Nancy's Chihuahuas
The Chihuahua
Description:
The Chihuahua is divided into two breed types, one with a soft short coat and the other with a soft long coat. Although reserved to strangers and unknown pets, Chihuahuas are very loyal and devoted to their owners. The Chihuahua dog breed it known for its saucy expression and alert attitude. Despite their small size, Chihuahuas make good watch dogs.
Origin:
The Chihuahua originated in Mexico.
Height:
Chihuahuas may be from six inches to nine inches.
Weight:
Chihuahuas range from two to six pounds.
Colors:
Chihuahuas can be any color or mixture of colors.
Coat:
Chihuahuas have either short or long coats. The short coat is soft to touch and only requires minimal grooming. The long coat is soft and can either be straight, wavy or curly. The long coat needs occasional brushing to keep it from matting.
Temperament:
The Chihuahua is an excellent companion and a highly devoted breed. Reserved when it comes to strangers, the Chihuahua makes a good watch dog. The Chihuahua is known as a stay-at-home dog and gets along well with other household pets.
Health Concerns:
The Chihuahua is susceptible to patella luxation and eye problems.
Life Expectancy:
The expected life span of the Chihuahua is 15 or more years.
Living Environment:
Chihuahuas are adequate for apartment living, though they tend to be noisy. Chihuahuas need little exercise to remain happy and a couple of trips outside each day will provide ample exercise for this playful breed.
AKC Group:
The Chihuahua is in the toy group.
AKC standards for Chihuahuas
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
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.
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.