MyDogBreedsChiweenie is originated from United States but Billy is originated from France. Chiweenie may grow 33 cm / 12 inches shorter than Billy. Chiweenie may weigh 21 kg / 46 pounds lesser than Billy. Both Chiweenie and Billy has same life span. Both Chiweenie and Billy has almost same litter size. Chiweenie requires High maintenance. But Billy requires Moderate maintenance
The Chiweenie is a small dog developed in the 1960’s as a hybrid/cross between the Dachshund and the Chihuahua. Due to their small size and big personalities, they are an extremely popular designer breed. They are easy to care for and their personality and activity level is much like the Chihuahua side of the hybrid. The Chiweenie can look like either of its parents if it is first generation. If it is second or third generation it is likely to resemble the parents more as they already look like one of the two breeds. The second and third generations will look like the mix more than either of the originators.
The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world and they originated in Mexico. The Daschund is a hunting dog from Germany with a long body and short legs. The Chiweenie is a nice looking cross breed that loves people and is very affectionate. They were developed in the United States.
The Billy (or Billie) Dog is a rare breed developed in France and mostly still only found in France. Created in the 19th century by Monsieur Gaston Hublot de Rivault and named after his home, Chateau de Billy, he is hunting dog of high quality. The Billy dog was developed by crossing the Poitevin’s original three lines – the Larrye, the Ceris and the Montemboeuf. In developing the Billy, Rivault favored the colors found in the Ceris and Montemboeuf strains as opposed to the tricolors of the Larrye strain. The Billy is a scent hound from all the lines leading back to the monks of the Saint Hubert Monastery in the middle ages, in Belgium, then refined in Gaul (France). The Billy line was considered the most elegant French breed and they were the last breed to come from that large scent hound type that the French nobility and royalty loved to breed.
In 1886 the Federation Cynoloquique Internationale established the standard for the Billy breed. The breed was a great hunter with resilience, speed, scenting and fortitude. The Billy hunted in large packs in pursuit of Wild Boar and Roe Deer. This was accomplished by the crossing of great hunters developed for their specific skills. The Ceris was amazing in its skill to hunt down wolves and hares. The Montemboeuf was a large, elegant dog that hunted wild boar and Larrye for his strong scent ability. Since these three breeds were true French breeds, the Billy was a true aristocratic scent hound in a pure scent hound line.
This gregarious, handsome dog became extremely popular in France in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the World Wars of the 20th century would take their toll on this rare breed and they were almost extinct by the late 1900’. There were only two hounds left by the end of the Second World War. Anthony Rivault, the son of Gaston, set about saving the breed by incorporating the lines of Harrier, the Poilevin and the Porcelaine with the two remaining hounds. From there the breed has been revived and is no longer on the verge of extinction. They are still rare and certainly not “popular”, but they are excellent hunters, especially hunting in packs. Today they are considered one of the breeds used to develop the Grand Anglo-Francais Blanc et Orange in France and there are several packs that hunt roe deer in France, while a couple packs are used to hunt wild boar.
A first-generation Chiweenie can look like either of the breeds they are crossed with. However, the second and third generations will have the hybrid look for the most part. No two will look exactly alike however. They have a thin snout that is long on a small, domed head. They can have floppy or pointed ears, eyes that are large and expressive, a moderate tail and small feet. They can vary substantially in their appearances.
The Billy dog is powerful, beautiful and built extremely well. He is large but he should also be light weight and lean. He has an athletic look, powerful muscles, and strong bones. He has floppy ears, dark eyes with dark rims and a white coat. This breed has a medium size head with a domed forehead and square muzzle. The ears are high on the head, flat and floppy while the neck is long and strong. Shoulders are also long and the back broad, the thighs muscular and the feet round. He has a long fluffy tail. The coat is short and can be seen through to the skin. He has white skin with brown spots and the fur is white or off white. The females are smaller than the males. He is a great family companion as well as a hunter. They have high pitched voices and they can be howlers. They have a strong prey drive and are great hunters. They can be great companion dogs for any family, just watch them with small children and small animals. They are big enough to need a lot of space and a lot of exercise. Scent hounds can be stubborn, and that trait is not lost on the Billy dog.
This is an extremely popular hybrid or designer dog because they are so friendly, gentle, loving lapdogs. In addition, they love to play and cuddle. They are great for single or older people. If they live with a family it should be with older kids because younger kids might hurt them. Be careful how rough you play. They are small and can be hurt easily.
The Chiweenie is dedicated to their people and extremely loyal. They are also very cautious and can be nervous. They are always watching what else is happening in their environment and they will bark to alert you if they think there is something or someone out of place. They are not quiet dogs. They are great with other small dogs that they are raised with or used to but not with larger dogs, cats or other animals. They are jealous and protective. Train them out of or to avoid resource guarding. They can be stubborn about these things.
They will play constantly if you let them and they are great travel companions, although noises and activity around them does often annoy them. They are also courageous, clever, lovable and happy. Like most toy or small dog breeds you might have a difficult time housebreaking them and crate training is recommended.
Even though the Billy Breed is very rare and faced potential extinction it is a terrific sporting dog who loves children, other dogs, and adults. He could be a good family dog if his exercise needs are met. He is social, gregarious, and gentle with people. They are happiest in a pack and do not do well in a one dog household. They form extremely strong bonds with their people and household. They are friendly and outgoing. This makes them a poor choice for guard dog. They have an exceptionally well-developed prey drive do they might be aggressive toward any animal smaller than them. This includes the family cat, other smaller dogs, hamsters etc.
Chiweenies are a pretty healthy crossbreed with their most prominent issue being allergies. At the same time this hybrid might inherit any of the problems of either of their two parental breeds. These conditions might include:
The tendency for this would come from the Chihuahua parental genes and can result in brain damage but normally is not that bad.
The tendency for this would come from the Dachshund parental genes and if your Chiweenie has a long back you will need to be careful of jump and overzealous playing.
Despite their history of almost becoming extinct the Billy dog is a hearty and healthy group. They do tend to get Bronchitis and colds due to the short, thin coat. Keep them indoors during winter. Another area of concern is the ears. They are prone to ear infections so keep their ears clean. They should not be exposed to cold weather. The Billy life expectancy is 10-14 years which is very good for such a large dog.
Chiweenies regulate their own food intake, even as puppies. They should be fed twice a day and they are prone to dental issues. Dry food is absolutely recommended.
In addition to the conditions listed above, the Chiweenie might inherit the issues that affect small dogs most often. This includes:
A sudden drop in blood sugar levels. This can happen if the dog has diabetes and it is unregulated or stress and poor nutrition can also cause it.
These are little dogs with a lot of energy and they burn up a lot of energy. They need to walk every day or have a full-blown play session in the house. They don’t need much space to play in.
The Billy dog is large, muscular and lean. Do not overfeed him, but you can safely free feed. Watch to be sure he does not gain too much weight and if he does go to two feedings per day.
As previously mentioned this is a healthy, long-lived dog. Watch for ear infections and keep him out of extreme cold.
This is a very athletic, active hunter, who needs a lot of exercise. Daily walks are good, but he needs 45 to 60 minutes of exercise every day. Remember he was bred to hunt and loves to do so. Find activities that let him use his athletic skills and strong sense of smell. He needs a big yard to romp in. He will excel at obedience, barn hunt and agility. A lure game might be good also, but he would be happier with a scent oriented “find it” game.