What is a real chihuahua?

Historical:  The Chihuahua is considered the smallest purebred dog in the world and is named after the largest state in the Republic of Mexico (Chihuahua). It is believed that this dog once lived freely in this region and that it was captured and domesticated by the natives during the time of the Toltec civilization. Representations of a dwarf dog called “Techichi” who lived in the Tula region participated in the decoration of architectural elements of this city; these statues closely resemble today's Chihuahua.

General aspect : It is a dog with a squat body, whose most important particularities are the apple-shaped head and the tail of medium length, which is carried high and curved or rounded in a semicircle with the end pointing towards the region lumbar.

Significant proportions: The length of the body is slightly greater than the height at the withers; we look for an almost square body, especially in males; in females, due to the reproductive function, a slightly longer body is allowed.

Behavior/Character Lively, vigilant, restless and very courageous.

Head:
Cranial Region:Skull: Well rounded, apple-shaped head (characteristic of the breed); skull preferably without fontanel although a small fontanel is permitted. Stop: Well marked, pronounced and broad since the forehead is domed above the base of the muzzle.

Facial Region:
– Nose: Moderately short and slightly raised; All colors are allowed.
– Muzzle: Short; seen in profile it is rectilinear; at its base it is wide and gradually narrows towards its end.
– Lips: Dry and well joined.
– Cheeks: Poorly developed, very dry.
– Jaws/teeth: Scissor or pincer joint. Upper or lower prognathism as well as any other defective joint will be severely penalized.
– Eyes: Large, rounded, very expressive, not protruding, perfectly dark; Light colored eyes are allowed, but not required.
– Ears: Large, erect, widely open; wide at their attachment, they gradually become thinner towards their end which is slightly rounded. At rest they are inclined laterally at an angle of 45°. 

Neck:
– Upper edge: Slightly curved.
– Length: Average.
– Shape: Thicker in males than in females.
– Skin: No dewlap; in the long-haired variety, the presence of a longer mane-forming hair is extremely desirable

Body: Compact and well built.
– Top line: Right.
– Withers: Little marked.
– Back: Short and firm.
– Loins: Strongly muscular.
– Croup: Broad and strong; almost flat or slightly inclined.
– Chest: Broad and well set, ribs well sprung; front view, spacious, but without exaggeration; seen in profile, it goes down to the level of the elbows; not barrel shaped.
– Bottom line: Clearly defined by a well-raised stomach. A loose stomach is allowed but not desired.

Tail : Set high, flat in appearance and of moderate length, it is wide at its base and becomes progressively thinner towards its end. The carriage of the tail is an important characteristic of the breed: in action it is carried high, forming a curve or semi-circle, the end being directed towards the lumbar region, which contributes to the harmony of the whole . The tail should never be carried between the hind legs or curled below the line of the back. The tail hair, depending on the variety, is in harmony with the body coat. In the long-haired Chihuahua, the hair on the tail forms a plume. At rest, the tail is drooping and forms a slight hook.

Members
Forelimbs: Straight and of good length. Seen from the front, the front legs form a straight line with the elbow; seen in profile, they are upright.
– Shoulder: Clean and moderately muscular. Good angulation between the shoulder blade and the arm.
– Elbows: Firm and close to the body, give the necessary freedom of movement.
– Metacarpals: Slightly inclined, strong and flexible

Hind limbs: The hindquarters, straight and parallel, are well muscled; their bones are long; in correspondence with the forelegs, they have good angulations of the coxofemoral joints, the knee and the hock.
-Hocks: Short with well-developed hock cord. Seen from behind, the hocks are straight, vertical and well separated.

Feet: Very small and oval, with the toes well separated but not crushed (neither a hare's foot nor a cat's foot); the nails are particularly well arched and moderately long; the pads are well developed and very elastic. The dewclaws must be removed except in countries where this operation is prohibited by law.

Gaits : the step is long, elastic, energetic and active, with good extension of the front legs and good push of the hind legs. Seen from behind, the hindquarters should move almost parallel, the footprints of the hindquarters covering those of the forelimbs. When speed increases, the limbs tend to converge towards the median plane (“single track”). The gait remains elastic, free and easy, the head held high and the back firm.

Skin: Smooth and elastic over the entire surface of the body.

Dress, Hair : There are two varieties of coat in this breed:
– Short-haired variety: The hair is short and well laid over the entire body; in the presence of an undercoat, the hair is slightly longer; sparse hair is accepted on the throat and stomach; the hair is slightly longer on the neck and tail, short on the face and ears. It is shiny and soft in texture. Hairless dogs are not accepted.
– Long-haired variety: The hair must be fine and silky, smooth or slightly wavy; a not too dense undercoat is desired; the hair is longer around the neck and forms fringes on the ears, on the back of the front and hind limbs and on the feet as well as a plume on the tail. Dogs with long, wavy hair will not be accepted.

Color : All colors in all possible shades and combinations are allowed

Weight : In this breed, we do not take into account size but only weight. Weight: Ideal weight between 1.5 kg and 3 kg. However, dogs between 500 g and 1.5 kg are accepted. Subjects weighing more than 3kg will be disqualified.

Defaults: Any deviation from the above must be considered a defect which will be penalized depending on its severity.
– Missing teeth.
– Persistence of deciduous teeth.
– Deformed jaw.
- Pointy ears.
– Short neck.
– Long body.
– Arched or saddled back (lordosis or xyphosis).
– Rump swallowed
– Narrow chest, flat ribcage.
– Twisted or short tail; incorrect attachment.
– Short limbs.
– Elbows off.
– Tight hindquarters.

Serious defects:
– Narrow skull.
– Small eye, sunken in the orbit or protruding.
– Long muzzle.
– Upper or lower prognathism.
– Dislocation of the patella

Elimination defects
– Aggressive or fearful subjects.
– “Deer” or “dear head” type (dog of atypical or extremely stylized construction: finely chiseled head, long neck, slender body, long limbs).
– Subjects with a significant fontanelle.
– Drooping or short ears.
– Extremely long body.
– Absence of tail.
– In the long-haired variety: very long, fine and wavy hair.
– In the short-haired variety: patch without hair (alopecia).
– Weight above 3kg

Any dog clearly exhibiting physical or behavioral abnormalities will be disqualified. 
​NB : Males should have two normal-appearing testicles completely descended into the scrotum.