Types of Chihuahua dogs. What are the different types of Chihuahua? A dog that looks like a Chihuahua with big ears.

The Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed that has made a significant contribution to the development of ancient and modern dog breeding. The name of the breed is consonant with the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where these dogs were discovered.

Origin of the breed

The ancestor of the Chihuahua is considered to be the Techichi dog, a sacred animal of the ancient Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs, distinguished by its tiny size and long hair, the first mention of which dates back to 1500 BC. e. As a result of crossing with Chinese crested dog, in 1500 AD. e. Short-haired Techichi appeared, which were completely exterminated by the Spaniards after the fall of the Aztec Empire. Mention of the last Techichi specimens dates back to the end of the 18th century.

Miniature descendants of the Techichi were most often found near the Mexican state of Chihuahua (Spanish: Chihuahua), so local traders sold the dogs to tourists from Europe under the name "Chihuahua dog" (in Spanish the letter h is not readable).

Unusual, miniature dogs with an easy-going character, they quickly gained popularity and in 1904, a smooth-haired female named Midget was presented at a dog show in Philadelphia.

In 1923, the National Chihuahua Club was created and the first official breed standard was approved, recognizing only smooth-haired Chihuahuas. In 1949, the British Chihuahua Club was formed, where, 5 years later, with common effort British and Americans, the final breed standard was approved, recognizing smooth-haired and long-haired dogs.

Description of the breed

The Chihuahua is a compact dog with a proportional build; males have a square format; females have a slightly elongated body. The current breed standard provides for the permissible weight of adults of both sexes ranging from 0.5 to 3 kg.

Body type

Within the breed there are 2 types of dogs:

• cobby-type - dense, stocky, tightly built individuals;
• deer-type - light, elegant specimens with deer-like grace.

The body of the Chihuahua is lean and harmonious, with a straight topline and a graceful curve of the muscular belly. The back is short, strong, the croup is strong and wide.

The chest is developed and deep, with rounded ribs, moderately voluminous, when viewed from the side, it is lowered to the elbows.

The shoulders are slightly dry, the front legs are straight and long, the elbows are pressed tightly to the body. The hind legs are developed, muscular, with a vertical stance and pronounced joints, harmoniously combined with the angles of the front legs.

Paws oval shape, very small, with spread, but not spread, fingers that end in convex claws. The paw pads are elastic and sensitive. Crooked limbs and twisted joints are considered serious faults.

The tail is of moderate length, wide at the base, gradually tapering towards the end. At rest, the tail is lowered and slightly curved; when excited, it is held very high, curling in a semi-ring towards the lower back.

The neck of males is thicker with a pronounced top line. Neck length is average for both sexes. The front of the neck of long-haired Chihuahuas should have a frill of longer hair.

Head

A distinctive feature of the Chihuahua is its apple-shaped skull. The muzzle is short, from the side it looks straight, wide at the base, gradually tapering towards the nose. The neat nose is slightly turned up.

The cheeks are weakly defined, the lips are dry, tightly fitting to the jaws with a scissor or straight bite.

The eyes are large, round, very expressive, shallow-set, but not bulging, dark.

The ears are large, erect, wide at the base, set very far apart, with slightly rounded tips. The angle of inclination relative to the horizon is 45 degrees.

Beautiful chocolate chihuahua puppy.

Black shorthaired chihuahua.

Coat and color

Smooth-haired Chihuahuas are covered with a short, soft coat that lies closely all over the body. The tail, neck and undercoat may have more long hair, throat and belly - more rare.

Longhaired Chihuahuas have long, silky coats that are straight or slightly wavy. The breed standard allows longer hair on the ears, neck, tail and back side limbs.

Chihuahuas are unique in their variety of colors, which are acceptable in any combination. The most popular colors are red, spotted fawn with a black and white mask and sable. Blue, solid black and white, as well as chocolate and brindle colors are considered the rarest.

Chihuahua character

Chihuahua growth ends at the age of 6-7 months, at which time their character is finally formed, so dogs begin to be trained and socialized as early as possible.

Chihuahuas are loyal friends, jealously attached to their owner, intelligent and have a keen understanding of people. Thanks to their endurance and natural curiosity, they can run around in the garden for hours, but if the owner is busy, they will gladly keep him silent company, without trying to attract attention to themselves by importunity or aggression.

