Everyone recognizes a very famous dog that appears in movies, this dog is the chihuahua, a native American dog, which over the years has been divided into several types of chihuahuas, we invite you to continue reading so that you know what they are.
Common Characteristics of Chihuahuas
The characteristics are similar in all dogs, however, the features of the face and the shape of the head are different in each of them, the common characteristics that all Chihuahuas have are:
- The snout is small and pointed.
- The eyes have a similar characteristic and it is the size of these, normally they are dark colored eyes, no chihuahua dog has light eyes.
- The head we can see how they all have the same apple-shaped head and this makes them look like purebred dogs.
- Its size depends on the type of chihuahua, but the weight will never exceed three kilograms.
chihuahua colors
The Chihuahua has some colors that are generally the most common colors, they are:
- the tabbies
- The white chihuahua that is considered the pure Chihuahua
- black and sand
- Cream color
These colors are not characteristic of all dogs, however, this breed of dog is not accepted by the dog associations for exhibitions, since it is not common for a standard Chihuahua dog to cross with another breed.
There are certain colors that produce a certain call for attention in this breed, this color is white with black or gray spots, this means in chihuahuas that they have some genetic problem or some disease in the skin or in the blood, at birth in Chihuahua with these characteristics should be immediately taken to a veterinarian for care and verify that it has a health problem.
types of chihuahuas
Several types of chihuahua dogs, which are differentiated by their coat color, among other physical aspects that detail them exactly, should know that the real name of this breed of dog is chihuahueño.
Chihuahua toy or teacup
This dog is much smaller than the standard chihuahua, it is quite well known thanks to the fact that many famous people have the company of this pet and that it can even fit in handbags, Teacup dog breed They are not accepted in any competition of canine associations, this is because this breed has arisen from genetic variations where they have reduced the size of normal breeds.
Chihuahuas weigh between one and three kilograms, the teacup weighs five hundred grams, this makes the dog fragile in health and has some genetic problems, although it can also suffer from obesity, it is very prone to malnutrition.
According to the Chihuahua Dog Association, the minimum weight for this dog is five hundred grams, although with this weight they are not capable of running long distances, without a doubt it is one of the smallest toy dogs that exist.
Apple head chihuahua
The apple head chihuahua is a very particular dog, since its head is literally rounded and in the upper part it is shaped like an apple, its nose is fine. The name is thanks to the shape of their head, these dogs were seen for the first time in the XNUMXth century, they are considered one of the oldest dogs in America and it was a cross between the Mexican Chihuahuas and some dogs from Europe, to be able to reduce its size considerably.
For this reason it is that some chihuahuas are not recognized in the association of show dogs or in the federations.
Deer head chihuahua
The deer-head chihuahua is the original chihuahua, coming from Mexico this dog is known for being a little larger than the others, it weighs six kilograms its head has an elongated shape very similar to that of a deer and part of its forehead less pronounced than in the other types of chihuahua.
This is one of the healthiest dogs among all species and this is because it does not have any highly sick offspring, a dog that does not suffer from hereditary diseases, is accepted and recognized worldwide by the association of show dogs.
pear head chihuahua
This chihuahua is directly related to the crossing of two dog breeds Chihuahuas which are apple heads and deer heads, crossing these two originated the pear head chihuahua. It has the shape of the face like the deer head chihuahua, but the shape of the skull it has like the apple head chihuahua, the weight of four and a half kilos.
How can all the classes of chihuahuas they differ in the way they have their skull and how they have their face, some because of their size and others because of their weight.
Types of chihuahuas according to the coat
The types of chihuahuas can also be differentiated according to their coat, this can be of different sizes, these chihuahuas are:
Long haired chihuahua
The long-haired Chihuahua only appears in the apple head Chihuahua, this has thin hair, soft to the touch, a little wavy but not curly like dogs Toy poodle, They usually have a waterproofing layer on their fur which makes it impossible for it to get wet easily, however, they usually suffer from cold for that reason you should always keep them warm, this long fur comes out on their ears, tail, neck and hind legs.
This long and unruly hair is not accepted in the Chihuahua Dog Association, for that reason it must be shaved before appearing in any type of dog show.
short haired chihuahua
This characteristic encompasses several types of Chihuahuas, however, they have a slightly longer presence of hair on the part of their neck and tail, they will always have silky and thin hair, but in turn this type of Chihuahua does not have that waterproofing layer in the fur and these suffer from more acute and constant cold.
How to recognize what type of chihuahua is your pet
In pet stores it is very common to see chihuahua dogs in a single cage and they are not adopted according to their breed, but if you want to know what type of chihuahua dog you have at home as a pet, you must consider all the characteristics that we previously mentioned, the canine federations have other ways to identify the types of chihuahuas and these forms are, according to their coat, the shape of their head and their size, it should be noted that not all are accepted by this federation, nor are all chihuahuas They are show dogs.
We must also take into account that the colors of the eyes have a great influence on these exhibitions and it is because the only accepted color for a purebred Chihuahua dog is the black color in its pupil and all colors in its skin, only those that are not are accepted are the ones mentioned above that indicate that the dog has a genetic problem.
Having already commented on all this, you can identify your Chihuahua dog in the following way.
- Fur: If it is long-haired, it is an apple-headed Chihuahua, but if it is short-haired, you should be guided by other characteristics that I will show you below to identify it.
- Skull: If the chihuahua's skull has very pronounced curves, it can be an apple head or a pear head, and to get rid of this doubt, you should observe the shape of its snout. If the skull is less curved and a bit flat over the eyes you have a deer head chihuahua.
- Height: As I had already mentioned, the size of the chihuahua can vary, however, not all sizes are accepted in the federation or in dog shows, so this category does not help much, but it is important that you know that the sizes are varied and weights too.
Taking into account everything mentioned above, it is important that if you cannot identify what type of Chihuahua you have in your home, you can take it to a veterinarian, the doctor will surely tell you exactly what type of Chihuahua it is.
Considerations when adopting a chihuahua
You must take into account some considerations to adopt this type of dog, one of them is its offspring being such a sick dog, if it is not a deer head chihuahua that is the pure chihuahua, the other dogs always tend to relapse in some genetic diseases or they are simply born with respiratory, skin or blood problems, this is due to the crosses that have been made in this breed of dog and all these inconveniences have developed in this small breed.
In puppies it is usually easier to detect these diseases, since in kennels and in shelters or in pet stores, they are constantly attended by trained veterinarians and carry out a series of studies and for obvious reasons they give up a dog that be healthy
For this reason, when you get a dog of this breed abandoned on the street, it is not recommended to take it home as it may have some disease, this is in case you cannot take it to a veterinarian, at the same time you get it and it can perform an exhaustive examination where it diagnoses if the dog is healthy or has any health problem.
Another consideration when adopting a dog like this is that the Chihuahua's coat is not hypoallergenic and for this reason the amount of hair that it constantly sheds can be quite harmful for allergy sufferers.
Education can be a bit strong, as the chihuahua is not a dog that can be easily controlled, it is very active and that is why it is a great dog for small children or to keep the elderly company, but it is not a puppy to stay inside from a home locked up, waiting for his dreams to come from work, apart from the fact that his training has to be continuous and he cannot be alone since he forgets everything he has learned.