Page 188 - ShowSight - June 2020

SWIFT SHOULD MEAN GOING AROUND
the ring swiftly.
IT DOES NOT MEAN A RAPID SEWING MACHINE UP AND DOWN
kind of a movement.
A deserving Chihuahua should possess a head that is described in the breed standard, however, an entry should not win on its head type alone. I have selected two head studies as examples of a quality head. Notice the head in profile. The muzzle does not appear too short or too long. The muzzle meets the skull in the desired perpendicular manner. Notice the underjaw of this example. The underjaw extends right out to the end of the muzzle. The eyes are nice and large and well set into the skull. The straight-on example shows the domed top skull. The correct Chihuahua head is both rounded at the stop around to the ears and between the ears on top of the skull. With regard to grooming, I prefer to see a dog presented as natural as possible. This is purely my preference. You will see long-coats heavily groomed with no ear fringe inside the ear. Neither of these dogs are at attention. The ears would be held much more closely to one another at attention. The wording “serious fault” is used in our standard to describe a dog with anything other than a scissors bite or a level bit. Undershot, over- shot and wry bites are serious faults too often seen in the show ring.
The Chihuahua is to be only slightly longer than tall. Shorter backs are preferred in males. The black and tan tri-colored male that appears in this article is to be faulted for possessing too long of a body. If the Chihuahua has a front well under itself as called for in our standard it should appear to be nearly square. The overhang of the front results in slightly longer than tall. This dog appears to have the desired level topline. This level top line should be present when standing or when moving.
Movement is described in the breed standard as swift. Swift should mean going around the ring swiftly. It does not mean a rapid sewing machine up and down kind of a movement. A judge can make several evaluations of correct movement as a class is sent around the ring. The front should reach rather than lift. The rear should be a driving rear with pads of rear feet clearly vis- ible as the dog moves away. The standard calls for convergence as speed increases. A Chihuahua should not move with its front wide apart like a French Bulldog. Both front and rear should converge somewhat.
as swift.
JUDGING THE CHIHUAHUA
MOVEMENT IS DESCRIBED IN THE BREED STANDARD
186 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2020