Great Dane & Chihuahua Mix: Is it Possible? What Does it Look Like?
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This time we are going to talk about one of the most unlikely combinations imaginable. A breed of dog that mixes the Great Dane with the Chihuahua. Has this ever been done? Is it even possible? Let’s explore these questions together.
The Great Dane and Chihuahua
Creating a crossbreed, or designer breed, of a Great Dane and a Chihuahua, requires overcoming a lot of massive hurdles. The size difference between the two dogs alone makes a lot of people question if it’s even possible.
Both breeds are in the canine family and can technically create offspring together, but the size difference between the two prevents any part of the process from occurring naturally. At first, breeders attempted to inseminate the Chihuahua artificially, which worked, but the resulting offspring were far too large for the mom to carry them to term. Even when giving birth through a cesarian, both the mother and the puppy usually died. The fetus grows too large too quickly and is underdeveloped at the time of the cesarian.
Artificially inseminating a Great Dane with a Chihuahua will produce offspring, but there are still many problems to overcome, the first of which is that artificial insemination itself is quite challenging and extremely expensive. Other issues, such as difficulty nursing, will require owners to hand-feed the pups. Unfavorable genetic mutations may also occur.
Offspring
The offspring created by artificially inseminating a Great Dane with a Chihuahua are few and far between, but the result is a dog smaller than the Great Dane and about twice the size of a standard Chihuahua. These dogs are long with short legs and almost resemble a Dachshund. The head is large and shaped like a Greyhound.
These dogs are friendly and enjoy cuddling, but they also have the fierce temper of the Chihuahua when they don’t get their way. They don’t require much exercise and can make great apartment dogs, but they are also quite strong and can tear up the furniture. They are challenging to manage once provoked.
Mixed Bred versus Pure Breed
Before we get too involved, let’s make sure we’re all up to speed and on the same page concerning terminology.
Mixed Breed
A mixed breed is also known as a mutt or mongrel. These dogs comprise of more than one unknown kind, and their lineage doesn’t lead back to specific parents. These dogs mate in the wild or captivity, and there are no attempts to document the bloodline. These dogs can have virtually any appearance, coat, size, and temperament.
Pure Breed
A pure breed has a definitive lineage, and their bloodline has documentation all the way back to the original parents. The pure breed has often undergone extensive purposeful breeding to eliminate or reduce undesirable traits and enhance desirable ones. Breed standards are set by a recognized kennel club to ensure the bloodline remains pure, and the breed remains healthy.
Designer Breed
A designer breed, or crossbreed, is a purposefully mixed breed created by mixing two or more pure breeds. Unlike with mutts, there is complete documentation. Selecting the best parents is an essential part of the process, and breeders use only healthy dogs with desirable qualities.
Creating a New Breed
Creating a new breed from two pure breeds requires three generations of successful crossbreeding and an extensive review by a recognized kennel club. Before the third generation, these dogs are called crossbreeds.
The first generation is an F1 cross, and the second is an F2 cross. F3 crosses are labeled multigenerational crosses, and these get reviewed by the recognized kennel. Three generations might not sound like a lot, but it requires dozens of dogs and plenty of time. Every trait must be carefully considered and bed in or bred out accordingly. The dog’s health, as well as the owner’s desires, must be regarded and standards created.
A labradoodle is an example of a breed that has completed this process and is a mixture of a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle.
Breeders
If for some reason, you decide that you would like to have a Great Dane Chihuahua mix for yourself, we recommend doing as much research as possible into the topic. Learn everything you can about breeding and what to look for in a new crossbreed. Your experience will be an important one.
You will also need to spend a lot of time searching for a qualified breeder that has high values and morals. There are too many breeders looking for a fast buck and aren’t concerned about the health of the puppy. A place like this can sell you a puppy ripe with genetic problems and abnormalities that will reduce the dog’s lifespan and increase your vet bills.
The internet is a powerful tool that can help you search the entire world for a qualified breeder. We do not doubt that with some patience and plenty of money saved up, you can find a breeder to create a healthy Great Dane Chihuahua crossbreed for you.
Final Thoughts
To date, there are no Great Dane Chihuahua crossbreeds that have made it to F2. Few F1 Geat Dane Chihuahuas exist, and there are not a lot of breeders trying to create them due to the many difficulties and high costs associated with doing so. Due to there being so few Great Dane Chihuahua Mixes, we know very little about them, and there’s a good chance many more problems would arise from trying to breed these two dogs together.
There are not a lot of cute pictures or famous dogs creating demand for a Great Dane Chihuahua mix, so there is little reason to do so outside of pure curiosity. We feel it’s unlikely that we will ever see an authentic breed created from blending these two dogs. If you have enjoyed reading and speculating about a Great Dane Chihuahua mix and have learned something new, please share this on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured Image Credit: pixshots, Shutterstock
