The
Chihuahua comes in two different varieties; the long haired Chihuahua
(sometimes known as the long coat Chihuahua) and the smooth coated
Chihuahua. The smooth coat Chihuahua has a coat that is slick,
glossy, and of a soft texture. A slight ruff over the neck area is ideal and
dogs with a slightly heavier coat are permissible, according to the breed
standard. The long hair Chihuahua possesses a longer coat, which may
either lay flat against the dog or may be somewhat curly; in both styles of
long haired Chihuahua, the ears should be fringed and the tail should be
plume-like, with feathering at the chest, along the belly and flanks, and down
the dog’s legs. A large ruff is also desired around the neck area. Also
interesting to note is that the Chihuahua can be found in any color and can be
either solid patterned, marked or splashed, regardless of coat.
Up until its time of development as a
pure breed in the United States, the
origin of the long-coated version of the
Chihuahua is identical to that of the
short-coated variety. The long, soft
coat is thought to have been achieved by
crossbreeding the Short Coat
Chihuahua with
other Toy breeds. The
Papillon,
Pomeranian,
Pekingese and
Yorkshire
Terrier have been suggested as possible
crosses.
The Chihuahua
breed standard does not specify a height limit for registration but, instead,
specifies that they can weigh no more than 6 pounds. Because of this, the
breed’s height varies more than many other known breeds. Most show dogs will
be an average of 6-10 inches tall at the top of the shoulder, though it is not
uncommon for dogs to grow larger than this, particularly those who are kept as
pets. Quite often, smaller specimens of the breed are sold as expensive pets,
known as teacup Chihuahuas. While these dwarfs are highly sought after,
one should be very wary of any breeder that advertises teacup Chihuahuas;
quite often, these miniature toy Chihuahuas exhibit a large number of
health problems and often live a much shorter lifespan than the standard
Chihuahua‘s life span of anywhere between 8 and 18 years of age.
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