Bebe is my special "pet" a 2 1/2 lb shaded sable spotted on white female
She is spoiled rotten. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE
A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Weight - A well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds. Proportion - The body is off-square; hence, slightly longer when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks, than height at the withers. Somewhat shorter bodies are preferred in males. Disqualification - Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.

Head
A well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera. Expression - Saucy. Eyes - Full, but not protruding, balanced, set well apart-luminous dark or luminous ruby. (Light eyes in blond or white-colored dogs permissible.) Ears - Large, erect type ears, held more upright when alert, but flaring to the sides at a 45 degree angle when in repose, giving breadth between the ears. Muzzle - Moderately short, slightly pointed. Cheeks and jaws lean. Nose - Self-colored in blond types, or black. In moles, blues, and chocolates, they are self-colored. In blond types, pink nose permissible. Bite - Level or scissors. Overshot or undershot bite, or any distortion of the bite or jaw, should be penalized as a serious fault. Disqualifications - Broken down or cropped ears.

Neck, Topline, Body
Neck - Slightly arched, gracefully sloping into lean shoulders. Topline - Level. Body - Ribs rounded and well sprung (but not too much "barrel-shaped"). Tail - Moderately long, carried sickle either up or out, or in a loop over the back, with tip just touching the back. (Never tucked between legs.) Disqualifications - Cropped tail, bobtail.

Forequarters
Shoulders - Lean, sloping into a slightly broadening support above straight forelegs that set well under, giving a free play at the elbows. Shoulders should be well up, giving balance and soundness, sloping into a level back. (Never down or low.) This gives a chestiness, and strength of forequarters, yet not of the "Bulldog" chest. Feet - A small, dainty foot with toes well split up but not spread, pads cushioned. (Neither the hare nor the cat foot.) Pasterns - Fine.

Hindquarters
Muscular, with hocks well apart, neither out nor in, well let down, firm and sturdy. The feet are as in front

Coat
In the Smooth Coats, the coat should be of soft texture, close and glossy. (Heavier coats with undercoats permissible.) Coat placed well over body with ruff on neck preferred, and scantier on head and ears. Hair on tail preferred furry. In Long Coats, the coat should be of a soft texture, either flat or slightly curly, with undercoat preferred. Ears - Fringed. (Heavily fringed ears may be tipped slightly if due to the fringes and not to weak ear leather, never down.) Tail - Full and long (as a plume). Feathering on feet and legs, pants on hind legs and large ruff on the neck desired and preferred. Disqualification - In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.

Color
Any color-Solid, marked or splashed.

Gait
The Chihuahua should move swiftly with a firm, sturdy action, with good reach in front equal to the drive from the rear. From the rear, the hocks remain parallel to each other, and the foot fall of the rear legs follows directly behind that of the forelegs. The legs, both front and rear, will tend to converge slightly toward a central line of gravity as speed increases. The side view shows good, strong drive in the rear and plenty of reach in the front, with head carried high. The topline should remain firm and the backline level as the dog moves.

Temperament
Alert, with terrier-like qualities.

Disqualifications
Any dog over 6 pounds in weight.
Broken down or cropped ears.
Cropped tail, bobtail.
In Long Coats, too thin coat that resembles bareness.

The Chihuahua Standard as detonated by the Continental Kennel Club is:
(From: CKC.com)
Height: 5-10 In.
Group: Southern
Weight: 1-7 Lbs.
Coat: Short & Smooth; Long & Soft
Color: All Colors

Standard: Head: Rounded, apple-dome skull, with a short muzzle. Eyes: Set wide apart, full and dark in color. Ears: Large and erect. Neck: Slender and slightly arched. Chest: Deep, but not barrel shaped. Ribs are well-sprung. Body: Back is level, straight and as short as possible. Legs: Forelegs are straight, fine and set well under the body. Hind legs are positioned well under the body, with bent hocks. Feet: Small, with soft pads and toes separated, but not spread. Tail: Medium length, carried upward, low, or curled over back, but never tucked. Movement: Smooth flowing gait, with graceful movements. Temperament: Alert and a good family pet.

The Chihuahua does not recognize its own size. It can be ferocious. It size makes it an ideal dog for people who live in apartments.  Smaller Chihuahua's are not for every family especially children.  They can take allot of time and can be easily hurt.  They can bite if frightened. They often focus on one person and become jealous of other humans who are friends of its master.   The Chihuahua hates the cold and may shiver.  It not only tolerates but appreciates a sweater on cooler days.  They live a very long life 15 years and longer.

