Cheagle (Beagle and Chihuahua mix)
What is a Cheagle? Also referred to as Beagle Chi, Beagle Chihuahua mix, Chibeagle and Chi-Bea, Cheagles are loyal, energetic and compact dogs that have inherited among the best qualities from their Chihuahua and Beagle parents. For families with older children, or for active singles, these adorable pooches will absolutely make a perfect addition to your family. Due to their small size, Cheagles can comfortably live in small condos and apartments in an urban environment. Chihuahua Beagle mix dogs are, however, not ideal for first-time dog owners due to their stubbornness while training.
With natural gentleness like the Beagle and taking on the Chihuahua's small size, the Cheagle is a designer crossbreed dog that results from crossing a Chihuahua with a Beagle. Being a happy companion and playful pet, the Cheagle always has a good mood, which makes it a great pet for your family. On the downside, these adorable pooches tend to be a bit difficult to train, and Beagle Chihuahua mix dogs are also not well-suited for families with little children.
With a high drive for prey, you need to walk your Cheagle out on leashes at all times whenever you're outside your home. Additionally, the Cheagle is more of a vocal dog, and if you are the kind of people who like enjoying some peace and quiet, this breed may not be ideal for you. Cheagles are active, curious and playful dogs, but he's likely to portray hard-headedness and stubbornness traits inherited from the Chihuahua parent. The Cheagle designer breed dogs bond quite closely to the family members he loves and when left alone for a very long time, it doesn't do well. After acquiring this dog, ensure there will always be someone to give him company at home.
Although they are fun-loving and spirited soul mates, there are some problematic behaviors that you need to watch out for. There are some traits exhibited by the Beagle Chihuahua mix, which need nipping in the bud when you Cheagle is still a pup.
Cheagle Size
Bing a fairly new dog breed, there are quite a few standards in regard to size of the Beagle Chihuahua mix. But looking at the parents, we will most likely scale these pooches towards the smaller side.
Generally, most Cheagles' weight will range between 20 to 30 pounds and will have a height ranging between 9 and 14 inches. But there are also likely to be variations depending on which parent has more favored genes in the Cheagle. Cheagle males are known to be a bit heavier and taller than their counterpart females.
Life Expectancy of a Beagle Chihuahua Mix
Being among the category of small dog breeds that are known to have longer life spans, the Cheagle can live to about 10 to 14 years. This also depends on how well the Cheagle has taken care of. To make this dog enjoy a healthy and long lifespan, ensure your dog feeds the recommended quality and quantity of food. In addition, take your dog to the vet regularly for checkups in order to diagnose any life-threatening health issues sufficiently early.
Cheagle Appearance
How do Cheagle dogs look? With soulful brown and saucy eyes, this hybrid designer dog is quite small, usually less than one foot tall. Depending on the Beagle and Chihuahua parent contributions, Cheagles can be available in a number of different colors, short, straight and shiny coats. Although the Cheagles mostly feature solid colors of cream or white, their coats can also have a combination of different colors that include black, white, brown, tan and cream.
Just like in the Beagles, some Beagle Chihuahua mixes can also have freckles or spots. The tails of Cheagles can be curly and long. The head, floppy ears, and tail resemble those of the Beagle, while snout and legs look like the ones on the Chihuahua. Cheagles have a rough resemblance to the Beagle and a small and compact body like that of the Chihuahua. A soft spot or Molera could at times appear on this breed.
With the presence of long and short-coated varieties of the Chihuahuas, the Cheagles could also end up with the same variation of their coats. Beagles' coats are double layered, but the Chihuahua could feature double or single coats in their short and long-furred varieties. This means that most Beagle Chihuahua mixes are most likely to feature double-layered coats, but there will be those with single coats. A short-coated Chihuahua and a Beagle will, therefore, puppy that is short, soft, shiny. On the other hand, when the Cheagle contribution comes more from the longer coat Chihuahua, the resulting offspring is likely to get fur of medium length, with featherings around the tail, legs and ears.
History of the Cheagle
Being fairly recent dog breeds, their origin is somehow uncertain is usually tied to their Beagle and Chihuahua parents. Being a designer crossbreed dog between the Beagle and Chihuahua, this dog will definitely have a blend of personalities and physical traits from the parents. As such, you need to dive into the parents' history to draw some insights into Cheagles' origin.
