Head
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera.
Expression - Saucy.
Eyes - Full, but not
protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby.
(Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.)
Ears
- Large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to
the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose, giving breadth between
the ears.
Muzzle - Moderately short, slightly pointed.
Cheeks and jaws lean.
Nose - Self-colored in blond
types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored.
In blond types, pink nose permissible.
Bite - Level or
scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or
jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault.
Disqualifications
- Broken down or cropped ears.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck - Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean
shoulders.
Topline - Level.
Body - Ribs
rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped").
Tail
- Moderately long, carried sickle either up or out, or in a loop over
the back, with tip just touching the back. (Never tucked between legs.)
Disqualifications - Cropped tail, bobtail.
Forequarters
Shoulders - Lean, sloping into a slightly broadening
support above straight forelegs that set well under, giving a free play
at the elbows. Shoulders should be well up, giving balance and
soundness, sloping into a level back. (Never down or low.) This gives a
chestiness, and strength of forequarters, yet not of the "Bulldog"
chest.
Feet - A small, dainty foot with toes well split
up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.)
Pasterns - Fine.
Hindquarters
Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm
and sturdy. The feet are as in front.
Coat
In the
Smooth Coats, the coat should be of soft
texture, close and glossy. (Heavier coats with undercoats permissible.)
Coat placed well over body with ruff on neck preferred, and more scanty
on head and ears. Hair on tail preferred furry. In
Long Coats,
the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly,
with undercoat preferred.
Ears - Fringed. (Heavily
fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to
weak ear leather, never down.)
Tail - Full and long (as
a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff
on the neck desired and preferred.
Disqualification - In
Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
Color
Any color-Solid, marked or splashed.
Gait
The Chihuahua should move swiftly with a firm, sturdy action, with good
reach in front equal to the drive from the rear. From the rear, the
hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs
follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and
rear, will tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity as
speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and
plenty of reach in the front, with head carried high. The topline should
remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves.
Temperament
Alert, with terrier-like qualities.
Disqualifications
Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Broken down or cropped ears.
Cropped tail, bobtail.
In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.
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