Chihuahuas

* Height: 5-8 inches


 * Weight: not exceeding 6 pounds


 * Life Expectancy: 14-16 years

Chihuahuas are a graceful, alert, swift-moving compact little dog with saucy expression, 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. The Chihuahua is a tiny dog with a huge personality. A national symbol of Mexico, these alert and amusing "purse dogs" stand among the oldest breeds of the Americas, with a lineage going back to the ancient kingdoms of pre-Columbian times.