All About Chihuahuas
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The Chihuahua Breed Standard
**This standard is from the AKC, and is based on a theoretical perfect Chihuahua.*
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.
TEMPERMENT:
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.
Effective October 30, 1990
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.
TEMPERMENT:
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.
Effective October 30, 1990