GROOMING
The smooth, short-haired coat should be gently brushed occasionally or wiped over with a damp cloth.  The long coat should be brushed weekly with a soft bristle brush.  Occasional baths may be necessary about once a month taking care not to get water into the ears.

HYPOGLYCEMIA

Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar and is a common problem in small breeds. Most of them grow out of this problem before they are ready to go to their new home; however, some do not and it's a problem all their lives.

The signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia will depend on how far and how fast the dog's sugar level has dropped. It is always recommended that you contact your vet immediately when you witness the above warning signs. There are many types of hypoglycemia so it is wise to ask your vet which one your dog has.

• Mild Hypoglycemia: This can be treated immediately with your dog's food. Regular dog food can counteract dropping sugar levels. If regular food is refused than try offering food he/she really enjoys. Some of our favorite treats are deli turkey, cottage cheese, boiled chicken, yogurt and Billy Jack kibbles.   Anything is all right in this situation. However, monitor your dog's condition for a few hours and watch for further signs of hypoglycemia. Contact your vet immediately if the symptoms persist.
• Moderate Hypoglycemia: Our best suggestion is to use Nutra Cal or  corn syrup by itself or mixed with food. This can assist bringing the dog's sugar level back up to normal and safe levels. For very small Chihuahuas you should be giving about a one inch strip or 1/20 teaspoon. The effects of the corn syrup will pass if the dog is developing chronic hypoglycemia. If symptoms continue to occur it is important to contact your vet immediately.
• Severe Hypoglycemia: If the dog is having seizures and becomes unconscious, you need to give Nurta Cal or  corn syrup immediately. GET THEM SUGAR QUICKLY!  You can rub small amounts on the inside of the dog's cheeks and on its gums. Call your veterinarian immediately and ask for further instructions. If you do not see immediate improvement in 4-5 minutes take the puppy to your vet or emergency care facility.  At this point your Chihuahua will probably need to see the doctor. It is also important to follow up with the veterinarian. The dog will probably need insulin until proper adjustments of your dog's sugar can be found.

REVERSE SNEEZING
A fit of sneezing, snorting, honking and wheezing caused by excitement or drinking too fast can cause reverse sneezing. This is usually caused by an elongated soft palate that is thought to become temporarily misaligned.  It is a common trait in small breeds.  It may seem scary to watch  but it only lasts a few seconds and can be ended by massaging the dog's neck and throat and encouraging the dog to swallow. 

COLLAPSING TRACHEA
Collapsing trachea is a problem for small breeds. The symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, and exhaustion. It is more common in older dogs but can happen at any age.  The cartilage collapses in the trachea, breathing becomes difficult.  This is an emergency situation. Your vet can treat the condition with medication.  Secondhand smoke can make this condition worse.

SUBLUXATION OF THE PATELLA
The patella (dog's knee caps) in the rear legs slips out of its groove.  Depending on the severity of the problem your dog may require surgery. In a mild case a dog can live a normal  life.  This is a common problem in small breeds.

MOLERA
The Chihuahua molera (fontanel)  is a breed characteristic.  Many chihuahuas have a molera-a soft spot on the top of the head. It shrinks as they mature but may never go away.  Care must be taken with dogs that have a molera especially if they are large (dime to nickle size).

TEACUP MYTH
There is no such thing as a teacup chihuahua. Other common reference names are micro chihuahua and pocket puppy.  They are used to describe size references that a particular puppy is extremely small.   There is no AKC or CKC classification for a teacup size.   The AKC standard for chihuahua size is 2-6 lbs which is referred to as toy size.  A puppy that will be less than 2 lbs is uncommon and will have great care needs and may have health problems.  Careful consideration should be taken when buying a puppy that will  be   under 3 lbs.  Many of these puppies are purchased  that later grow well beyond their expected size.  Its important to not only use the chihuahua growth chart but also know the potential of the line of the dogs used in the breeding program.  A puppy may be small due to being a runt or getting a slow start, poor weaning or because a breeder withholds food to assure the puppy is smaller at the time of purchase.  Many breeders are very good at predicting the size of their puppies and a good breeder will never guarantee you a puppy will be a certain size. No matter what any breeder tells you, saying with absolute certainty what size a Chihuahua will be is impossible until its grown.  My first Chihuahua was to be 3- 3 1/2 lbs.  Guaranteed.  She grew to 7 lbs and the guarantee went out the window.   She was 1.2 lbs at 12 weeks so she was on target to be 3 lb if only that tool is used.  We will assist you in getting the size you wish and many of our lines are genetically small which gives a greater chance of the puppies being small in those lines.  We have Chihuahuas that range from 2-6 lbs.