Page 118 - K9 News Digital - Issue 11 May2020

The Chihuahua

broadening support above straight forelegs, set well under when they are in fact, the standard size for the breed, and
chest giving freedom of movement without looseness” indeed, sometimes very tiny puppies deliberately bred so
which gives the free moving, swift action that is called for. they can be sold for huge prices as teacups. Any breeder
The body should have a “level back. Body, from point of advertising puppies as teacups should be avoided at all
shoulder to rear point of croup, slightly longer than height costs.
at withers. Well sprung ribs, deep brisket”, the overall
picture should be slightly longer in body than the dog is healTh
tall.
In general, the Chihuahua is a pretty healthy breed, with
Hindquarters should be “muscular; hocks well let down, many living long into their teens. It is believed that the
with good turn of stifle, well apart, turning neither in nor oldest documented Chihuahua was called ‘Megabyte’,
out” giving the drive that powers the swift moving action we who lived to almost 21 years of age, but there are many
see from this little dog. Feet should be “small and dainty, stories of people with Chihuahuas that have lived to be up
turning neither in nor out; toes well divided but not spread, to 25 years. They are widely thought to be in the top ten
pads cushioned, fine, strong, flexible pasterns. Neither list of longest living breeds.
hare- nor cat-like, nails moderately short”. It is common
Luxating Patella can be a problem, but it is very simple to
to trim the fur on the feet to keep them neat and tidy, but
have their Patellas checked by a competent vet using the
this is the only trimming we do in the UK. The sickle tail is
Putnam Scoring System. This grades each Patella with a
“medium length, set high, carried up and over back (sickle
score of 0-4, with 0 being completely normal and 4 being
tail). When moving never tucked under or curled below the
permanently luxated. This should cost no more than a
topline. Furry, flattish in appearance, broadening slightly
consultation fee with a vet and is completed by manually
in centre and tapering to point” and it is worth looking
manipulating each Patella.
carefully for the sickle shape and not a tailset that is too
tight resulting in the tail too flat to the back, not unlike a ‘Reverse Sneezing’ is extremely common in the breed and
Papillon. is something Chihuahua breeders and owners are more
Gait and than used to living with. It causes very little distress and
movement is no long term effects on the dog, but it does mean that
“brisk, forceful teaching a dog to walk properly on a lead and collar is a
action, neither must as undue pressure on the neck can cause an attack
high-stepping nor of reverse sneezing.
hackney; good Gum disease is common due to the very small mouth,
reach without which is why regular cleaning is a must.
slackness in
forequarters, They can suffer from hypoglycaemia, so ensuring that they
good drive in eat regularly is important. Recognising a hypoglycaemic
hindquarters. attack is essential so that quick action can be taken. It
Viewed from front is also one of the reasons that reputable breeders keep
and behind legs puppies until 12 weeks old; very young puppies can be
should move prone to hypoglycaemic attacks.
neither too close nor too wide, with no turning in or out of In 2014, the Kennel Club carried out a large-scale breed
feet or pasterns. Topline should remain firm and level when health survey.
moving”. In the smoothcoat, the coat should be “smooth,
of soft texture, close and glossy, with undercoat and ruff The results of this, for both coats, can be found by visiting
permissible”. In the Longcoat, it should be “soft texture the following links:
(never coarse or harsh to touch) either flat or slightly wavy. The Kennel Club’s Chihuahua Long Coat.pdf
Never tight and curly. Feathering on ears, feet and legs,
pants on hindquarters, large ruff on neck desirable. Tail The Kennel Club’s Chihuahua Smooth Coat.pdf
long and full as a “plume” and of course, they should not
be overcoated (resembling a Pomeranian) – remember: WhaT’s iT really like To live WiTh one?
‘Smoothcoat with feathering’!
Chihuahuas can be suspicious of strangers and act as
In terms of colour, virtually anything goes, except for the
excellent alert dogs, letting their owners know of any
Merle colouring. Merle Chihuahuas cannot be registered
strangers lurking about, an errant postman or an anti-
by the Kennel Club or shown in the UK (and a number of
social pigeon. Without training, or treated as the ‘handbag
other countries). In the show ring, it has long been the
dogs’ they have come to be known for, they can become
case that creams, fawns and reds have done better, but
snappy; but with proper socialisation, basic obedience
there are a number of tricolours who have been made up
training and the ability to behave as the dogs they are (they
to champions.
have four fully operational legs!), they can be a delight to
Remember they are a small breed, with the weight stated live with. They are undoubtedly comedians, and love to
as “up to 2.7 kgs (6 lbs), with 1.8 - 2.7 kgs (4 - 6 lbs) please, so they are pretty easy to train. They will happily
preferred”. Unfortunately, the breed has seen several walk miles but are equally as happy curled up on a lap,
unscrupulous breeders introduce the term ‘teacup’; there the sofa or in any sunny spot they can find. They like their
is no such thing! Many puppies are advertised as teacups home comforts and are not a dog who takes well to living
118 - K9 NEWS DIGITAL