A Closer Look at the Chihuahua
by Laurence Fitt-Savage

Ears

Chihuahuas' ears are set on the side of the head rather than the top, and are carried erect, flaring out at an angle, often wrongly described as being at 'ten to two'.  Particularly alert, or dozy, chis will naturally use their ears, pricking them higher, or laying them flat to the skull, but in repose should revert to the 45° angle.  The ears are large, with rounded ends to the pointed tips, not to be confused with the rounded ends of the 'bat ears' of such as the French Bulldog.  Because they are so large, Chihuahuas' ears sometimes take a while to become fully erect, the ears of teething pups are often soft at the tips, bending forward or back.  Truly soft ears, those which fail to stand up, flop down beside the head and are both a serious fault in the show ring and a more likely victim of problems such as canker.  Small, kitten ears set high on the head produce an alien, foxy, pommy expression and are sometimes difficult to weed out of breeding lines.

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Skull :: Jaws and Cheeks :: Muzzle :: Bite :: Eyes :: Ears :: Neck :: Forequarters
Shoulder :: Movement :: Balance :: Forehand :: Foreaction :: Musculature
Hindquarters :: Hindaction :: Croup :: Angulation :: Back :: Body Shape :: Chest :: Tail

Reproduced from the British Chihuahua Club Handbook 1987