Brief Description
Chihuahuas are loyal and charming dogs. Despite of the small size – or indeed because of it – they are also strong willed and possess big-dog-attitude. As such, they need proper handling and training. Like The American Kennel Club’s website states: ‘Even tiny dogs require training, and without it this clever scamp will rule your household like a little Napoleon.’
The breed comes in two varieties: the smooth coat and the long coat.
Health: Many of the breed’s health problems are due to extreme conformational traits and extremely small size. Key hereditary health conditions include dental, cranial, neurological, orthopedic, ocular, and cardiac diseases. Dystocia is also common.
Get a GRIHP!: Comprehensive information on the breed's health can be found in the Get a GRIHP! on the Chihuahua article (to be added soon).
Breed Standards
The basis of breed/conformation shows is the judging of pedigree dogs against the 'Breed Standard', which is a picture in words that describes the range of features that are deemed appropriate for the breed.
Three of the major international standards are:
Health Strategies
Research Projects
Parent Breed Club
Other breed clubs: see Connections below
Other Resources
Finnish Kennel Club Breeding Database - Chihuahua
Swedish Kennel Club Breeding Data (Avelsdata; in Swedish). Find the breed in the link 'Raser' on left.
Information Lacking?
We are constantly adding and updating the breed information - please contact us if you have updates, links, or other information to add!
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SE
- Updated