According to the official A.K.C. Standard, the Chihuahua comes in two varieties or coat
types. There are smooth coats and long coats. This is the only distinction between the two
varieties. Other than length of coat, they are exactly the same breed.
Chihuahuas are the smallest of all breeds belonging to the Toy Group and, for show
purposes, they should not exceed six pounds. There are many Chihuahuas who are nice
dogs but over the weight allowed in the show ring. They are perfectly normal and often
make better family pets than their smaller, more delicate counterparts. However, the goal
of every breeder should be to produce high quality dogs in accordance with the AKC
standard.
There are also those who remain very small throughout their lives. In most breeds we
would call these exceptionally tiny dogs "runts" and they would sell for less than a normal
size dog. Sadly, this is often not the case with Chihuahuas. The terms pocket-size, tinies,
and teacups are but a few of the frequently used marketing terms to describe these
exceptionally small dogs - some of which weigh less than two pounds. There are breeders
who deliberately breed extra small puppies claiming they are rare and selling them for
exorbitant prices. However, these tiny dogs frequently have serious health issues that
result in exorbitant medical costs and early death.
Hydrocephalus, heart problems and a short life span are only the beginning of the
heartache one can encounter with these exceptionally small dogs and the prospective
owner needs to be prepared to meet the extra medical costs that may be associated with
owning one. While it may look cute or cool to carry a tiny dog around in a shirt pocket, one
must also consider the possible health risks and be prepared financially and emotionally to
support the medical needs of such a delicate dog. The average life span of these tiny
Chihuahuas is about three and a half years compared to over fifteen years for a normal
size, healthy Chihuahua.
While not all tiny Chihuahuas are unhealthy, a sizable percentage of them are and the
unsuspecting buyer is often left with huge vet bills after a tragic outcome. We appreciate
the fact that some people prefer the smaller dogs. However, they should never be sold at a
higher price than one would pay for a normal size Chihuahua and the breeder should
provide a written guarantee to either replace the dog or refund the purchaser's money if the
dog is determined to have an inherited defect.
Beware of any breeder who advertises their dogs as Rare, Pocket-Size, Tinies, or Teacups.
These terms are deliberately misleading and used for only one purpose:
TO TAKE YOUR MONEY! Despite many claims to the contrary:
types. There are smooth coats and long coats. This is the only distinction between the two
varieties. Other than length of coat, they are exactly the same breed.
Chihuahuas are the smallest of all breeds belonging to the Toy Group and, for show
purposes, they should not exceed six pounds. There are many Chihuahuas who are nice
dogs but over the weight allowed in the show ring. They are perfectly normal and often
make better family pets than their smaller, more delicate counterparts. However, the goal
of every breeder should be to produce high quality dogs in accordance with the AKC
standard.
There are also those who remain very small throughout their lives. In most breeds we
would call these exceptionally tiny dogs "runts" and they would sell for less than a normal
size dog. Sadly, this is often not the case with Chihuahuas. The terms pocket-size, tinies,
and teacups are but a few of the frequently used marketing terms to describe these
exceptionally small dogs - some of which weigh less than two pounds. There are breeders
who deliberately breed extra small puppies claiming they are rare and selling them for
exorbitant prices. However, these tiny dogs frequently have serious health issues that
result in exorbitant medical costs and early death.
Hydrocephalus, heart problems and a short life span are only the beginning of the
heartache one can encounter with these exceptionally small dogs and the prospective
owner needs to be prepared to meet the extra medical costs that may be associated with
owning one. While it may look cute or cool to carry a tiny dog around in a shirt pocket, one
must also consider the possible health risks and be prepared financially and emotionally to
support the medical needs of such a delicate dog. The average life span of these tiny
Chihuahuas is about three and a half years compared to over fifteen years for a normal
size, healthy Chihuahua.
While not all tiny Chihuahuas are unhealthy, a sizable percentage of them are and the
unsuspecting buyer is often left with huge vet bills after a tragic outcome. We appreciate
the fact that some people prefer the smaller dogs. However, they should never be sold at a
higher price than one would pay for a normal size Chihuahua and the breeder should
provide a written guarantee to either replace the dog or refund the purchaser's money if the
dog is determined to have an inherited defect.
Beware of any breeder who advertises their dogs as Rare, Pocket-Size, Tinies, or Teacups.
These terms are deliberately misleading and used for only one purpose:
TO TAKE YOUR MONEY! Despite many claims to the contrary:
