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 more scanty 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.

  History
  Legend and history are rich in tales of the ancestors of the present Chihuahua. He is described as a popular pet, as
  well as a religious necessity. The Techichi, companion of the ancient Toltecs, is believed to be the progenitor of the
  Chihuahua. No records of the Techichi are, so far, available prior to the 9th century, but it is probable his ancestors
  were present prior to the Mayans. Dogs approximating the Chihuahua are found in materials from the Pyramids of
  Cholula, predating 1530 and in the ruins of Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula.

  There is little question the Chihuahua's principle home was present-day Mexico but the breeds immigration to Europe
  may be the result of the travels of Christopher Columbus. A historical letter written by Columbus to the King of Spain
  makes reference to the tiny dog.

  The Chihuahua as we know it today is a much more diminutive dog than its predecessor. It is theorized that the
  Chinese Crested, brought from Asia to Alaska across the Bering Strait, was responsible for the reduction in size.
  Modern Chihuahuas are also found in a myriad of colors. The Chihuahua is an older breed by American Kennel Club
  standards, first registered in 1904.