Adopting a Chihuahua in Liverpool: rescues, costs and health

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every Chihuahua and Chihuahua cross listed with us in Liverpool and within about 25 miles, and our Liverpool Chihuahua page links each one to its rescue. If it shows none, that is the honest picture rather than a fault. Our Liverpool small dogs page shows the other small dogs listed near the city today.

Small does not mean quiet. "Bold and saucy in temperament" is how The Royal Kennel Club puts it, describing "the smallest breed in the world" as a "huge personality in a tiny frame". Blue Cross rates it "a highly intelligent and easily trained companion", provided its family keeps up the exercise and training. Dogs Trust points out that each Chihuahua's temperament comes from its own experiences, so ask the rescue how this dog reacts to people at the door.

A rescue fee pays towards vet work that is already done. Freshfields Animal Rescue microchips, vaccinates, neuters and treats every animal for fleas and worms before it leaves, and its £220 dog fee covers that. At North Clwyd Animal Rescue, a pedigree dog with full paperwork is £350 and any other dog of six months or over £200, so ask which applies.

A bought puppy should already be microchipped by its breeder, as the law requires by 8 weeks, but neutering and usually further vaccinations come on top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross gives for a puppy. With a puppy you are also guessing how big it will grow and how it will turn out; with an adult rescue dog you can see both.

A rescue Chihuahua seldom arrives with its parents' health test results, so ask what the rescue's own vet has looked at. These are the points UK breed guides raise:

• Breathing and heat. The breed is brachycephalic, which Dogs Trust explains as a short nose, a flat face or both, and it carries a higher risk of heat stroke. Blue Cross warns owners to be ready for possible breathing problems.
• Syringomyelia. This spinal cord condition is the other issue Blue Cross names, so ask whether the rescue's vet has seen any sign of it.
• Eyes, airways and teeth. The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to have eyes tested and breathing graded for BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome), and its Breed Watch tells show judges to look out for a faulty bite, retained puppy teeth and a muzzle that is too short.

The Royal Kennel Club breed standard gives one size: up to 2.7 kg, with 1.8 to 2.7 kg preferred, and The Royal Kennel Club recognises two coats, smooth and long. "Teacup", "micro" and "miniature" are sellers' words, and The Royal Kennel Club no longer registers merle Chihuahua puppies because the merle gene carries an increased risk of impaired hearing and sight.

The Royal Kennel Club lists the Chihuahua as needing up to 30 minutes of exercise a day and says a flat can be big enough, and British Chihuahua Rescue says it does not discriminate on "residential status". The general rescues check your home for themselves: Freshfields Animal Rescue asks you to fix any problem its home check finds, such as an insecure fence, and wants your landlord's permission if you rent.

Children matter with a dog this small. Freshfields doesn't rehome dogs to families with children aged 5 or under, and North Clwyd Animal Rescue doesn't rehome dogs to homes with children under 5, as many arrive as strays with no known history, or any dog at all with a child under 2. Dogs Trust says long or strenuous walks may be too much, but a Chihuahua still needs a walk every day and extra care in hot weather.

No rescue sells a Chihuahua. You apply, the rescue decides which of its dogs would suit your home, and the adoption fee goes towards the vet work. Every Chihuahua on our Liverpool Chihuahua page is adopted that way.

If you decide to buy, Dogs Trust suggests asking your vet about a pre-purchase consultation on likely health conditions and rough costs, and The Royal Kennel Club runs a "Find a puppy" service. Treat any advert for "teacup" or merle puppies as a reason to walk away, and report a suspected scam to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).