The Spanish settlers are believed to have brought the Chihuahua from China into Mexico. There also exists another theory that tries to explain that the Chihuahuas could have descended from the Techichi, which is a mute, small dog found in South and Central America during the 9mth Century and owned by the Toltec community. This small dog is then said to have been found during the 19th Century in Mexico's Chihuahua state from where it gained entry into the United States of America. On the other hand, the Beagles' history dates back to the Roman days, when it's believed that the then Beagle-like breed of dogs was made to participate in hunting activities. These Beagle-like dogs were then imported to England and mixed with English Scent Hounds to produce an offspring that eventually developed into the purebred Beagle we know today.
Apart from being 50-50 mixes from the purebred Chihuahuas and Beagles, Cheagles can also result from multigenerational crossings, where Chihuahuas are crossed amongst themselves. The resulting companion pet can have some hunting instincts like the Beagle, but it can portray some difficulty in training and so not an ideal dog for hunting. The Chihuahua, on the other hand, can contribute its tiny size, as well as its energetic and snappy nature. The registries that recognize the Cheagle are:
Designer Breed Registry
Design Canine Registry
Dog Registry of America
American Canine Hybrid Club
Feeding Your Cheagle
The ideal diet for your Beagle Chihuahua mix needs to be formulated for tiny dog breeds that have high energy bursts. These dogs do have a big appetite, and they also tend to gain weight very fast. Keep watching the waist of your Cheagle and also ensure not to free-feed your dog, but rather have a regular schedule.
Dry food is recommended for your Cheagle to avoid any dental issues. Dietary requirements for Cheagle will change gradually from Puppyhood to adulthood in terms of quantity and frequency of feeding. Always consult your vet to get the correct recommendations about the diet for your Beagle Chihuahua mix. Depending on the activity level of your dog, there could be extensive variations among dogs. This could also be affected by the energy, weight and health of your Cheagle dog.
Caring for your Cheagle
Just as it's a norm for most dogs, health care is one of the most important ways of making your Cheagle to enjoy its life. A qualified veterinarian will help you create a care routine for your Cheagle dog in regard to feeding, exercising, health concern alerts, and so much more. Develop a schedule of taking your Beagle Chihuahua mix for regular checkups.
Due to the high energy burst that Beagle Chihuahua Mixes have, ensure to expose your dog to walks lasting 30 minutes to 1 hour, plus a few active but good play sessions. This will also help to fight weight gain which Cheagles are susceptible to.
Ensure to conduct daily checks in your dog's ears for pests and debris and clean them following the recommendations from your vet. Cheagles' nails should be trimmed once or twice each month before they become very long to extent of clicking the floor. Be keen to maintain the oral health of your Cheagle by brushing their teeth on a daily basis, since tiny dog breeds tend to have frequent dental issues. You can get some insights from your vet on how to properly brush your Cheagle's teeth.
Bathing your Cheagle should only be done when it's necessary using a vet-recommended mild shampoo. Since the Beagle Chihuahua mix is more likely to develop flaky, dry skin, conducting baths frequently will irritate your dog's skin even more.
How the Cheagle Relates to Children and Other Pets
Children tend to be overly excited when playing. Being small dogs, the Cheagles can easily be seriously injured in these ordeals. Beagle Chihuahua mix is an active, great companion that always wants to be around older children or adults who can handle him gently.
When introduced and socialized calmly and slowly to other animals, Cheagles will definitely get along well with other pets in your home. Ensure to maintain caution when introducing the Cheagle to other dogs. The best method to use here is the sign of Nose to Butt. Avoid eye-to-eye staring at all times, and separate the dog immediately in case it happens.
Cheagle Puppies
Cheagles' litter size is usually large, which can be up to 9 puppies at ago. The genetics inherited from the beagle and Chihuahua parents is what determines the Cheagle puppies' appearance. If the Beagle and Chihuahua parents are not purebred dogs, the puppies will definitely look more like one of the breeds rather than one of the two parents.
Cheagle Exercise Requirements
This breed needs to be active to use up his energy at all times. Although a yard may not be very essential, a daily 30 minutes' walk with the dog will definitely help a lot including some playtime. Boredom in these dogs may kick in due to lack of stimuli and sufficient exercise, which are likely to end up in other troubles of destructive behaviors like excessive barking and chewing.
To bring up a well-rounded dog that is very energetic, ensure you are exercising your Beagle Chihuahua mix. They tend to wander off while exploring new places and sniffing around, and exercising them frequently can help to curb their curious and inquisitive nature. To provide them with a healthy and safe environment, be sure to train your pup when it's still young, as they will always be recalling the commands that they grasp at a tender age.
