JUDGING THE CHIHUAHUA
by Kyle Potts
I n our breed, the standard states “Weight: not to exceed six pounds”. In our Parent Club Judges Educa- tion Seminars, we teach that al- though one of the distinctive features of the Chihuahua is its small size, the importance of that feature is in com- parison with other breeds, not in rela- tion to other Chihuahuas. Size does not indicate weight; some little dogs weigh heavy; some large ones weigh very light. Although the condition of the dogs is a consideration, if they are six pounds and under, no preferencemay be given to size, no matter how large or small. The disqualification is based upon weight, not size. The physical size is irrelevant and should have no influ- ence upon judging. It is never accept- able to squeeze the dog on the table or lift the dog and attempt to guess the weight in your hands. When unsure of weight, ask the superintendent for the scale. We would rather the judge weigh the dog every time than to totally ignore an outstanding dog in huge, correct coat, because they think it is too big.
“THE DISQUALIFICATION IS BASED UPON WEIGHT, NOT SIZE.”
44 • T op N otch T oys , A ugust 2019
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