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Chihuahua Breed Standard
 Chihuahua General Appearance
A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament.
Chihuahua Size, Proportion, Substance
Chihuahua Weight - A well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds. Chihuahua 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. Chihuahua Disqualification - Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Chihuahua Head
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera. Chihuahua Breed Expression - Saucy. Chihuahua Eyes - Full, but not protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby. (Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.) Chihuahua 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. Chihuahua Muzzle - Moderately short, slightly pointed. Cheeks and jaws lean. Chihuahua Nose - Self-colored in blond types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored. In blond types, pink nose permissible. Chihuahua Bite - Level or scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault. Chihuahua Disqualifications - Broken down or cropped ears.
Chihuahua Neck, Topline, Body
Chihuahua Neck - Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. Chihuahua Topline - Level. Chihuahua Body - Ribs rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped").Chihuahua 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.)Chihuahua Disqualifications - Cropped tail, bobtail.
Chihuahua Forequarters
Chihuahua 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. Chihuahua Feet - A small, dainty foot with toes well split up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.) Chihuahua Pasterns - Fine.
Chihuahua Hindquarters
Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm and sturdy. The feet are as in front.
Chihuahua Coat
Chihuahua 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. Chihuahua in Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Chihuahua Ears - Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Chihuahua 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. Chihuahua Disqualification - In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
Chihuahua Color
Any color-Solid, marked or splashed.
Chihuahua 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 Chihuahua 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 Chihuahua topline should remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves.
Chihuahua Temperament
Alert, with terrier-like qualities.
Chihuahua 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.
Chihuahua Approved September 11, 1990
Chihuahua Effective October 30, 1990
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