Chihuahua (Smooth Coat)

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Approx. 15-20cm (6”-8”).
Colour: Any colour or mixture of colours.
Coat: Smooth coats - smooth, close and glossy. Long coat: - flat or slightly wavy. Feathering on tail, ears, feet and neck.
Gait: A brisk forceful action with legs reaching well out.
These saucy little dogs are the smallest in the canine family but what they lack in size they make up in spirit. They have a rounded skull with large erect ears carried away from their head at a 45 degree angle. The muzzle is short and tapering. The body is slightly longer than the shoulder height and the tail should be carried up over the back. The feet must turn neither in nor out.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Pronounced ‘chi-wah-wah’, these dogs are born with a molera (a open part of the top skull where the bones have failed to unite), and in certain cases this characteristic is retained all their lives. They dislike extreme cold weather and may require a jacket in winter - however in other respects, they are hardy with an excellent history for longevity. Being so small, they make excellent pets for apartments. Care should be taken to see their toe nails do not get too long causing the feet to splay out. Periodic grooming is required to keep the coat healthy.
HISTORY 
Originating from the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, the forebears of this breed can be traced back to the 9th century - one of their ancestors being the Techichi a larger stockier dog who, when crossed with a hairless variety from Asia, produced the long and short coated varieties. In the early Aztec culture, these little dogs played an important role in religious ceremonies.
Due to the belief that the sins of a dead person were transferred to a dog, when the master died the pet was also killed in order that all be cremated together. While the rich revered the breed, the peasants on the other hand valued them for a different reason, as these little dogs often ended up in cooking pots.