According to experts, long-haired Chihuahuas are docile and calm, while smooth-haired ones are more active and temperamental. Among representatives of dwarf breeds, Chihuahuas are distinguished by the most stable psyche, emotional, but not at all hysterical and calmly tolerate changes in environment. Extreme stress can cause your dog to urinate involuntarily.

The lifespan of a Chihuahua ranges from 13 to 18 years.

Chihuahua puppies in a mug.

Today the standards are recognized two types of chihuahua depending on the structure of the body. This ✅ type cobe (cobby-type) and ✅ type dir (deer-type).

Some more types of Chihuahua (false types):

1. Classical
2. Pekingese
3. Aboriginal
4. English
5. Extreme
6. Exotic

Type of Chihuahua Coby

This type of Chihuahua is characterized by a dense and stocky build. Their distinctive features are on a massive neck a rather large head with expressive eyes. There is typically a large distance between the ears and eyes. The small ears at the base are quite wide.

The chest is deep and voluminous. The back has a flat topline, compact paws, a thick tail with a thickening in the middle. The coat is thick with a pronounced undercoat. The Kobe has energetic movements with good propulsion with its hind legs.

Type of chihuahua dir

These Chihuahuas are also called deer-like Chihuahuas because they are, in fact, very similar to a fawn. They are characterized by a small head with big ears and an elongated muzzle, which give the dog a bat-like appearance. The chest has a smaller volume than that of Cobby dogs. The paws of this variety are thinner and narrower, the angles of the hock joints are less pronounced.

The tail is much thinner and longer than that of the cobe, and the strides are smaller due to the fact that the propulsion of the hind legs is clearly weaker. The coat is not so thick, with virtually no undercoat. Both types are recognized by breeders, but preference is given to the Cobby type. According to the type of coat, Chihuahuas can be long-haired or smooth-haired. The smooth-haired variety has thick hair that fits tightly to the body.

This fur shines beautifully like silk. Long-haired dogs have undercoat, visible on the neck with a collar, on the ears with a fringe and tail. completely covered with fur. The surface of this coat is smooth and slightly wavy. Unofficial or false types of Chihuahuas

What other types of Chihuahuas are there?

Many sellers talk about a much larger number of types of Chihuahuas, including classic, aboriginal, extreme, English, exotic. But these are the so-called false types. “Native” Chihuahuas are exported from the ancestral country of this breed - Mexico.

These dogs have a sharp muzzle, an insufficiently round head with close-set eyes and ears. At the same time, the dog has a fairly large body weight, which does not fit into the breed standard, and a large tail, curled around the back of the Chihuahua. The “English” Chihuahua has a rather massive build with a rough bone structure and, as a result, a lot of weight.

The “extreme” Chihuahua is characterized by a peculiar excess. His doll head looks too artificial, his eyes are too bulging, and his limbs are too thin. These are real dwarfs. The “exotic” Chihuahua is similar to the “extreme” one, but is even smaller in size. The “classic” Chihuahua is similar to the Dire type, but differs in a simplified skull shape with a muzzle that is too long. He also has the wrong angle of his feet.

Exist different types Chihuahua. These mini dogs may differ in body type, coat length, color variety, and temperament characteristics. From this article you will find out whether this small breed can have a difference in height, how long Chihuahuas with different body weights live, whether the standard specifies the features of mini and super mini dogs, why they are nicknamed “baby-face” and much more.

Currently, the standard adopted by the English Kennel Club recognizes two body types of Chihuahuas:

• cobby;

I would like to immediately note that some sellers describe this type of Chihuahua as a “Coby”. But this is not true, since the name of this species comes from the English “cobby-type”, accordingly, the correct word would be “cobby”, with two “b”.

The Cobby type of mini dog has a dense and stocky body structure. Micro representatives of the breed with this body type have peculiar characteristics that are different from the other species:

• Cobby's head is like a mini dog of quite large volume;
• huge round eyes combined with a snub nose, for which the breed received the nickname “baby face”;
• the ears are smaller in size, but quite wide at the base;
• the Cobby type dog has a larger distance between the ears, as well as between the eyes;
• quite voluminous rib cage;
• dense and muscular legs of short length;
• the powerful tail has a seal in the middle;
• The dense coat of the Cobby type has a particularly pronounced undercoat;
• When moving, this type of Chihuahua makes a powerful push with its hind limbs.

