There can be a lot of confusion in regard to how many kinds of Chihuahua breeds there are. People hear of short coat, long coat, deer head, apple head, teacup and miniature Chiahuahuas! So, how many different types of breeds exist and what are the differences? Let's get to the bottom of this and discuss exactly what these terms are, why these terms exist and if which one have meaning and which have nothing to do with the Chihuahua breed itself.
Fact: There is only one Chihuahua breed. Why do so many people believe that there are different types of Chihuahuas? This is because of improper breeding that leads to dogs that are not meeting the recognized standards. Over time, unprofessional breeders would create terms to validate these dogs. As the breeders banded together, some terms became so used in the breeding circles, this led to many people believing these various breeds existed.
Long and Short Haired Chihuahuas
According to breed standard, a Chihuahua may have long hair or short hair. This aspect does not create two different types of breed. In all recognized dog shows, there is no difference between the two and one length of fur is not thought of as being "better" than the other. A Chihuahua is a Chihuahua regardless of the length of the fur. Professionally bred dogs and quality, champion dogs will be both long and short haired.
Teacup and Miniature
This is the scariest term that was created by unethical and unprofessional breeders. Sadly, in a rushed effort to breed small dogs, runt dogs would often be put together to produce unnaturally tiny Chihuahuas. In some cases unscrupulous breeders would force a mom Chi into early pregnancy to give birth to extremely tiny pups. The breeders would then deem them to be Teacup or Mini's and sell them for a higher than average price. As the terms became more well known, this sparked a competition in the "Backyard" breeder world, as these highly greedy people would race to create smaller and smaller dogs, doing whatever it took to have the smallest puppies available.
Now that this term has become so popular, even professional and reputable breeders use this term, but in good faith. In competition with "Backyard" breeders, good breeders have begun to use the term of teacup or miniature Chihuahua in reference to their natural and healthy Chihuahua dogs who are small, just as they should be: between 1 and 6 pounds (.5 to 2.7 kg) fully grown. To appease the public who believes in these terms, many great breeders will simply advertise their normal and healthy Chihuahua pups as teacups or miniatures. As long as the pubic uses these terms, even quality breeders must use the words as well.
Deer Head and Apple Head Chihuahuas
Per breed standard, the Chihuahua has a well rounded, apple domed head. If every dog was to meet perfect breed standards, they would be what is known as the Applehead Chihuahua. How did the "Deer Head" Chihuahua term come into use? With "Deer Head" Chihuahuas being sought after...over time, some breeders bred for that look. Therefore, some Chihuahuas began to have a more elongated head. With the classic apple shaped head not present, the term "Deer head" was invented to lead buyers into believing that they were receiving special and valuable dogs.
The two terms of deer or apple are used today; the applehead Chihuahua will be the one that meets breed standards and would receive higher points at any recognized dog show. There is nothing wrong with the deerhead, it is simply a variance that became an offshoot of the standard.
If you are curious about Chihuahua healthy, behavior, training, feeding, terminology and information that only professionals such as animal behaviorists, veterinarians and breeders know about (but don't give this information freely to owners)...learn how you can have this information by clicking here.
