Choosing a Chihuahua bed: size, fabric and a place to burrow

After the evening walk in November, a Chihuahua makes no effort to lie down anywhere sensible. He comes in, finds the warmest spot in the room and disappears. Under the throw on the sofa, between two cushions, on your lap. What he is looking for is not a cushion. It is a den.

That is where choosing a Chihuahua bed begins: not with the colour or the corner that happens to be free, but with how your dog sleeps. A dog bed for a Chihuahua calls for different choices than one for a Labrador. In the atelier we make beds for dogs of many sizes, and the smallest breeds have the most recognisable way of lying down. Below you will find which size fits, which fabric we would choose for a Chihuahua, how the bed travels with you and how to keep it clean.

Why a Chihuahua sleeps differently from a larger dog

A small body cools down faster than a large one. In its vet advice on dogs and cold weather, the PDSA names Chihuahuas among the small breeds that feel the cold quickly. The same article points out that most dogs can overheat indoors in a centrally heated home. Both are true of the same dog, on the same day.

You can see it in the way he settles. A Chihuahua turns a few circles, pushes his nose into the lining, presses his back against something and tucks his paws underneath him. He wants contact on every side. On a flat cushion he lies right on the edge, or he goes back to the sofa.

Yet the same dog does not always want to be wrapped up. In a warm room or after a game, he sometimes stretches out on his side. That is why a bed in which he chooses for himself works. The rim of a Pooch Pouch can stand up or be folded outwards. Raised, it lets your Chihuahua creep half underneath and lie fully sheltered. Folded down, he lies more openly. He decides, you watch.

So watch how he lies for a few days before you choose. Does he curl up into a ball, look for a corner, crawl under a blanket or under your jumper? That tells you more about the right bed than the breed alone. Chihuahuas also sleep a lot, and a place where he truly rests is one he will use for many hours a day. How much sleep is normal is covered in our article on how many hours a dog sleeps.

What size does a Chihuahua bed need to be?

For a Chihuahua the answer is almost always the same: Ø50 cm. On our sizing page the Chihuahua sits in the small size, alongside the miniature Dachshund, the Maltese and the toy versions of larger breeds. The Ø50 is meant for dogs with a back length of up to 48 cm, measured from the base of the neck to the base of the tail. An adult Chihuahua stays well below that.

The size we give is the outer measurement. Inside, the rim takes up part of the space, and that rim is exactly what a Chihuahua likes to lie against. So a Ø50 does not feel cramped to him. It feels enclosed.

Why a Ø60 is usually too roomy

For larger dogs we advise taking the bigger size when in doubt. With a Chihuahua there is rarely any doubt. In a Ø60 he lies against one side of the rim with an empty space beside him, and misses exactly the boundary he was looking for. If you have two Chihuahuas that always sleep pressed together, that is a different matter. Get in touch and we will look at the size with you.

Weight, measuring and puppies

A Chihuahua weighs very little, and his weight tells you little about the bed. If you want to be sure, measure him: wait until he lies the way he sleeps, run a tape measure from the base of the neck to the base of the tail and add about 5 cm.

For most breeds we advise against choosing a bed for the puppy in front of you, because he will outgrow it within a year. The Chihuahua is the exception. The Ø50 you choose for a young puppy will still fit when he is fully grown. Do keep an eye on chewing in the first months: a puppy tests everything with his teeth, a rim of upholstery fabric included. More on that first stage in our article on choosing a bed for a puppy.

Teddy, upholstery fabric or faux leather: which suits your Chihuahua

Our beds share the same round shape and the same rim. The difference lies in the fabric and the lining. For a Chihuahua, what matters most is what he feels once he is inside, because he lies against it with his whole body.

The teddy beds feel fuller and rounder. The plain beds have a firmer rim of upholstery fabric with a faux fur lining that a Chihuahua scratches at with his paws before lying down. If your dog always ends up under the throw, look at a sleeping bag for your Chihuahua too. He pushes the teddy COCOON into shape with his nose until he has disappeared inside it. Put it in the bed and he has both.