The deer-type dog is very similar to a small fawn, which is why this species is also called “deer-type”. A Chihuahua with a dire body type has its own characteristics:

• head dir type of mini dog of small volume;
• the elongated muzzle seems light in appearance;
• big ears look a lot like ears bat;
• the chest of the dir type is smaller than that of the cobby type;
• the paws are slightly longer and thinner than those of the other type of body structure;
• thin tail of greater length;
• medium thick hair with virtually no undercoat;
• A Chihuahua of this body type has to take more steps while moving, since its hind legs push off the ground much weaker than a Cobby-type mini dog.

Despite the fact that the standard recognizes both types of hull structure dwarf breed, breeders generally prefer the Cobby type.

But many unscrupulous sellers, for the purpose of profit, try to sell Chihuahuas with other body types for as much as they are not worth. Only two types of body structure are accepted, so be extremely careful.

To help you figure out what is true and what is false, here are examples of unofficial Chihuahua body types:

Aboriginal - oval head, sharp muzzle, ears, like eyes, are too close to each other, heavy weight, large tail lying on the back - all these characteristics do not fit into the standard chihuahua breed.

English - the following features do not fit the mini dog standard: large body weight, large build, rough skeletal structure.

Extreme - in Chihuahua standard there are no such characteristic features like bulging eyes, too thin legs, small head. These super micro dogs most likely suffer from dwarfism, which causes big problems. They need careful care and constant attention. They are sometimes confused with "babyface" due to their round eyes and snub nose.

Exotic - the same features as the extreme type, only even smaller in stature.

Classic - mini dogs of this false type are somewhat similar to representatives of the dir type. But the head has less volume, the muzzle is longer, and the angle of the hock joints is incorrect.

These are only the most common false body types of the Chihuahua breed, but any unscrupulous seller can come up with as many beautiful names as he wants in order to sell his product as expensive as possible.

To avoid problems in the future, especially if you plan to breed Chihuahuas or take part in exhibitions, choose dogs only of the standard types accepted for this breed.

So if you are offered a Chihuahua with a beautiful, even familiar name, for example, a micro “baby-face” dog, before buying, compare its parameters with the standard of this breed.

Types of wool

The Chihuahua's coat differs only in the length of the pile. There are two types of wool:

• long;
• short.

First type

The long-haired Chihuahua has a fine hair structure. Due to the large length of the coat, such dogs are also called hairy. This type of wool is very soft to the touch.

The “jabot” or fluffy collar looks very beautiful on the Chihuahua’s neck, just like the “pants” on the paws. The fur on the tail is especially thick. Long wool forms a fringe on the ears. On the body, the straight coat is not particularly long, and when touched it is not at all rough.

Curly hair is not allowed by the standard, except for light waves. Also, according to the standard, the undercoat may be absent, although in many cases it is quite developed.

Second type

Short-haired super mini dogs are usually called smooth-haired because this type of hair is very smooth. This structure is also characterized by short, even hairs that fit tightly to the Chihuahua’s body. The coat of this species is very beautiful: shiny, soft and silky to the touch.

Individual hairs may be longer in the neck and tail area. And in the throat area the wool is thinnest. As with other types of wool, the standard allows for the absence of undercoat. Sometimes, in places where the fur is shortest, skin can be seen.

So there are only two types of coat, which are indicated in the standard. If a super mini dog has a mixed or intermediate type, then such an individual is unlikely to fit the parameters of the standard.

Differences in Temperament

Chihuahuas have an extremely stable psyche, which reaches its development within a year. It is difficult to find cowards and hysterics among them, although of course there are exceptions - as many dogs as there are, so many peculiarities. For the owner, this dog will become a wonderful companion and a loyal, sometimes jealous friend. But in some representatives of the breed, depending on different types coat, may be various features in behavior.

It is believed that dogs with a long coat type have a soft and flexible character and a calmer temperament. Whereas Chihuahuas with short hair are often quick-tempered and live a more active life.

