Chihuahua Breed
Specifics Of The Chihuahua Breed
The Chihuahua breed finds its origin in the Mexican region of the same name, though the earliest and slightly larger version of this breed was know as that Techichi and has a place in history dating back to the 2nd century. It is thought that the diminishing size of the Chihuahua breed is attributed to early cross breeding of the Techichi with some of the Chinese miniature breeds, such as the Chinese Crested, during the 9th century by Spanish immigrants and noblemen. It seems that this breed has gotten smaller with each passing decade, and is now considered as the smallest purebred dog breed in the world. He is sweet and popular, though over breeding in some instances has caused a nervous shake and an array of health issues that new owners may want to become familiar with before making the commitment to one.
The Chihuahua breed is recognized by both the Kennel Club of the UK and by the American Kennel Club, though size discrepancies are slightly different according to either club. The breed standard for American Kennel Club rules is quite strict for show quality animals, loosening up for pet quality dogs of the Chihuahua breed. In order to be considered for the show ring and for prominent breeding rights, the little Mexican dog must fall between 6 and 10 inches in height. He must also fall between 3 and 6 pounds, though the UK standard favors those tinier Chihuahuas who weight in between 2 and 4 pounds.
Color strains for the Chihuahua breed are fairly open, and include a great many variations. There are many acceptable colors, from solid to marked to mixed. You may see some of the more common colors, such as red, tan, white, black, fawn, cream, chocolate, and blue. There is a specialized gene which causes the merle coloration in the Chihuahua breed, but this color is no longer acceptable on the KC registry of the UK because of the potential health problems associated with the gene. Most breeders will not intentionally bring this color gene to the table when breeding responsibly.
The Chihuahua breed is not noted for its patience and easy going nature, and in fact should not be trusted wholeheartedly as a children’s pet. They are easily frightened and threatened, and the only cure for this jumpy behavior is long term trust. Shaking and snarling are not at all uncommon behaviors for the intimidated Chihuahua, so be sure that you are ready to do a lot of coddling and securing. There is a chance of aggression with the frightened Chihuahua, usually in the form of snapping and biting at strange hands which jolt into their area.