Then there is the room. A Chihuahua bonds closely with his people and likes to stay near them, so his bed rarely ends up in the utility room. It usually sits next to the sofa or under your desk, in plain sight. That is why we make our beds from upholstery fabric, in colours you might choose for an armchair or a curtain, and without a logo. An off-white Mist next to a light sofa does not read as a dog bed. It belongs to the room.

A bed that comes along, at home and away

A Chihuahua often comes along. To friends, to your parents, to the camper van or the holiday cottage. In a new place he looks for something familiar, and the most familiar thing he has is his own scent. A bed that has stood next to the sofa for months smells of him. Put it down in a hotel room and he steps in and turns his circles as he would at home.

The beds have handles in the same fabric. During the day the bed stays in the living room, in the evening it goes up to the bedroom. On a summer evening you take the Pouch Roll rolled up under your arm to the terrace, and in the car he lies on his own spot rather than on a bare back seat.

A bed is not a carrier bag. However small he is, a Chihuahua needs to walk and sniff on his own four legs. You carry the bed, he walks alongside.

Washing without fuss, even in a light colour

A bed that is dug into every day gets dirty. Mud from an autumn walk, hair, a smell that lingers after a while. Our beds go in the washing machine at a maximum of 30 degrees on a low spin. Not in the tumble dryer: hang the bed outside by its handle or let it dry flat on a rack. The steps are on our wash and care page.

Not every mark needs a wash. Let the dirt dry, brush it off, then hang the bed outside for a while to air. The less often you wash, the longer the fabric keeps its looks.

Because the bed goes into the machine so easily, we dare to make light colours. An off-white or sand-coloured bed with a small dog is not a risk, simply a choice.

Three things we often see go wrong

The first is choosing the bigger size “so he has room”. A Chihuahua is not looking for room, he is looking for a rim. A Ø50 is not a compromise for him.

The second is choosing a flat cushion for a dog who wants to burrow. If your Chihuahua always lies under something, he wants a dog bed with a raised rim, a sleeping bag, or both.

The third is the spot. A Chihuahua wants to be near you, but not in the middle of the walkway where feet keep passing. A corner of the living room, close to the sofa, almost always works better than the middle of the room.

Conclusion

You choose a Chihuahua bed for the dog, not for the corner that happens to be free. For almost every Chihuahua that means a Ø50 with a rim that can stand up or fold down, a soft lining to dig into and a fabric that suits your room. If he always crawls under the blanket, add a sleeping bag. To see how other small breeds like to lie, read our article on which dog bed suits which breed, or browse all Pooch Pouch dog beds in the small size.

Frequently asked questions

What size bed does a Chihuahua need?

A Chihuahua almost always sleeps well in a round bed of Ø50 cm. That size is meant for dogs with a back length of up to 48 cm, from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, and an adult Chihuahua stays well below that. A Ø60 is too roomy for most Chihuahuas.

Why does my Chihuahua always crawl under a blanket?

A Chihuahua is small and feels the cold more quickly than a larger dog. Burrowing gives him warmth and shelter on every side. A bed with a raised rim or a dog sleeping bag lets him do that in a place of his own.

Is a bed or a sleeping bag better for a Chihuahua?

It depends on how he sleeps. If he curls up against a rim, a bed suits him. If he always disappears under the throw, a sleeping bag is a good choice. You can also put a sleeping bag inside the bed, so your dog chooses for himself.

Can a Chihuahua puppy keep the same bed as an adult?

Yes. Unlike larger breeds, a Chihuahua does not outgrow a Ø50 cm bed. Keep an eye on chewing in the first months, as a puppy tests the rim of a bed with his teeth too.

How do you wash a Chihuahua bed?

Studio Sif beds go in the washing machine at a maximum of 30 degrees on a low spin. Do not use a tumble dryer: hang the bed outside by its handle or let it dry flat. Small marks can be left to dry and brushed off.