Rare Chihuahua Colors - These Are The 5 Rarest!
Chihuahuas is one of the most diverse dog breeds. Studying their genetics, experts found truly colorful heredity in their blood, from ancient Asian decorative dogs to the wild canines of Central America. No wonder there are so many different coat types and colors among Chihuahuas.
While some dog lovers believe that Chihuahua is a pretty general notion of all small dogs that originate from Mexico, others claim that there are just so many types of Chihuahuas that exist due to creative breeding. In other words, the history and evolution of Chihuahuas are far from the end. This beautiful breed will keep on surprising us with various sizes, silhouettes, and, of course, coat colors.
Let's go over the rarest colors and types of fur you may find among Chihuahuas now and see whether the exterior of a dog influences in any way the character, health expectations, and lifespan of your furry friend.
Rare Chihuahua Colors.
Let's make it clear; Chihuahuas are a trendy dog breed that has now spread worldwide. Therefore "standard" Chihuahuas in one country may be considered as peculiar or rare in another region.
The color, shape, and type of the Chihuahua you can get from your local breeders depend on the following factors:
- Local preferences – in some countries, people are crazy about fluffy dogs, while in other places, the elegant short-haired pets are most popular
- Local breeding community
- Fashion – unfortunately, for many people, their pets are a matter of style. As soon as some celebrity appears with a brown long-hair Chi, the demand for other puppies may fall dramatically.
That is why we decided to go over the general worldwide statistics and point out 5 Chihuahua colors that are more or less rare in the whole community.
Solid Black Chihuahuas.
Several years ago, one black Chihuahua puppy became a viral meme in social media presented as a cute baby bat. Indeed those sweet little dogs look like the dear nerdy cousins of those mysterious animals.
Partly because of that meme, partway since people realized that they don't really see black Chihuahuas that much, solid black puppies became the most sought-after on the dog market.
However, soon enough, scientists came out with a pretty interesting fact. Apparently, according to the archeological findings and genetic code, originally, all Chihuahuas were mostly solid-black. As it always happened, whatever seemed to be too trivial and ordinary back in the day has now become one of the rarest and most desired things.
After centuries of heavy breeding and genetic adjustments, solid black Chihuahua puppies almost disappeared from the face of Earth. Yes, dark-haired Chis are pretty standard, but all of them happen to have white spots on their chests or paws. Finding a solid-black Chihuahua today is almost the same as revealing an ancient treasure.
Unfortunately, people decided that if they once got rid of black Chis through heavy breeding, it is the right way to bring them back to life. Eventually, solid black Chihuahuas today appear to be most prone to various genetic complications.
If you are the lucky one who got this ultra-rare puppy, you should keep an eye on the symptoms of the following genetic disease:
- Tracheal collapse
- Heart disease
- Hypoglycemia
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Epilepsy
Make sure to visit a Vet with your solid black Chihuahua puppy regularly and pay attention even to the slightest symptoms and warning signs.
Another common belief about Black Chihuahuas is that they are the most aggressive and dominant of all small dogs. It is false. Dog's nature, character, and temper do not depend on its color. It is an unfortunate misconception that roots in human nature and the habit to put labels due to prejudice and superstitions.
Brindle Chihuahuas.
Like solid black, brindle Chihuahuas have been around for centuries and became primarily rare because back in the day, this coat color was considered vulgar.
Indeed, making them look like little tigers, brindle coat color is one of the signs that demonstrate Chihuahua's direct relation to the wild canine of Central America. Technically, due to this fact, brindle Chihuahuas are often pretty robust and hardly give their owners any hard time at the Vet's office. Also, this color appears among short hair Chis only.
However, this coat color is pretty unpredictable. Most Chihuahuas have this "brindle" gene in them. That is why those "tiger" puppies may appear spontaneously even if the breeder didn't aim for this particular color. However, even if you mix two brindle Chihuahuas, there is no guarantee that the litter will have the same color. In other words, the brindle gene is similar to a human's natural ginger color: a child with red hair may spontaneously appear over generations in the same family.
Merle Chihuahuas.
This rare Chihuahua coat color is pretty young. First, Merle Chihuahuas appeared about 15 years ago. Those are usually long-haired Chihuahuas that are significantly bigger than their brethren.
You can explain their unusual size, silhouette, and color with just one fact: technically, Merle Chihuahuas are not Chihuahuas at all. It is precisely the example that proves that "Chihuahua" is not that much of a breed but a term that unites various small dogs.
Genetically, small canines are not prone to having this kind of spot. This gene that causes fur color to dilute chaotically all over the dog's body is more common for medium-size breeds and wild canines.
You may think that if Merle Chihuahuas are not that much related to the classical Chis, they might have escaped the notorious health complications often met among those dogs. Merle Chis have their peculiarities. Statistics show that merle Chihuahuas are pretty likely to go blind or death or both when they hit senior age.
Snow White Chihuahuas.
Just like the solid black puppies, snow-white Chihuahuas are pretty hard to find. But unlike the "dark side" brethren, white Chis are a result of heavy and scrupulous breeding.
To get a snow-white Chihuahua puppy, a breeder must make sure that both parents are purely white. And we don't only talk about the fur color. Breeders check dogs` nails and look for even the slightest spots on their bellies and ears as they can easily alter the fur color of future puppies.
Snow white Chihuahuas are genuinely gorgeous, but an owner of such a unique dog should be prepared for several challenges.
First of all, you will have to pay extra attention to the dog's grooming, and keeping a snow-white Chi truly white is a real challenge. Also, just like any Chihuahua type that results from decades of breeding, Snow White Chihuahuas are prone to all those notorious genetic issues we have described before.
Lavender Chihuahuas.
It may seem fantastic as lavender is not a color you are ready to see in dogs` fur. But Lavender Chihuahuas do exist, although they are considered to be the rarest worldwide.
This coat color remains the biggest mystery in the breeding community. For example, if you take two purely white or two solid black Chihuahuas, there is a strong chance that eventually gets puppies of the desired color.
But even if both parents are lavender, there is no guarantee to get even one lavender Chihuahua puppy in the litter.
The secret lies in the variation of the merle gene that we have discussed earlier. It dilutes colors, causing spotting and uneven multidimensional fur colors. But to get the lavender color, this gene has really to go crazy in the cub's system. Neither breeders nor scientists know for sure why it happens and what can provoke the process.
Moreover, the desired lavender color will appear only when this gene gets in contact with the natural chocolate coat color.
Another variation of Lavender Chihuahua coat color appears when the deleting gene gets in contact with red or ginger pigment. In this way, a puppy can have a more intense icy-lilac color.
However, both coat colors are extremely rare and hard to find simply because breeders still don't really know how to predict and manage them.
Conclusion.
Indeed, a Chihuahua with a rare coat color will attract a lot of attention and enthusiastic comments wherever you go, but is it really the most important thing for a true dog lover? The race for rare colors and other physical specifications lead to genuinely horrible and sad tendencies in the breeders' community, such as puppy mills, cruelty, and unethical treatment.
At the end of the day, we love our pets for their vivid personalities, devotion, and readiness to follow us to the edge of the Earth. And while most of us still keep on judging candies by their wrappings, a living being that loves us unconditionally deserves a more mindful and well-considered attitude.