How to groom a Cheagle
Are Cheagles easy to groom? Being low to moderate shedders, brushing can be conducted twice or thrice a week to maintain a shiny coat and remove loose hair. In case your Cheagle's coat is long, ensure to brush it more often to get rid of tangles as you prevent matting. Additionally, you will also enhance the distribution of natural oils on Cheagle's skin by brushing regularly, which helps to control shedding. This hybrid dog isn't hypoallergenic, although it doesn't leave much hair around.
As mentioned earlier, the Cheagles' coats feature a combination of different colors as they are mixes of Beagles and Chihuahuas. Their coats are shiny and short, and grooming them isn't a hard task, and these also apply to their parents as well. Makes baths as sparse as you can to protect their natural skin oils for optimal radiance.
Cheagles don't do so well in extreme weather due to their short coats. During winter, your Cheagle will most likely need a coat. During summer, the nose, ears and sensitive parts with low-fur coverage will need sunscreen application. Since the Chihuahuas are prone to eye issues, ensure to look at this keenly.
Being low-maintenance dogs, Beagle Chihuahua mixes feature shiny and short coats and just require moderate weekly brushing to ensure their coats look great. This also plays an important role in controlling shedding that is likely to occur during spring and fall/autumn.
Cheagle temperament
Despite the heritage of hunting that is usually tied to its Beagle parent, Cheagles are only known as companion pets with no other role to serve. Being playful, outgoing and very friendly, Cheagles are absolutely great companions! Cheagle dogs also tend to show a lot of love toward their family, and they will show this by being eternally protective and loyal. In return to showing these kinds of affectionate behaviors, Beagle and Chihuahua mix dogs can't stand extended periods of time alone, and will always need a great deal of attention from you.
Cheagles love running around and playing games, which makes them a great source of entertainment for both children and adults. Although Chihuahua and Beagle mix dogs get along very well with children of all sizes, it's recommended that you shouldn't leave them to play with small children alone, as children tend to play a bit more recklessly, which could cause serious injuries especially to the small-sized Cheagle pups. When interacting with the Cheagle pup, an awareness level should, therefore, be highly observed.
With some inherited traits from the Chihuahua, Cheagles tend to be very fearless and energetic. Chihuahua Beagle mix dogs also make perfect watchdogs due to their barking tendency and high level of alertness. These pooches like being excited. When in this state, they bark in high-pitched voices while they jump around as Chihuahua and Beagle cross dogs take high-energy leaps in an excited mood. Beagle Chihuahua mixes may also show aggressiveness toward other dogs while they portray biting and nipping behaviors. To curb this menace, appropriate training and early socialization are paramount. If the Cheagle receives overprotection from its owner it's likely to develop the small dog syndrome, which is a behavioral issue that propels poor sociability skills as the dog will always see himself as a boss.
The contribution of Beagles makes the Beagle Chihuahua mix to have smoother characteristics by adding a gentler and calmer nature. The sweetness and friendliness of the Beagle reduce the energy that comes from the Chihuahua. As such, the Cheagle mixes these traits to be a loving and outgoing lap dog that's very active, as well as one which is suitable for families with mature children.
Cheagle potty training
Among all other issues, potty training your Cheagle should be the very first lesson to be learned by Cheagle pup. Considering the stubborn nature of the Chihuahua, expect to face some tough times during the potty training process, as it's not going to be that swift. This begins by identifying a potty area outside your homestead. Every time your dog needs to relieve, take him to this sport.
During the process, you can introduce a crate to Beagle Chihuahua mix dog. This can be a moderately sized crate which is just enough for the dog to sleep and slightly move around while inside it. When you are not going out to the potty area with your Cheagle, ensure to confine your pup in this crate but don't overdo it. You should make your puppy understand that this is his resting nest rather than a jail.
Whenever you take your Cheagle out to the potty area, ensures he really does relieve himself and give him a reward in the form of treats accompanied with a praise command of your choice. When this is done repeatedly over some period of time, the Cheagle will eventually associate going to potty with a positive experience and will want to do this frequently. When positive reinforcement methods are used, while observing patience, you'll even not realize the stubborn nature of these pups. Avoid using harsh tones or even punishing the Cheagle, as you will just make him fear and mistrust you, hampering the process even more.
How to train a Cheagle dog?
Since the Cheagles are energetic dogs who have short attention span get quickly distracted, they have proved to be hard tasks to train. Practicing a positive approach of keeping a consistent and firm hand while training helps to curb disobedience, poor impulse control, and aggressiveness. No one wants to be with a Spanish dog that is startled. So, train and socialize them early enough so that the high-pitched voiced Cheagle will become controllable under any extremes. Training your pup early enough helps in preventing the Small Dog Syndrome.
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