When I got this dog, I was told it was only 2 years old, but that doesn't seem to be the case. She is lazy and loves to sleep. She is very protective of the other dog we have, which makes me think she's had puppies at some point in her life. She enjoys walks, but doesn't walk as much as she use to when we first got her. She also won't eat pieces of food if they are too big (not sure if this helps narrow down an age). She has gray around her face, down her neck and over her back. I want to know how old she is, I don't know a lot about this dog breed aside from that they live to be about 15 so I'm not sure when they start to get gray or lazy. If anyone has a Chihuahua and knows how old she might be, I would really appreciate an estimate!
The best way to determine your dog's age is by their teeth. Look at your dog's back teeth. At the age of 1 to 2 you will notice slight yellowing on the back teeth. By the age 3 to 5 you should see tarter building up on the back teeth. Also check the teeth for wearing. When the dog is around 5 to 7 years you might see a lot of worn or missing teeth. A senior dog starts showing aging around 8 or 9 years and you can see some graying hairs around the head, face, muzzle and body. You can also notice some stiffness in the dog. Other than this the vet can give you a better estimate of your dogs age.
Poehere is on par with the teeth. Here is a complete guide:
Looking at the teeth is the best way. 42 permanent teeth mean the dog is at least 7 months old. Cuteness.com has an excellent article about this :www.cuteness.com/
Your vet is the best one to help you determine your Chihuahua's age and also to check if there are any problems with her heart. Heart problems are the number one killer of Chihuahuas.
Changing in fur color does not seem to be a good judge of age (unless there is a lot of graying) as genetics and other things can determine how soon the fur will change color.
Chihuahuas are very protective of other animals they are attached to and also certain people so that attribute is not a good sign that she has had puppies - but that is something else your vet can tell you right away.
My son has had 4 Chihuahuas and they all acted different at the same stage in life so your vet is still your best bet for determining her age. He can look at her teeth and tell you approximately how old she is.
Here is a link that has some good suggestions about what to look for at certain ages - this information may help you.
Have a vet check her teeth, usually you can tell the age of the dog by looking at their teeth.
Dogs go grey early due to stress and genetics. Dogs with high levels of psychological stress or anxiety have been found to grey early, and the cellular stress that causes grey hairs can be a genetic component in dogs.On average most dogs start going grey around the muzzle at about 5 years old, though some start going grey before 2. Its caused by a progressive greying gene that causes their coats to turn grey or silver. Progressive greying is attributed to chromosome 25, though the gene itself has not been found.The pigment cells that give hair its youthful color are called melanocytes, and when they die off or grow incorrectly greying starts to occur.Premature greying is just an aesthetic thing, and rarely cause for concern.
I also have 4 Chihuahuas and they do All act Very different. They oldest is 12ish and she is dead from birth. There is nothing that will slow her down. She runs, jumps, plays, and stays active most of the day. Where the baby ones 5ish yrs old, sleep most all day and night. I've had all mine since birth and love them so much. They can be a messy hand full but I wouldn't have it any other way. Amazing little doggies.
According to my chihuahua I'd guess yours to be about 4...
