It may be a very difficult thought for many to process and believe that a Chihuahua and a Labrador could ever be cross-bred and result in one of the most popular hybrid dogs ever, but it most certainly is possible, and Labrador Chihuahua mix dogs do indeed exist.
The Lab Chihuahua, also known as the Labrahuahua, is a designer dog breed that comes to life as a result of cross breeding one Labrador Retriever parent with one Chihuahua parent.
The Chihuahua Lab Mix is not officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) since it’s not a purebred canine, but is officially recognized as being a designer breed by the Dog Registry of America (DRA).
Appearance
Body & Face
Some cross breeds out there almost always get the body of one of their parents and get the facial features of the other, but this is not the case when talking about Labrahuahuas.
When some Lab Chihuahua Mix puppies grow up to become full grown adult dogs, you’ll notice that they take the body shape of their Labrador Retriever parents and the facial features of their Chihuahua parents, while other puppies grow up to become adult dogs, you’ll notice that they take the body shape of their Chihuahua parents while their facial features resemble those of their Labrador Retriever parents more.
Temperament
Training
When it comes to training the Labrahuahua, there’s some good news for you and there’s some bad news for you, so let’s start off with the good news.
The good news is that these canines tend to almost always take its intelligence levels [1] from its Labrador Retriever parent, meaning this is a very smart dog that will understand exactly what you want from them in a fraction of time that it takes others to do the same.
However, the bad news is that this is the offspring of a Chihuahua as well, and we all know the stubborn side that Chihuahuas have to them [2], a personality trait that can oftentimes also be passed on to the Labrahuahua puppy.
But either way, as long as you start off training this cross breed when they’re still a young and growing puppy, then you shouldn’t run into any problems with their stubborn personality side.
Early on, not enough time has passed for this side to show in them, and you’ll mainly make note of how intelligent they are and how fast they learn what’s required of them.
Physical Activity & Exercise
Just like its Labrador parent, the Chihuahua Lab Mix’s possibly favorite method of exercise and physical activity is interactive playtime with its owner.
There’s so many methods of interactive play you could incorporate into your day to day life to make this possible for your dog, such as playing Fetch, Frisbee, or whatever else has you two involved being optimal. [3]
However, if we were to have to pick and choose what the Labrador Chihuahua’s favorite physical activity is, then that would most probably be anything that involves them fetching.
Besides enjoying playtime with its owner the most, the Lab Chihuahua also does like to go on long walks and a good run, so you do have leeway there to vary things up and not fall into a boring routine.
Potential Problems
If you’re in the market for a mixed breed dog and have set your sights on adding a Lab Chihuahua Mix to your family, then you have to know about the possible potential problems that this canine may pass through and experience in their lifetime.
Because of the fact that a Labrador Retriever and a Chihuahua are two very different breeds in all sorts of ways, especially when it comes to the drastic difference in size with Chihuahuas being classified as small breeds while Labrador Retrievers are classified as large sized breeds, the chances of their offspring suffering from difficulties during their lifetime are quite high.
These problems are most often physical in nature due to the drastic difference in size between the Labrahuahua’s two parents, but there are nonetheless a few health problems that this designer dog breed is more likely to suffer from than other breeds because of this drastic difference in size between its two parents.
Check out this video to see more popular designer dog breeds!
Resources
1. Smarter Than You Think: Renowned Canine Researcher Puts Dogs’ Intelligence on Par with 2-Year-Old Human https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2009/08/dogs-think
2.Training Your Chihuahua https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/helpful-tips-training-your-chihuahua/
3. Reinventing Playtime: 20 Fun Activities to Do With Your Dog http://www.vetstreet.com/healthypet/reinventing-playtime-20-fun-activities-to-do-with-your-dog
I have a chihuahua lab mix what can I expect for problems health-wise my dog is only 6 months old
I have an adult lab-chihuahua (3 years old). The only health issues my girl has had are dry skin issues, but I doubt that it is breed-related. Keep an eye on joint issues and watch the dog’s gait for any abnormalities