AKC Chihuahua Standard
General Appearance:
A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament.
Size, Proportion, Substance:
Weight - A well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds. Proportion - The body is off-square; hence, slightly longer when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks, than height at the withers. Somewhat shorter bodies are preferred in males. Disqualification - Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Head:
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera. Expression - Saucy. Eyes - Full, but not protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby. (Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.) Ears - Large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose, giving breadth between the ears. Muzzle - Moderately short, slightly pointed. Cheeks and jaws lean. Nose - Self-colored in blond types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored. In blond types, pink nose permissible. Bite - Level or scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault. Disqualifications - Broken down or cropped ears.
Neck, Topline, Body:
Neck - Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. Topline - Level. Body - Ribs rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped"). Tail - Moderately long, carried sickle either up or out, or in a loop over the back, with tip just touching the back. (Never tucked between legs.) Disqualifications - Cropped tail, bobtail.
Forequarters:
Shoulders - Lean, sloping into a slightly broadening support above straight forelegs that set well under, giving a free play at the elbows. Shoulders should be well up, giving balance and soundness, sloping into a level back. (Never down or low.) This gives a chestiness, and strength of forequarters, yet not of the "Bulldog" chest. Feet - A small, dainty foot with toes well split up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.) Pasterns - Fine.
Hindquarters:
Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm and sturdy. The feet are as in front.
Coat:
In the Smooth Coats, the coat should be of soft texture, close and glossy. (Heavier coats with undercoats permissible.) Coat placed well over body with ruff on neck preferred, and more scanty on head and ears. Hair on tail preferred furry. In Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Ears - Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Tail - Full and long (as a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff on the neck desired and preferred. Disqualification - In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
Color:
Any color-Solid, marked or splashed.
Gait:
The Chihuahua should move swiftly with a firm, sturdy action, with good reach in front equal to the drive from the rear. From the rear, the hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and rear, will tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity as speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and plenty of reach in the front, with head carried high. The topline should remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves.
Temperament:
Alert, with terrier-like qualities.
Disqualifications:
Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Broken down or cropped ears.
Cropped tail, bobtail.
In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
Approved September 11, 1990
Effective October 30, 1990
A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament.
Size, Proportion, Substance:
Weight - A well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds. Proportion - The body is off-square; hence, slightly longer when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks, than height at the withers. Somewhat shorter bodies are preferred in males. Disqualification - Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Head:
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera. Expression - Saucy. Eyes - Full, but not protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby. (Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.) Ears - Large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose, giving breadth between the ears. Muzzle - Moderately short, slightly pointed. Cheeks and jaws lean. Nose - Self-colored in blond types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored. In blond types, pink nose permissible. Bite - Level or scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault. Disqualifications - Broken down or cropped ears.
Neck, Topline, Body:
Neck - Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. Topline - Level. Body - Ribs rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped"). Tail - Moderately long, carried sickle either up or out, or in a loop over the back, with tip just touching the back. (Never tucked between legs.) Disqualifications - Cropped tail, bobtail.
Forequarters:
Shoulders - Lean, sloping into a slightly broadening support above straight forelegs that set well under, giving a free play at the elbows. Shoulders should be well up, giving balance and soundness, sloping into a level back. (Never down or low.) This gives a chestiness, and strength of forequarters, yet not of the "Bulldog" chest. Feet - A small, dainty foot with toes well split up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.) Pasterns - Fine.
Hindquarters:
Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm and sturdy. The feet are as in front.
Coat:
In the Smooth Coats, the coat should be of soft texture, close and glossy. (Heavier coats with undercoats permissible.) Coat placed well over body with ruff on neck preferred, and more scanty on head and ears. Hair on tail preferred furry. In Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Ears - Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Tail - Full and long (as a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff on the neck desired and preferred. Disqualification - In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
Color:
Any color-Solid, marked or splashed.
Gait:
The Chihuahua should move swiftly with a firm, sturdy action, with good reach in front equal to the drive from the rear. From the rear, the hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and rear, will tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity as speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and plenty of reach in the front, with head carried high. The topline should remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves.
Temperament:
Alert, with terrier-like qualities.
Disqualifications:
Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Broken down or cropped ears.
Cropped tail, bobtail.
In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
Approved September 11, 1990
Effective October 30, 1990
The Chihuahua
The Chihuahua
Description:
The Chihuahua is a tiny dog with an apple-shaped head and a short pointed muzzle.
