If you are talking to someone and you mention a Chihuahua they are probably going to have some idea of what you are talking about; Chihuahuas are a widely recognized breed, currently inhabiting homes all around the world. If you were to turn around and ask that same person what the differences between the types of Chihuahuas were they would probably look at you blankly and ask, “What do you mean? It’s a Chihuahua.”
This is only partly true; there are not a great deal of divisions within the breed, but just as no two snowflakes are the same neither are any two Chihuahuas, and this is not always due to personal circumstances. Within the breed are many subdivisions, most determined based on repetitive physical characteristics rather than actual genetic traits but distinctive nonetheless. The two major divisions of Chihuahua are the long haired and short haired varieties. The distinguishing characteristic between these two is fairly self obvious; one has long hair, one has short.
The two major body types of purebred Chihuahuas are the appleheads and deerheads. Appleheads will have shorter snouts, while those of the deerhead will be more elongated. Both of these is acceptable for the showring and neither of these is any more rare or valuable than the other, and any breeder trying to charge a greater amount for these characteristics is attempting to run a scam and should be called on it.
Just for reference sake, all Chihuahuas are considered “toy” because of their size. This is a phrase that many buyers will use when attempting to locate the Chihuahua of their dreams; however, because no purebred Chihuahua will grow beyond the size of a “toy”. The care for all of these types is the same, so it is not necessary to take the dogs physical characteristics into consideration when attempting to anticipate what their needs will be when taken away from the dealer.
These are not the only distinguishing physical characteristics that breeders will use when describing their Chihuahuas; however, they are the only officially acknowledged ones. This is an important piece of knowledge for would-be Chihuahua owners because there are many dealers who like to deal under the table a bit when they have a purebred puppy whose physical characteristics are atypical for the breed but are still within the realm acceptable for showing; they will use these characteristics to attempt to convince an uneducated consumer that they are a more rare form of the breed and therefore worth a great deal more money. It is important that buyers not fall into this trap; while they will still be purchasing a valuable friend and companion they will be throwing their money into the net of an experienced criminal.
More information on the Chihuahua and its characteristics can be obtained through the American Kennel Club (http://www.akc.org) or the American Chihuahua Association (http://billknell.tripod.com/aca/aca.html
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