TEMPERAMENT
Temperament is dynamic, vigilant, vivacious and very brave.
THE SKULL AREA
The skull area is one of the two great areas of the head and, together with the facial area, is of primary importance.
The head is considered the breed's main feature, or better yet: head is the absolute indicator of breed type.
Skull should never be flat, absolutely not, but solely domed with a rounded forehead, apple-shaped and broad, mainly between parietal bones and not between temporal bones and a good transversal development should be noticed.
The top longitudinal axis of the skull is parallel to the top longitudinal axis of the muzzle, only the nose will have a slight tendency upwards which gives the correct breed expression; this top profile of the nose is called "dish edge".
Given the parallelism of the top craniofacial axes, let's examine the nose-frontal fall, also known as "stop": as it usually happens, from these two parallel axes we will have an accentuated nose-frontal fall due to the shape of the frontal bone and to the lowering of nasal apophysis and to the top jaw to determine the stop.
The stop is very accentuated, around 90 degrees.
This area has to be broad, slightly convex above insertion of the muzzle.
The degrees of the nose-frontal fall are determined by craniofacial angle that, after craniofacial axes, determines the type of the head in its bony part.
THE MUZZLE AREA (ALSO KNOWN AS FACE)
Many differences can be noticed if one compares a poodle to a pekingese. But among these two morphologies there are many different types.
For this reason the zoognostic of the muzzle is extremely difficult and peculiar. By facing the zootechnical test of a chihuahua, particularly by examining the face area, you cannot just focus on the evaluation of the nose lenght to affirm: "typical muzzle".
That would be easy and elementary but, certainly, it would also be a reductive and hasty zootechnical consideration.
The muzzle area must be deeply examined, considering its diameters, the face and the profiles, the coat variety, the labial commissur, the facial wrinkles and the buccal fissure.
Chihuahuas' top profile of the nose is rectilinear and never divergent.
In profile: top and bottom line of the face appear almost parallel.
Muzzle appears trunk, short but not too short.
It has to be of right proportions, in harmony with the skull.
In order to have the expression of a Mexican dog, and not of an oriental dog or to be neither of mollosoid nor braccoid type, chihuahuas' facial area must to be wrinklefree with elastic and tight skin.
Muzzle in its aboral part must be broad and then gradually tapering towards the oral part, in conseguence the side faces of the muzzle will be slightly convergent and the labial development will not be too developed like all dog breeds whose side faces of the muzzle are convergent.
Cheeks, or masseter area, are slightly developed and very tight.
The science that studies the morphology of the animals teaches us that, for all breeds, a limited development of this ares is appreciated to avoid coarseness and to enhance rifinement of the sub-orbital area, which is considered a great quality.
The well chiselled sub-orbital area is a distinguishing factor.
Few people have heard or read the statement, "chihuahuas' smile"; actually it's rarer and rarer to find this sublime expression. In order to get this now difficult to achieve breed feature we have to go back to the face area, to its correct harmonious proportions and precisely to the labial lines and its commissur.
The lips must be tense, tight, never with relaxed skin, always very stretched, never fleshy, neither wrinkled nor pleaded to favor the visibility of labial fessures.
The labial commissur must not be too accentuated, the top lips should never appear baggy or fully covering bottom lips.
Summing up all of these morphological peculiarities belonging to the facial and skull areas, finally our chihuahuas return to smile.
Now we analyze the bite: the standard asks for a "scissors bite", a "level bite" is accepted.
To get it,we need the same length of top and bottom jaws.
Same lenght of top and bottom jaws makes for a good chin which is a distingushing breed feature.
Jawbone is broad so that the muzzle won't be too narrow and to provide enough room for a correct straight teeth line.
In the morphological evaluation of the head, "overtype" (over the type), a typical British expression meaning hypertype, must be heavily penalized.
On the other side, lack of type is a serious fault just the same. Moderation and harmony are to be sought after.
EYES, EARS, FEET AND SKIN
Eyes are in frontal position and wide set, rounded, big but not enormous, always in balance with the head, never bulging nor prominent.
An imaginary line, departing from the lower point of the ear insertion, crosses the eye going from the outer corner of eye to the inner corner of eye, bordering the meeting point of the nasal apophysis and of the muzzle.
The center of the eye is on the trajectory of a straight imaginary line that connects the inner and the outer corners of the same eyes to the base of the stop and to the lowest point of the ear insertion.
