Adopting a Chihuahua in Manchester: rescues, costs and health

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every Chihuahua and Chihuahua cross listed with us in Manchester and within about 25 miles. If it shows none, that is the honest picture rather than a fault. We haven't found a Chihuahua rescue that works only in Greater Manchester with an active site of its own, so the national breed rescue is the steadier route. Our Manchester 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.

No two are alike, though. Dogs Trust points out that each Chihuahua's temperament comes from its own experiences, so one may love visitors and other dogs while the next prefers to keep its distance. The rescue has watched its dog day to day, so ask how it reacts to people at the door.

A rescue fee pays towards vet work that is already done. At Manchester & Cheshire Dogs' Home, the £200 adult fee includes a full health check, neutering, a first vaccination, a microchip, a collar and ID tag and four weeks' free Pet Plan insurance. Older dogs can cost less at some charities: Blue Cross fees start from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over, and Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary sometimes charges less for older dogs.

Buy a puppy and all of that comes 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 the useful question is 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. If the rescue's vet has noticed any sign of it, you want to know before you apply.
• Eyes, airways and teeth. Breeders are asked by The Royal Kennel Club to have eyes tested and breathing graded for BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome). On its Breed Watch list, show judges are told 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. Beyond that, The Royal Kennel Club recognises two coats, smooth and long, and nothing else. "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 doesn't turn people away for where they live. The general rescues near Manchester set their own rules, though, and size doesn't change them. Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary won't rehome a dog to a home without "a secure garden or yard", and Warrington Animal Welfare says dogs must have access to a secure garden, so ask each rescue before you apply from a flat.

If you rent, get the landlord's permission in writing: Destitute Animals Shelter wants it before you apply, and Warrington Animal Welfare asks for it too. Bleakholt and Warrington Animal Welfare also don't rehome dogs to homes with children under five, which matters with a dog this small.

Short legs set the pace: Dogs Trust says long or strenuous walks may be too much, but a Chihuahua still needs a walk every day, time to play, daily enrichment 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. Puppies are rare in rescue, so if you are set on adopting, be open to an adult whose size and habits are already known.

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).