Tips and Standards
Before buying a puppy
Before bringing your puppy home from FEAL Heirs, there are a few basic things your puppy will need:
Essentials
- a little bed
- a drinking fountain
- a feeder
- a blanket
- a toy
- quality feed
- Harness and leash
You may also need:
- Nail clippers
- Brush and comb
- a carrier
- a park
- Soakers
- Nutriplus
chihuahua standard
FCI-Standard No. 218
Chihuahua
PUBLICATION DATE OF THE OFFICIAL STANDARD
VALID: 07/28/2009.
UTILIZATION: Companion dog.
FCI-FCI CLASSIFICATION: Group 9 Companion dogs.
Section 6 Chihuahua. No proof of work.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Chihuahueño is considered the smallest breed in the world; It is named after the largest state of the Mexican Republic (Chihuahua), where it is assumed that it lived in the wild and was captured and domesticated by the indigenous people during the time of the “Toltec” civilization; Figures of a pygmy dog called “Techichi”, which lived in Tula, were included in the decoration of its architecture, which were very similar to the current Chihuahueño.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
It is a dog with a compact body, and it is of primary importance to note that its head is apple-shaped and its tail is moderately long, carried high in an arched or semicircle, with the tip directed towards the back.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
The length is slightly greater than the height at the withers, an almost square body is desired, especially in males and a little longer is allowed in females for the reproductive function.
TEMPERAMENT/BEHAVIOR:
Vivacious, alert, restless and very brave.
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Well rounded, apple-shaped (special characteristic of this breed).
Fronto-nasal depression (Stop): Well marked, sunken and wide, as a result of the domed forehead above the insertion of the snout.
NECK
Upper profile: Slightly arched.
Length: Medium.
Shape: Thicker in males than in females.
Skin: No dewlap; The long-haired variety features a highly desirable longer-haired mane.
FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Moderately short and slightly upturned; any color is allowed.
Muzzle: Short; Seen in profile, it maintains a straight line, being wider at its base and tapering towards the tip.
Lips: Clean and tight.
Cheeks: Little developed and very clean.
Jaws/Teeth: With scissors or level bite (pincer-shaped); Upper or lower prognathism is seriously penalized, as is any maxillary or mandibular deformation.
Eyes: They are large and round, very expressive, never protuberant, perfectly dark. Light eyes are allowed but not desired.
Ears: Large, erect and spread and widely open; Wide at the base, they gradually reduce until they end up slightly rounded at the tip. When at rest they form an angle of 45° to the sides.
BODY:
Compact and well structured.
Top line: Straight.
Cross: Little marked.
Back: Short and firm.
Loin: Strongly muscular.
Croup: Wide and strong, almost flat or slightly inclined.
Chest: With broad and deep thorax and well arched ribs; Seen from the front it will have good width, without excess; seen in profile it descends to the elbow; never barreled.
Lower profile: Determined by a ventral retraction, which must be well outlined. A loose belly is allowed, but not desired.
LINE:
Moderately long, set high, wide at the base tapering gradually towards the tip, flat in appearance. The carriage is an outstanding feature of the breed, in movement it is elevated, arched or in a semicircle with the tip directed towards the back, giving balance to the body, it never appears tucked between the limbs or curled below the upper line of the back. Hair cover in harmony with the rest of the body depending on the variety. In the long-haired variety it is covered with feather-shaped hair; At rest it is hanging with a light hook.
FORMER MEMBERS:
General appearance: Seen from the front they appear in a straight line with the elbows; Seen in profile they are well poised.
Shoulder: Clean, moderately muscular.
Arms (Humerus): With good angulation at the scapulo-humeral joint.
Elbow: Firm and close to the body, allowing freedom of movement.
Forearms: Strong with good length.
Pastern: Slightly inclined, strong and flexible.
Forefeet: The feet are very small and oval, with the toes separated, but not extended (they are neither hare nor cat); The nails are particularly curved and moderately long, with the pads well developed and very elastic. Dewclaws are undesirable.
HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: Well muscled, with long bones, well plumb and parallel to each other with good angulation in the coxo-femoral, femoro-tibial-patellar and tibio-tarsal joints according to the forelimbs.
Metatarsals: Hocks short, with well-developed tendons; Seen from behind they are separated, straight and vertical.
Hind feet: The feet are very small and oval, with the toes separated, but not extended (they are not hare-like or cat-like); The nails are particularly curved and moderately long, with the pads well developed and very elastic. Dewclaws are undesirable.
MOTION:
It has a long and flexible stride, firm and active, with good anterior reach and a lot of posterior thrust. Seen from behind, the hind limbs should be kept almost parallel to each other, placing the feet of the hind limbs in the footprints of the forelimbs. The members tend to converge in the direction of a central line of gravity as speed increases. They show great elasticity and freedom, without any effort, with their heads always held high and their backs firm.
FUR:
Smooth and elastic on the entire body surface.
MANTLE
Hair: There are two varieties in this breed.
• Short Hair Variety: It is short and close throughout the body, slightly longer when it has an undercoat (interhair); Scarcity is allowed in the throat and abdomen. It is slightly longer in the neck and tail, short in the face and ears; It is shiny and its texture is soft. Hairless specimens are not accepted.
• Long-Haired Variety: The hair should be fine and silky, straight or slightly wavy; The inner layer (intercoat) that is not very dense is desired. It has very long feather-shaped hair on the ears, neck, back of the front and back limbs, feet and tail. Specimens with long, fluffy hair are not accepted.
Color: All colors are accepted in all shades and combinations, except blackbird.
Size should not be taken into account in this breed, only weight.
Weight: Ideal weight between 1.5 kg and 3 kg.
Dogs between 500 g and 1.5 kg are tolerated.
Specimens weighing less than 500 g and weighing more than 3 kg will be disqualified.
FAULTS:
Any deviation from the aforementioned criteria is considered a fault and the severity of this is considered to the degree of the deviation from the standard and its consequences on the health and well-being of the dog.
• Lack of teeth.
• Double denture (retention of temporary teeth).
• Pointed ears.
• Short neck.
• Long body
• Bowed or arched back (lordosis or xiphosis).
• Fallen croup.
• Narrow chest; flat rib.
• Tail poorly set, crooked or short.
• Short limbs.
• Detached elbows
• United posteriors.
SERIOUS OFFENSES:
• Narrow skull.
• Small, sunken or protuberant eyes.
• Long snout.
• Upper or lower prognathism.
• Unstable knee.
DISQUALIFYING FOULS:
• Aggressiveness or extreme shyness.
• Any dog showing clear signs of physical or behavioral abnormalities should be disqualified.
• Aggressive or fearful dog.
• Deer type dogs (dogs with an atypical or extremely stylized structure: refined head, long neck, slender body, long limbs).
• Specimens with open head.
• Drooping or short ears.
• Deformed bite.
• Dogs with extremely long bodies.
• Absence of queue.
• Dogs that have very long, fine and fluffy hair in the long-haired variety.
• Absence of hair (alopecia) in the short-haired variety.
• Blackbird specimens.
• Weight less than 500 gr. or greater than 3 kg.
• Males should have two normal-appearing testicles completely descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with the typical conformation of the breed, should be used for breeding.
Care and feeding
At Herederos de Feal we pay special attention to the care and feeding of our Chihuahuas to ensure that they are in optimal conditions.
- Premium and balanced diet
- Specific supplements and vitamins
- Periodic veterinary check-ups
Socialization and Training
Our Chihuahuas are trained with patience and dedication to excel on the track, focusing on early socialization, good behavior and confidence on stage.
- Positive training and reinforcement
- Early socialization and anxiety control
- Preparation for postures and events