Dark eye colours are prefered, keeping in mind that the colour of the eyes is strictly genetically linked to the coat colour and to the mucosas pigmentation.
The eye, with its shape, position and colour, contributes to the Mexican breed type.
Eye white should never be visible, which is an absolute fault in every toy breed but Japanese Chins where it is a breed feature.
Ears are isosceles triangle shaped, broad at the base and gradually tapering to the tip, which is slightly rounded.
Ears are carried erect, they are big but not enormous, always in balance with the head.
We say that ears are well set when the outer corner of eye is on the same line with the ear lowest point of insertion.
Please, notice that only when the dog is not alert its ears are at a 45° angle; when chihuahuas are alert their ears must reduce that angle and they are carried closer to each other.
On some occasions, sometimes related to emotional factors, ears might be carried close to the skull. In this case, it is sufficient to get the dog's attention to be able to see the correct ear carriage and breed expression.
Feet are round and elongated in shape, neither hare feet nor cat feet, with well separated but not flat fingers.
Fingernails are very well arched and moderately long.
Pads are well developed and very elastic.
Chihuahuas skin is smooth and elastic all over the body surface, and never wrikled.
NECK
The neck, fairly cylindrical and of average length, is slightly arched. Its dorsal profile is convex towards the nape with proud and elegant head carriage.
This type of neck topline is considered the most functional of all, hence it is very sought after.
A swan neck must be penalized same as the one with convex top profile with high head carriage; very nice looking neck but not functional causing the rearward displacement of the center of gravity and pressuring a stronger effort of the rear.
Also, it projects forelegs upward causing an incorrect hackney movement.
The ventral profile of the neck and of the throat must be free from relaxed skin, plaits and wrinkles; it shouldn't give the impression of a head wrapped in a fur collar.
This definition refers to the skin which should never be abundant and loose.
Even in this area, the skin is tight and elastic, never exaggeratedly loose and essentially lacking dewlap: it consists of two skin folds starting from the mandibular branches and involving the lower edge of the neck and the throat, side limiting the latter.
This is a fault in some breeds and a sought after feature in others as, for example, in some breeds belonging to group II and group XI.
In most breeds it is always a fault, showing skin looseness and revealing a lymphatic origin. Inclination of the neck should be around 45 /50 degrees, just like the shoulder, to guarantee the shift of the barycentre in all directions.
Together, neck and head are named cephalo-cervical balancer and they have the important function of keep balance during movement.
Also, a correct lenght of neck promotes an ample stride forward.
A short neck is almost always related to a straight shoulder with a marked obliquity of the humerus, therefore our chihuahuas look bent forward or with forelegs slightly inclined towards the stomach.
A neck that is too short doesen't blend well with the shoulders.
A neck that blends well with the body is an absolute quality, not a relative one.
Apart from some exceptions, lenght of the shoulder is related to its inclination: a short shoulder is usually straight, a long shoulder is correctly back tilted.
The correct inclination of the shoulder allows for a long stride and, therefore, we could say it covers the ground well.
A long humerus is appreciated; lenght of humerus is almost the same as lenght of shoulder, which is an absolute quality. The scapulo-humeral angle is around 90/95 degrees.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS AND BODY
It's an elegant breed, one of great refinement and distinction.
Its shape is harmoniously compact with the right overall proportions between mass and volumes.
It is almost square built with a good bone and muscle structure development, with no deficiencies.
Body, which is cylindrical in shape, strong and compact, should look almost square.
Bitches may have a slightly longer body, which is a trait allowed but not desireable.
Watching a chihuahua in profile, the measure from elbow to ground should equal the measure from elbow to withers and the sum of these two measures should be slightly less than the measure that goes from the tip of the shoulder to the tip of the buttock, also known as scapulo-ischial length.
Topline is horizontal, while the bottom line goes up to the ventral area; we'll see a well upturned belly to avoid the obese effect.
Rump is broad, which is an absolute quality, strong, flat or slightly tilted. Its inclination determines all rear angulations, from femur to hip bone and from tibia to tarsus.
The rump transmits the movement deriving from the opening of all articular angles of the hindlegs.
Withers is slightly raised, which is an element of great distinction. It should never be neither low nor short as that would cause movement to be incomplete and certainly atypical, with short drive.
Chest is of essential, vital and functional importance, the latter in reference to movement.
It is deep and wide; if seen from the front it looks broad in order to provide more room between the top of the shoulders. Long and well arched ribs are appreciated.
