Though there are variations of the Chihuahua dog, there is only one recognized breed. All major kennel clubs around the world recognized the 'Chihuahua' as one purebred dog. That one purebred has 2 official varieties:
- The smooth coat (also referred to as the short coat)
- The long coat (also referred to as the long haired)
The long and short coats are the only two type of Chihuahua recognized by all major clubs. This holds true for the American Kennel Club (AKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom (KC) and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI - International club with 80+ member countries around the world).
There are physical traits and characteristics that show up in this breed in regard to head shape, body structure and size; but these are not official, recognized types. (more ahead).
It is important to note that variations in the dog's size, head shape, snout and body structure that deviate from the recognized set breed standards may be due to improper breeding and experimentation that leads to dogs that do not meet written standards.
Over the years, some breeders worked to produce Chihuahua dogs that did not fit the standards, but rather satisfied the public's urgency for dogs that fit popular trends. This led to certain terms becoming so over-used that people began to believe that different types were accepted by kennel clubs.