Purebread Chihuahua's are the smallest of the AKC registered breeds, with an adult dog being disqualified from competition if it weighs more than six pounds. Most Chihuahuas are six to eight inches tall. The body should be a little longer than it is tall.
Your Chihuahua should be a fine-boned but muscular dog, energetic and "saucy" in personality. The head shape is rounded with large eyes (but never bulging), and large ears that perk upright when the dog is alert and flare out to the sides of the head when the dog is resting. There may be a "molera" or soft spot at the center of the skull. This is no longer considered in competition, as it was risky for the dogs to have judges probing the molera with their fingers!
The Chihuahua's neck is carried with a slight arch and slopes gracefully into the shoulders. His back is level, ribs rounded but not barrel-like, and his tail carried brightly in a sickle shape or as a loop that touches the back. A plumelike tail is good.
Smooth-coated Chihuahuas have a soft, close, glossy coat, scanty on the head and ears. A full coat on the body and a bit of ruff are preferred. The long-coated dogs have a longer soft coat that can be flat or slightly curly and must have an undercoat. The long-coated dog should have feathered ears, feet, and tail, as well as a nice full ruff.
Chihuahuas come in a dizzying variety of colors. This is the list of colors indicated on registrations: Black, Black & Tan, Blue & Tan, Chocolate, Chocolate & Tan, Cream, Fawn,Fawn & White, Red, Black & Red, Black & Silver,Black & White,Black Sabled Fawn, Black Sabled Silver, Blue, Blue & White,Blue Brindled Fawn, Blue Fawn, Chocolate & White, Chocolate Blue, Chocolate Brindled Fawn,Chocolate Sabled Fawn, Cream & White, Fawn Brindled Black,Gold , Gold & White, Red & White, Silver, Silver & White, White. These colors can combine on the dog in markings called "Brindle" (a roan-like mixture, such as you'd see on a bull mastiff), "Parti" (spots, usually on a white base coat), and "Merle" (thin striping of a darker color on a lighter base). They may have a mask of darker color on their face and ears.
The most important recommendation about breeding your Chihuahua, agreed upon by multiple veterinarians and breeding experts, is this: Don't.
Why not? Two very significant reasons.
First, you may well lose your little girl. These tiny dogs usually experience complications in labor and delivery. If you keep her and her pups alive, the vet costs will probably be more than the litter is worth, unless both your bitch and the sire have a lot of champions within the last five generations, and they have been matched to minimize the likelihood of genetic weaknesses in the pups.
Second, the world does not need more Chihuahuas right now. Twenty-five percent of the dogs languishing in animal rescues and shelters are purebred animals. Let those who would like a dog just like yours go adopt one. Everyone wins.