Types of colors

Divisions by height

The Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed in existence. This is confirmed by a super mini dog named Boo Boo, which has been included in the Guinness Book of Records for several years because of its small stature: ten centimeters in height and sixteen centimeters in length with a weight of six hundred and seventy-five grams.

But be that as it may, there is simply no such thing as “mini” and “super mini” in the standard of this small breed. And at exhibitions there are no names of such varieties. This is what this breed is called as a whole because of its miniature size.

In fact, micro dogs are nothing more than a disease of dwarfism or the consequences of premature birth. Unscrupulous breeders are happy to sell such very small dogs and with full confidence They call them new directions in the breed. How much such a dog will cost depends only on the greed of the seller.

When buying a micro dog, you are unlikely to be able to breed them in the future, and they will not pass the basic standards. This means they will not be able to participate in exhibitions. They live much shorter compared to purebred Chihuahuas, up to a maximum of ten years. At the same time, it is even difficult to imagine how much effort will have to be made for such a dog to live to such an age. Standard dogs live an average of twelve years.

Super micro dogs often have the following disadvantages:

• fragile body structure;
• incomplete set of teeth;
• undershot;
• too large fontanelle;
• weakened immunity.

Dwarfism is quite normal for this breed, but in moderation. Chihuahuas that are too underweight usually do not live longer than ten years. If you decide to take such a brave step as buying a super micro Chihuahua puppy, then first of all think about how much effort you will have to put in to constantly monitor your tiny pet. Here are the basic rules that must be followed:

• Do not drop the mini dog;
• always look under your feet so as not to accidentally step on an animal, especially if it lives in an apartment;
• children should not play with it - the slightest injury can cost the pet its life;
• do not take your super mini baby on the bed with you so that he does not fall from there;
• Such dogs should not play with other animals to avoid injury;
• For such puppies, veterinarians provide a special feeding regimen, for example, they cannot eat pearl barley or drink milk, as this can lead to serious digestive problems.

At first, food for a dwarf dog will have to be chewed by the owner and given only in this form. These super mini dogs don't live long, especially if they miss a couple. In this case, the pet may experience hypoglycemia, as a result of which the dog’s movement coordination is impaired, followed by convulsions, which sometimes leads to the death of the animal. This condition can cause any kind of anxiety.

Regardless of any characteristics and differences of your dog, you must always properly care for it, groom and cherish it. Each Chihuahua is individual, but she will always respond to your love with devotion, adoration and obedience.

What body type and color does your Chihuahua have? Does your dog fit the standard?

Chihuahua dogs are loved by many, so if you are planning to get this dog, you should decide which type to give preference to. Types of Chihuahua There are many different ones, and each of them is different from the previous one. In this article, we will tell you what types of Chihuahuas there are, depending on different characteristics.

Depending on the body type, it is customary to distinguish between the types of Chihuahua: Deer and Cobby. Let's take a closer look at them.

Cobby

Some also say "coby chihuahua", although the correct name for this type of chihuahua is "cobby", not "coby". IN English language The word "cobby" means "stocky" and these cobby dogs fit that description perfectly.

They have a rather strong and massive body, and their head and chest are voluminous. It should also be said that representatives of this type have a very short neck (sometimes it may seem that it is absent altogether), and equally short legs (but despite this, they are quite strong and muscular).

Their tail is quite massive, slightly thicker at the base, and the dogs’ fur is very thick. Besides, characteristic feature This variety has a large head with huge eyes, which is why the Chihuahua’s face is often compared to the face of a child (it is called “baby face”). The eyes, as well as the ears, of these dogs are located quite far from each other.

Thus, representatives of the cobby type are very funny stocky animals who, with their appearance easily capable of causing emotion.

Dir

This name may seem strange to some, but if we remember that in English “deer” means “deer”, everything immediately falls into place. This fawn-like Chihuahua is rightly called that. The dir type has its own characteristics.

Chihuahuas are experiencing another wave of popularity: against the backdrop of veterinary and psychological problems in the population former leader, Russian Toy Terrier, they beat him in almost all respects.