Also, ribcage tapers to the waist with its broadest point just behind the elbows. Also, this shape of the ribcage helps to get a typical movement.
TAIL
In this harmonious breed, the tail helps to consolidate harmony and type both standing and moving.
Tail is very high set and carried to form either a sickle or a semi-circular shape with its tip pointing towards the loins.
It is broader at the root than at the tip and giving the feeling of having flat vertebrae, which some old expert Italian judges used to define "noodle tail".
MOVEMENT
A good movement is the test of a dog's correct construction.
A Chihuahua that is structurally well constructed, according to the standard, will move according to the standard.
Footsteps are long, quick and elastic, showing neither effort nor deficiency.
The hindquarters' footmarks perfectly cover the forequarters' footmarks; with a good reach you consequently get a good drive of the rear. In order to get this effect, chuhuahuas must have the correct shoulder angulation to accomodate the thrust coming from the opening of the internal angle of the hocks.
These angles open thanks to the twin muscles contraction.
Hindquarters are well angulated with short hock and an evident development of saphenous Achilles tendon, synonymous with thin skin, therefore refinement and elegance.
While examining chihuahuas's correct movement, a fast and sustained pace should be required from a specimen of this breed.
Only under these circumstances it will show us that all four legs converge towards the median axis, this way determining the classic movement named "single tracking".
During the extended trot, as the dog increases the pace, limbs converge inward until the time when the feet are placed in line with the median longitudinal axis of the body.
Moving, front and rear legs have a correctly vertical direction, even if they are tilted inward.
Hindlegs perfectly cover the footmarks of the forelegs.
Sideway, while trotting, good reach and drive must be present together with coordination of all four legs, so that movement is light and functional.
COAT
Chihuahuas only have two coat varieties: smooth coat and long coat.
Both varieties must be well recognizable, even if under the coat both varieties have identical morphological features.
Both varieties have a double coat (undercoat and outer coat) and have a flat type of coat, in other words every single hair is straight for the entire lenght with no deviation from its axis and is of silky texture.
In the short coat variety, coat is smooth and thick particularly on the body where it is well skin-tight.
Coat nature according to dog expertise: texture is soft and silky, smooth to the touch, coat is always glossy and this aspect is more visible in dark colours.
Coat on the entire head, throat, belly and legs must be shorter and coat covering some areas like the stomach can be quite sparse.
In this coat variety there must be moderate undercoat which is more accentuated on the neck and on the tail to make a ruff and a bushy tail.
The distribution of hair on the tail gives it a slightly "flat" look on the ventral side due to the hair growing sideway, particularly close to the root where it is normally longer and gets shorter and shorter towards the tip.
This flat look of the tail is due to the coat and not to the tail structure and it has always been considered a distinctive breed feature.
Blue chihuahuas have a sparser coat, particularly on the ears.
Doberman like coat is a fault: when stroking backward, coat won't stand giving the tail an appearance similar to that of a rat.
In longcoat chihuahuas, coat is of medium lenght, soft in texture (never hard or rough to the touch), it must me smooth or slightly waved, never curly, thicker on the body and with moderate undercoat.
It is very short on the head, muzzle and front of legs.
It forms long fringes on the ears, especially at the base, on the neck, on the chest, behind frontlegs, on the outer side of the buttocks (panties) and, most of all, on the tail which is very furry and looking like a feather.
In long coat chihuahuas, the tip of the hair must capture and reflect the light of a sunny day; a dull coat means an incorrect texture and this is much more obvious in the dark shades of colour.
A coat lacking undercoat is not correct, same as a coat with too much undercoat which makes the hair stand from the body giving the impression of a spitz like type of coat.
Besides, this type of coat sheds abundantly and is difficult to care for. Among the faults: coat too long or too wavy or lack of coat.
If of correct type, both varieties of coat guarantee our small chihuahuas a good protection from external agents.
Shedding is moderate and coat care is very easy in both varieties.
Keep in mind that lenght of fringes depends on the sex and age of the dog and, also, on the season. Males have a much more abundant ruff than females and their tails are more likely to look like a feather as the standard asks for.
A three year old dog has a fully mature coat.
Females, also due to moults of hormonal nature, are often not in full coat.
Therefore, when judging chihuahuas it is advisable to evaluate coat texture very carefully, not just its lenght.
All colours are allowed in all shades and markings except for merle colour which is considered a disqualifying fault.
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