Adopting a Chihuahua in Nottingham: rescues, costs and health

Any Chihuahua or Chihuahua cross at a rescue within about 25 miles of the city shows up on our Nottingham Chihuahua page, and in the live figure under the short answer. When we checked on 26 October 2026, it was empty. Our Nottingham small dogs page is worth a look too, for whichever other small breeds the nearby rescues have.

Read its FAQ before you apply. The points that rule people in or out:

• Children. It does not normally place dogs in homes with children under 10, though it may make an exception for the right dog and family.
• A safe home. The home check looks for a secure garden, since it calls Chihuahuas "total escape artists", or somewhere nearby to walk if you have no garden, plus a quiet spot where the dog can eat, sleep and hide.
• Neutering. A dog not yet neutered must be, unless there is a medical reason, and the rescue normally pays; it wants surgical, not chemical, neutering.
• No bar on circumstances. Its adoption page says it does not discriminate by age, money or type of home, so a flat is not a reason to hold back.

Of the £350 British Chihuahua Rescue asks, part funds the vet work, from neutering to vaccinations and a chip, and part the foster care each dog has had. At the general rescues near Nottingham the fee covers similar work: Ashbourne Animal Welfare health checks, chips, vaccinates and flea and worm treats every dog, and Just For Dogs worms, vaccinates, neuters and chips.

A bought puppy comes chipped, because the breeder must do it by 8 weeks, but its neutering and later vaccinations are yours to pay for, after a price of £400 to £3,000 by Blue Cross's figures. With an adult rescue dog you also know its size, its bark and how it copes with visitors.

PDSA gives a long list of conditions the Chihuahua can be prone to, and a rescue dog seldom comes with its parents' screening results, so the rescue vet's notes matter. Ask about these:

• Teeth. PDSA says the shape of the jaw can crowd the teeth, keep puppy teeth in place and lead to dental disease, and Breed Watch lists retained puppy teeth among the points show judges watch for.
• Knees and hips. Luxating patellas, where the kneecap slips out of place, hip dysplasia and Legg-Perthes disease are all on PDSA's list.
• Breathing. Dogs Trust calls the breed brachycephalic, with a short nose, a flat face or both, and a higher risk of heat stroke; PDSA adds tracheal collapse, a weakening of the windpipe.
• Eyes, heart and spine. PDSA also names dry eye, inward-rolling eyelids (entropion), heart disease and Chiari malformation with syringomyelia, a painful condition of the spinal cord near the brain.

A Chihuahua should weigh no more than 2.7 kg, and ideally 1.8 to 2.7 kg, under the breed standard; The Royal Kennel Club recognises a smooth coat and a long coat, nothing smaller. Words like "teacup" and "micro" come from sellers, not The Royal Kennel Club, and Breed Watch asks judges to watch for an excessively short muzzle. The Royal Kennel Club stopped registering merle puppies because the merle gene in this breed carries a higher risk of impaired hearing and sight.

A small home is seldom a barrier. PDSA says a Chihuahua is as happy in a flat as in a big house, and The Royal Kennel Club lists up to 30 minutes of exercise a day; PDSA asks for at least half an hour, split into two walks, plus play and time off the lead somewhere secure.

Company is the harder part. PDSA says Chihuahuas need someone at home all the time and cope badly with even short spells alone, so they can quickly develop separation anxiety. It also warns that children find them tempting to pick up, and suits the breed to families with slightly older children, which fits British Chihuahua Rescue's usual under-10 rule.

Around Nottingham, far more people search for a Chihuahua for sale than for a rescue one, but rescues don't sell dogs. Instead, your application is weighed against the dogs in care, and a fee or donation is paid once a match is agreed. Every Chihuahua on our Nottingham Chihuahua page comes that way, and many of British Chihuahua Rescue's dogs are older.

If you buy, ask for the parents' eye test results and, since The Royal Kennel Club recognised a breathing test for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in August 2026, their breathing grade too. Dogs Trust suggests a pre-purchase consultation with your vet, The Royal Kennel Club lists litters through "Find a puppy", and an advert for a merle or "teacup" puppy is a reason to walk away. Suspected scams go to Report Fraud, which now does the job Action Fraud used to.