Breed family · UK guide · Original sources
Long Coat or Smooth Coat Chihuahua: what is the difference?
In the UK the Royal Kennel Club publishes two standards, one for the Chihuahua (Long Coat) and one for the Chihuahua (Smooth Coat). Apart from the coat paragraph, the two standards are the same: same size, same colours, same temperament wording, same head and body. The FCI keeps a single Chihuahua standard with two coat varieties. So the choice between them is mainly a choice about coat, not about the size or temperament the standards describe, and an individual dog can still differ from either description.
Consulted : Royal Kennel Club Long Coat standard, Smooth Coat standard, the Long Coat and Smooth Coat breed listings, and FCI standard N° 218.
The two coats: the published guidance
Figures are the registries' ideals or listed categories. The Royal Kennel Club's note for puppy buyers says its size figures describe the ideal, so an individual dog may be larger or smaller.
| Measure | Long Coat | Smooth Coat |
|---|---|---|
| Weight (RKC) | Up to 2.7 kg, with 1.8–2.7 kg preferred | Up to 2.7 kg, with 1.8–2.7 kg preferred |
| Weight (FCI) | 1–3 kg, ideally 1.5–2.5 kg; the FCI judges weight only, not height | |
| Coat (RKC) | Soft, flat or slightly wavy, never tight and curly; feathering on ears, feet and legs; a large neck ruff desirable; the tail a full plume | Smooth, soft, close and glossy; an undercoat and ruff are permissible |
| Colours (RKC) | Any colour or mixture, never merle | Any colour or mixture, never merle |
| RKC listing: size, exercise | Small · Up to 30 minutes per day | Small · Up to 30 minutes per day |
| RKC listing: coat length | Medium | Short |
| RKC listing: grooming, sheds | Once a week · Yes | Once a week · Yes |
| RKC listing: lifespan | Over 12 years | Over 12 years |
The listing categories are broad registry guidance, not measurements of a particular dog. Both listings put grooming at once a week, so the Long Coat's longer feathering is described in the standard but not in a different grooming category.
Is a long-haired Chihuahua a different breed?
Both Royal Kennel Club listings say the breed comes in two varieties, the smooth coat and the long coat, sharing the same physical attributes apart from coat type. The UK keeps a separate standard and register entry for each. The FCI treats them as one breed, standard N° 218 (Mexico; Group 9, Companion and Toy Dogs), with two coat varieties described side by side.
The Smooth Coat listing adds that Smooth Coat parents may produce one or more Long Coat puppies in a litter, and that such a litter is registered by post on a litter application form rather than online. If you are shown a mixed litter, ask how each puppy will be registered.
What the coat descriptions mean for care
The FCI describes the long-haired coat as fine and silky with feathering on the ears, neck, legs, feet and tail, and says a long, billowing coat is not accepted. It describes the smooth coat as short, close-lying and glossy, and does not tolerate hairless dogs. Neither standard is a grooming instruction. Ask to see the actual adult coat of the dog or its parents, how it is brushed and how much it sheds, and whether you could keep that routine up.
Merle, weight and named health tests
Both Royal Kennel Club standards call merle unacceptable, and the FCI lists merle as a disqualifying fault. The Kennel Club's listings explain that it stopped registering merle puppies from matings on or after 1 March 2007, and puppies from a merle parent mated on or after 1 March 2009, citing an increased risk of impaired hearing and sight linked to the merle gene.
Both listings name the same best-practice checks before breeding: eye testing under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme and, recognised in August 2026, breathing assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) using the Kennel Club's Respiratory Function Grading scheme, which the listings say will be added to the health standard from January 2027. A named test is not a result: ask a breeder for the parents' actual results, which the Kennel Club publishes through its Health Test Results Finder for registered dogs.
Very small advertised weights are not a breed variety. The FCI disqualifies a Chihuahua under 1 kg, and the RKC standard gives a preferred weight of 1.8–2.7 kg. Ask any breeder or rescue about an unusually small dog's health records.
Read the separate profiles
- Chihuahua (Long Coat): sourced care, history and questions
- Chihuahua (Smooth Coat): sourced care, history and questions
Compare activity, coat upkeep and household support in the profiles, then ask a rescue or responsible breeder what is known about the specific dog. Explore Your Doggy Match or compare the two profiles; neither is a validated prediction of how an individual dog will fit your life.
Sources and limits: Royal Kennel Club breed standards for the Chihuahua (Long Coat) and (Smooth Coat), both last updated 1 August 2025; Royal Kennel Club breed listings; FCI standard N° 218, official valid standard published 4 September 2019. Pages checked 31 October 2026. These are show-ring ideals and general care categories, not medical or behaviour evidence, local availability or an individual dog's needs.