Breeders became more active and, as always happens with breeds on the wave of success, many entrepreneurs appeared, aimed only at making a profit.

Advertisements now often indicate that the puppies are "Dir-type" or "Cobby-type". Let's try to figure out how these varieties differ from each other and whether they really exist.

In Russia, these types were first described by Tatyana Zemskova, the owner of the Pink Agate nursery, and the primary source of information about the types was Ellsworth Howell’s book “The Complete Chihuahua,” published in 1967 and republished in 1980 in the USA.

Who are cobbies?

"Cobby" got its name from English word cobby – short, stocky. Cobby-type Chihuahuas are bony, their head is voluminous, apple-shaped, and their muzzle is full. The ears are wide at the base, quite large, but look harmonious.

The body is massive, the chest is deep and voluminous. The neck and limbs are powerful and shortened. Such animals move well, they have good angulations of the limbs, and a strong topline. The cobby's tail is also massive, thick at the base. The coat is thick, with a pronounced undercoat.

Typically, by offering cobby-type puppies, breeders want to make it clear that these are animals suitable for exhibitions and further breeding.

This photo shows an adult male Coby type: dense, tightly built, with a short neck.

Little fawns

“Dir” (from the English deer - deer) - thin-boned, long-legged, with a small head, a narrow and long muzzle, and bat ears. The complete opposite of their squat counterparts, “dirs” are lighter, drier, they have a narrow chest, worse angulations, but their movements are more graceful. At the same time, due to anatomical structure, it often seems that they are not walking, but mincing - push hind legs not strong enough.

The fur of representatives of the “deer type” is not too thick, with almost completely absent undercoat. Perhaps the toy terriers, whose blood was used to improve the Chihuahua, had too strong an influence on the formation of fawn dogs.

And in this photo - the deer type of Chihuahua: lean, light.

These are the main breed types identified by Howell and conveyed to Russian lovers of these dogs by Tatyana Zemskova. However, this simple classification causes a lot of controversy; some are looking for traits of a certain type in their dog, while other owners categorically deny the legitimacy of such a division.

Intrabreed branches

There are Russian breeders who have developed the existing classification and identified a number of subtypes:

• Pekingese
  Overly snub-nosed and bug-eyed dogs, but not Pekingese. These are individuals with significant shortcomings, almost defects, undesirable guests at exhibitions and not suitable for further breeding;
• Aboriginal
  Often such dogs are brought from their historical homeland, from Mexico. However, they categorically do not correspond to the modern standard: their growth is at the limit upper limit, the head is simplified, narrowed, not round enough. The ears are set high and too close to each other, the eyes are also set close together;
• English
  In fact, it absolutely does not correspond to the achievements of English breeders; “English” refers to animals of a rough constitution, with an overloaded skeleton;
• Extreme
  As a rule, they are dwarf dogs, with a bulging forehead and bulging eyes. The muzzle of the “extreme sportsmen” is smoky, the movements are terrible, because they are extremely short legs not intended for walking or running;
• Exotic
  The same extreme, but even smaller, the so-called “dog in a cup” type;
• Classical
  a variation of "dirov", but the head is simplified, the transition from the forehead to the muzzle is smoothed, the muzzle is lowered.

Serious dog handlers do not recognize any of the subtypes described above, since they are all the result of illiterate breeding.

Animals belonging to any of the “subtypes” are a breeding defect, a nursery mistake. But since there are plenty of people who want to get an inexpensive but fashionable dog, the demand for such unfortunate Chihuahuas does not weaken.

Breeders' opinions

Many breeders who have been breeding for several decades note that the division can be based only on the length of the coat: smooth-haired or long-haired individuals. And intrabreed lines should correspond as much as possible, without slipping into extremes.

The FCI standard allows for certain deviations in both constitution and proportions. But even the dire type, which is semi-recognized by Russian fans of the breed, is, according to FCI criteria, at the limit of what is permissible: individuals with a very light head, long legs, and a lightweight body should be disqualified.

However, in contrast to the FCI, the American AKC standard welcomes lightweight “fawns”, and in their historical homeland they are more popular.

It is important to note the fact that most experienced breeders speak about: neither "cobby" nor "dire" in pure form are not found, most Chihuahuas have traits of both.