balanced Chihuahuas. The smooth is a bitch and the long is a dog. Shorter bodies are preferred in males, but even a bitch should appear compact. In the last few years I’ve been see- ing some dogs with very incorrect tails in the ring. A correct tail is car- ried out (not seen too often), up, or in a loop over the back with the tip just touching the back AND NOT BEYOND. The tails where the tip ends next to the ribs or those that lie flat on the back are wrong and dis- tracting. Since the coat on the tail of the longs can be quite long and drape beyond the level of the back, a more careful exam on the table may be necessary. Legs and movement in toy breeds are always a challenge. I think Chi- huahuas have come a long way in the last ten years in both areas. Yes, there are still a good number of dogs with crooked fronts, lack of rear angulation, and poor movement but there many, many examples of dogs that have beautiful legs and sound movement. I’d like to address general appearance from the perspective of showmanship and the physical examination. Chi- huahuas are a very small breed and the exam tables are high in compari- son. You might have some trepidation looking down fromthe edge of the roof of your house so don’t be surprised if a Chihuahua doesn’t enjoy the table.
Yes they should stand and not exhibit aggressive behavior but don’t let lack of perfection on the table stop you from putting up a beautiful Chihua- hua. Chihuahuas are generally aloof with strangers so don’t try to become their best friend by putting your face at their eye level or baby talking. Do a professional, straightforward, gentle exam. Having the handler show bite at the end of the exam works wonder- fully. We encourage that most of the time assessing a class be spent with the dogs on the ground. If it is neces- sary to recheck something, ask the handler to put the dog back on the table rather than towering over it on the floor. Since the Chihuahua standard men- tions terrier-like qualities in the first sentence, we are sometimes asked to “spar” our dogs. We ask that great care be used if doing this in your ring and at ANY sign of two dogs not get- ting along, stop immediately. A good Chihuahua temperament is one of interest, confidence and self impor- tance with a little bit of sauciness thrown in. Chihuahuas generally recognize others of their kind and in- teract in a positive manner. If you are bringing several Chihuahuas together to interact and one or more just keep gazing adoringly up at their handler, please do not penalize that dog(s) for not participating. It is exhibiting the devotion to owner Chihuahua
people value. We are also asked on occasion to pick our dogs up so the judge can have a closer look at and compare heads. This is perfectly acceptable and I of- ten do it especially for close decisions. Since Chihuahuas are so loyal to their owners, my oneword of cautionwould be to look only and not touch while the dog is being held so close to the owner/handler. There is a weight disqualification for Chihuahuas. Any dog over six lbs. should be disqualified. As long as it is six lbs. or less there is no preferred weight. It is impossible to determine if a dog is right at six lbs. or over by an ounce just looking or even lifting (which should never be done). Please do not ignore a beautiful Chihuahua because you think it might be over six lbs. Weigh the dog and if it is in size, reward it. There are several other disqualifica- tionsandserious faults inthestandard that I don’t have the space to discuss here. Please read the standard, attend a seminar, or find a good mentor to learn more. Our next seminar will be at our national specialty in St. Louis the second week in October. In con- clusion please judge according to the standard and not to the preponder- ance of what is being exhibited. Often a truly outstanding Chihuahua will look different than anything else in the ring.
42 • T op N otch T oys , A ugust 2019
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