It has round, large, very dark eyes, sometimes dark ruby or luminous in color. The trademark large ears should be held erect. Puppies have a soft spot or "molera" on the top of the skull. The bone usually closes the gap by adulthood. The body is cobby (stout), longer than it is tall, and the tail is sickle-shaped - curled over the back or the side. Besides the common short-haired variety there is also the long-haired type. Colors include fawn, sand, chestnut, silver, and steel blue, but any color is accepted, including black & tan and parti-color. The dog is more robust than he looks, with a level back, and legs coming down staright and square.
Temperament:
The chihuahua is a good companion dog. Courageous, extremely lively, proud and enterprising, it gives and demands affection. Bold and saucy, it moves swiftly to avoid being stepped on. Chihuahuas are strong-willed, intensely loyal and become very attached to their owners, even to the point of jealousy. They like to lick their owner's face. It is undeniably suspicious of people except for its owner. When strangers are present, it follows its owner's every move, keeping as close as possible. For some, they may be slightly difficult to train, but they are very intelligent, learn quickly, and respond well to proper, gentle (positive reinforcement) training.Many owners simply paper train this breed. Be sure to socialize your Chihuahua as a pup to avoid excessive aggressivenesswith other dogs as well as reserve with strangers. They tend to be fairly dog-aggressive. Chihuahuas generally recognize their own breed, but sometimes disapprove of other breeds. However, a "very" well-socialized Chihuahua can be friendly with strangers and other dogs.
Height: 6-9 inches (15-23 cm.)
Weight: 2-6 pounds (1-3 kg.) Approx Growth Chart Below.
Health Problems:
Because of his short nose, the Chihuahua tends to wheeze and snore. His prominent eyes are susceptible to corneal dryness and secondary glaucoma. Prone to slipped stifle, gum problems, colds, stress, and rheumatism. Don't let him lick or eat toxic products, fertilizer or chocolate. Feed lightly as they tend to gain weight. Chihuahua puppies are born with large heads, frequently needing cesarean deliveries by a skilled veterinarian. They are vulnerable to fractures and other accidents in puppyhood. Some of the breed have a molera, an unclosed section of the skull which can remain open throughout life this makes the dog prone to injury. Chihuahuas hate the cold and may shiver when cold or nervous.
Life Expectancy: About 12-15 years
Group: Southern, AKC Toy
The Chihuahua is a tiny dog with an apple-shaped head and a short pointed muzzle.
It has round, large, very dark eyes, sometimes dark ruby or luminous in color. The trademark large ears should be held erect. Puppies have a soft spot or "molera" on the top of the skull. The bone usually closes the gap by adulthood. The body is cobby (stout), longer than it is tall, and the tail is sickle-shaped - curled over the back or the side. Besides the common short-haired variety there is also the long-haired type. Colors include fawn, sand, chestnut, silver, and steel blue, but any color is accepted, including black & tan and parti-color. The dog is more robust than he looks, with a level back, and legs coming down staright and square.
Temperament:
The chihuahua is a good companion dog. Courageous, extremely lively, proud and enterprising, it gives and demands affection. Bold and saucy, it moves swiftly to avoid being stepped on. Chihuahuas are strong-willed, intensely loyal and become very attached to their owners, even to the point of jealousy. They like to lick their owner's face. It is undeniably suspicious of people except for its owner. When strangers are present, it follows its owner's every move, keeping as close as possible. For some, they may be slightly difficult to train, but they are very intelligent, learn quickly, and respond well to proper, gentle (positive reinforcement) training.Many owners simply paper train this breed. Be sure to socialize your Chihuahua as a pup to avoid excessive aggressivenesswith other dogs as well as reserve with strangers. They tend to be fairly dog-aggressive. Chihuahuas generally recognize their own breed, but sometimes disapprove of other breeds. However, a "very" well-socialized Chihuahua can be friendly with strangers and other dogs.
Height: 6-9 inches (15-23 cm.)
Weight: 2-6 pounds (1-3 kg.) Approx Growth Chart Below.
Health Problems:
Because of his short nose, the Chihuahua tends to wheeze and snore. His prominent eyes are susceptible to corneal dryness and secondary glaucoma. Prone to slipped stifle, gum problems, colds, stress, and rheumatism. Don't let him lick or eat toxic products, fertilizer or chocolate. Feed lightly as they tend to gain weight. Chihuahua puppies are born with large heads, frequently needing cesarean deliveries by a skilled veterinarian. They are vulnerable to fractures and other accidents in puppyhood. Some of the breed have a molera, an unclosed section of the skull which can remain open throughout life this makes the dog prone to injury. Chihuahuas hate the cold and may shiver when cold or nervous.
Life Expectancy: About 12-15 years
Group: Southern, AKC Toy
