Guide to Chihuahuas

Chihuahua Dogs - Celebrating the Chihuahua!!

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The Chihuahua (Spanish: Chihuahueno) is the smallest breed of dog in the world and is named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico.

The two basic body types of purebred Chihuahuas are Apple headed or Deer headed. Characteristics of an Apple headed Chihuahua are short noses, an apple shaped head, and close- set eyes. On the other hand, Deer headed Chihuahuas have an elongated nose that resembles a Doberman Pinschers. Most importantly, Deer headed Chihuahuas do not have a head shaped like an apple although they both have the same chance of being teacup or miniature.

The Kennel Club (UK) and American Kennel Club (USA) only recognize two varieties of Chihuahua: the long-coat and the smooth-coat, also referred to as short-haired. They are genetically the same breed, although you will never find both in the same litter (unless the parents were different types to each other) and in many kennel clubs, including the KC and AKC, they are judged in separate categories. The term smooth-coat does not mean that the hair is necessarily smooth, as the hair can range from having a velvet touch to a whiskery feeling. Long-haired Chihuahuas are actually smoother to the touch, having soft, fine guard hairs and a downy undercoat, which gives them their fluffy appearance. Unlike many long-haired breeds, short-haired Chihuahuas require no trimming and minimal grooming. Contrary to popular belief, the long-haired breed also typically sheds less than their short-haired counterparts. It may take up to two or more years before a full long-haired coat develops.

The AKC Chihuahua standard lists under color: "Any color-Solid, marked or splashed". This allows for all colors from solid blacks to solid whites, spotted, or a variety of other colors and patterns. A few examples are Fawn, Red, Cream, Chocolate, Blue, and Black.

Famous and Fictional Chihuahuas

  • Bruiser (real name: Moonie), Elle Woods' companion in the Legally Blonde movies.
  • Ducky, who was named the World's Smallest Living Dog by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007. (Ducky succeeded Danka Kordak of Slovakia, a Chihuahua who measured 5.4 inches tall.)
  • Coco, the dog featured on the television series Dog Whisperer and owned by Cesar Millan.
  • Coco, Donna Cabonna's dog from the Disney Channel Original Series That's So Raven.
  • Lou, a chihuahua featured on the television show The Soup.
  • Madame Shirley the Medium is an old-fortune teller chihuahua featured in a TV Show Cartoon, Courage the Cowardly Dog.
  • Mimi, Sharon Osbourne's chihuahua.
  • Nunu, the "demon chihuahua" who was featured in the Dog Whisperer pilot episode.
  • Pepito, Xavier Cugat's chihuahua immortalized in the children's book Pepito the Little Dancing Dog: The Story of Xavier Cugat's Chihuahua.
  • Ren H�ek, of Ren and Stimpy fame.
  • The Spooky Chihuahua from Invader Zim.
  • The Taco Bell chihuahua.
  • Tinkerbell Hilton and Bambi, companions of Paris Hilton. Tinkerbell is the "author" of "Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries".
  • Tito from Oliver & Company.
  • Geraldo, Max Shreck's chihuahua in Batman Returns.
  • Wheely Willy, a paraplegic chihuahua from Long Beach, California who has become a celebrity as the subject of two bestselling children's books.
  • Mammoth Mutt from Krypto the Superdog.
  • Heart-Kun, a Japanese Chihuahua born with a heart shaped pattern in his fur.

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