Descriptions

There are 9 AKC recognized colors (some are combinations) and 21 alternate ones; plus 10 variations of markings as well. The colors that create these are:

Sable.  A sable colored Chihuahua is a bit harder to explain and sometimes this color will not show in a picture.  In a photograph the dog will look brown or black.  You will only notice the sable color when in person with the dog.  A sable colored Chihuahua will have a brown or gray coat of fur with black on the ends of the fur. 

Fawn. A yellow / tan color. Most will think of the fur of a young deer.

Red.  A red Chihuahua will be a reddish-orange colored dog.  The two colors will not be distinct.  The fur will be one color of a red-orange color.  Red will not mean red as in an apple.  With a red Chihuahua, the dog will be the darkest, deepest orange possible for fur. 

Orange. An orange Chihuahua will be a light tan-orange color.  The tan and orange colors will not be separate.  The entire coat of fur will be one color.  The orange will not be that of the orange fruit,  An orange color Chihuahua will be a light, golden tan-orange.

Cream.  With a cream dog, this color can be just as you would think.  Cream will be a bit more, well...creamy than white!  If your Chihuahua is cream color, she will be the color of the cream that goes into coffee.

Brown.  The color of a Hershey’s milk chocolate bar.  A true brown Chihuahua will have a solid brown or black nose .

Chocolate. The color of a “dark chocolate” Hershey’s bar.  Therefore, darker than a brown dog.

Black.  A true black Chihuahua dog will have a solid brown or black nose.  
 
Blue.  A blue Chihuahua is not the color of the sky!  You will actually know your Chihuahua is blue color by looking at his nose.  Its fur will be a dull black color but his nose will have actual blue color on it. His eyes may also be blue. 

Tan.   A very light brown color like that of sand, a tad darker than a fawn canine.

White.  A pure white Chihuahua will not have any other colors mixed in and will have only white in their DNA.

Brindle.  Brindle dogs have a base under colored coat of golden tan, deep red or light orange and then have black fur crossing over in stripes.

Parti-Color.  Any color combination of the above.

Overview

You may wonder what color your Chihuahua is.  Dogs come in such a wide range, it is sometimes confusing to know the official one.  Beyond wanting to know for self satisfaction and to be able to tell others, you need to give a color when registering your Chihuahua. 

The names may be a bit misleading, such a blue Chihuahua which certainly is not actually the color blue.  Can you imagine?
 


Does Color Really Matter

Understanding color information is important in regard to registering your dog.   In dog shows, all different Chihuahuas are allowed to enter and one is not judged to be  better color than another one.

For example, a black Chihuahua is not considered more valuable than a parti-color dog. You may, of course, have a preference of a certain color.

If you are buying a Chihuahua dog and want a particular color, it is recommended to find a good breeder ahead of time.  You can ask that breeder if he or she has plans to breed a certain color. Experienced breeders will have DNA information of parents and grandparents in order to breed appropriately.