The world's smallest dog breed, the Chihuahua.

The world's smallest dog, the Chihuahua or the Pocket Dog is barely 1kg to 2 kg as an adult! The Chihuahua is named after a Mexican State, but its roots can be traced back to China. Today this breed is popular choice among the dog lovers world over and their popularity seems to be ever increasing.

The main advantage of this breed is that they need no particular exercise. They are quite satisfied with their walks within their house. Being small, however, does not mean that they are dull, on the contrary they are sharp, alert animals, very strong in character. They are good guard dogs due to their strong cords. They have an inherent curiosity that makes them want to know what goes on within the house.

For show purposes, the maximum permissible weight is 0.9kg to 1.8kg. Chihuahuas are of two types, the long coated and the smooth coated. The long coated ones have flat or slightly wavy coats. The smooth coated ones are soft textured and glossy in nature.

They can be of any colour. Their heads are apple dome-shaped and in some animals, the frontal areas of the skull do not fuse! The nose is short and the ears are at an angle of 45 degrees to the head. The dogs are slightly longer than the tail and the tail is carried like a sickle that just touches the back. The body on whole is compact and has a graceful appearance. Ocassionaly a tail-less dog is born but tail cropping is not an accepted practice.

Compared to other pups, they require a little care, and only the long-haired variety needs grooming. They tend to excercise themsleves within the confines of the house. This makes them prone to have overgrown nails that need regular clipping. As far as their diet is concerned, they could be fussy and choosy eaters, but then almost all toy breeds are so! They are intelligent and learn easily.

They are very active within the house and literally are burglar alarms. They are good with children and are loyal and devoted to the family. On the whole, Chihuahua is quite pet! At just six inches, it is a bundle of energy. Most people are surprised seeing these animals and the general awareness of this breed is still low: However, just one hurdle remains. Because this is a pocket dog, it may pinch a few pockets.