JUDGING THE
CHIHUAHUA
UNDERSTANDING THE BREED STANDARD
by Richard Miller photos provided by the author
T he author needs no introduction to the Chihua- hua world. He has known the Chihuahua since July of 1957. He has bred, shown and now has judged the breed for 28 years. He also judges four of the AKC Groups (Hound, Terrier, Toy, and Non- Sporting). He has judged extensively in the United States as well as many foreign assignments. The word “saucy” is used in the breed standard to describe expression. It is my opinion that saucy also describes temperament and body language. The dic- tionary uses several words to describe saucy. I feel the word is best described when we think of an impudent child or a defiant child. I have used photos to show this quality to the best of my ability with photographs. Both of my examples are long-coated dogs, however, a smooth should have the same bold, inquisitive self- assured posture and expression. The correct attitude for an entry in the ring is, “Go ahead; make my day.” The Chihuahua breed standard does not discuss tail set, but it does mention tail carriage. Three carriages are correct (up, up and out or up and over with the tip just touching the back). A dog that carries its tail up and out tends to make itself look longer than it really is. A dog with this carriage is often harder to finish than his competition with either of the other tail car- riages. The tail carriages of the dogs used for my dis- cussion of expression have what most breeders desire. Knowing where the bone of the tail ends is an impor- tant factor. A long coat with a huge plume may have so much coat that the tail “appears” to more than touch the back. There should be no Pug/Basenji type tails nor should we see a tail dropping over the side of the dog like a Papillon. A tail held flat in the back similar to a Pomeranian is also faulty.
30 • T op N otch T oys , S eptember /O ctober 2022
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