.

I actually got a picture of the beast but it's on another laptop. I shall try and get it off it.

That's crazy. And I don't do bears. Moose? Cute. Wolves? Bring em' on. Lynx? I like cats. Bears? I'm gone. Too strong and big, I don't go near them.

 

[Rodafina]

My story is a little less wild, but my tiny girl scooted under an electric fence to go after a cow. Tricky to get her back, but eventually the cow retreated and, her job done, she finally came back