Temperament: Spirited and intelligent, neither snappy nor withdrawn.
Characteristics: Alert, little dog, swift moving with brisk forceful action and saucy expression.
Coat: Smooth Coat – Smooth, of soft texture, close and glossy, with undercoat and ruff permissible.
Long Coat – Long, soft texture (never coarse or harsh to touch) either flat or slightly wavy. Never tight and curly. Feathering on ears, feet and legs, pants on hind quarters, large ruff on neck desirable. Tail long and full as a plume.
Grooming: The smooth coated variety can be groomed using a rubber grooming comb/brush now and again. The long coated needs a good brushing and combing once a week. The bib or ruff of the long coats may need a wash as it can attract food leftovers.
Unfortunately, Chihuahuas do shed, but being small, there isn’t that much hair to lose. It is a good idea to brush a Chihuahua’s teeth daily as, with all small breeds, they are prone to a heavy tartar build up.