The Chihuahua standard caps weight at “not to exceed 6 pounds” and gives no height clause at all. The Dachshund standard splits the breed by weight alone: 16 to 32 pounds standard, miniatures 11 pounds and under. One is a toy dog; the other is long in body and short of leg.
Two standards that work in different ways
These two breeds make a useful pair because their standards are built differently. One writes a ceiling and nothing else. The other sorts the breed by weight. Neither gives the size picture buyers expect.
| Dachshund | Chihuahua | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight in the standard | Standard size 16 to 32 lb; miniature “11 pounds and under” | “Not to exceed 6 pounds” |
| Height in the standard | None; described as “low to ground” | No height clause at all |
| Build | “Low to ground, long in body and short of leg” | No long-backed build described |
| Coat varieties named | The size split is by weight, not coat | Smooth or long coat; long coat “with undercoat preferred” |
| Temperament wording | “Clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness” | Alert, with terrier-like self-importance |
Size: a six-pound ceiling and a weight split
The Chihuahua standard is unusual twice over. It gives a weight ceiling, “not to exceed 6 pounds”, and no height clause whatsoever. There is no inches figure to quote for this breed, and if you see one it did not come from the standard. A ceiling is not a range either: it says where the top is and nothing about the bottom.
The Dachshund standard goes the other way. It splits the breed by weight alone — standard size 16 to 32 pounds, miniatures “11 pounds and under” — and gives no height for either. That leaves a gap between 11 and 16 pounds the standard does not name, and real dogs land in it. Such a dog is not a third variety and not a fault to explain away; it is a dog the document has no word for.
Neither standard predicts a puppy. Small breeds finish growing earlier than large ones, but no one can read an adult weight off a photograph. Judge condition by feeling the ribs and looking for a waist, not by the scale alone — which matters more for the Dachshund than most breeds, for the reason below.
Coat and grooming
The Chihuahua standard names two coat varieties, smooth and long, and says the long coat is preferred “with undercoat”. That matters before summer: an undercoat is part of how a dog regulates temperature and should not be shaved off for the heat. Brushing it out is what helps. Neither is a standing groomer appointment the way a curling coat is.
The Dachshund standard we quote describes build and character, not coat, so we will not invent a coat clause. Ask to handle the coat on the dog itself.
Temperament, as the standards phrase it
The Dachshund standard describes a dog “clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness”. That phrase is not padding — a long-backed dog with more courage than caution will launch off furniture. The Chihuahua standard describes an alert dog with terrier-like self-importance, fair warning that a six-pound dog may not behave like a small one. Both clauses describe a breed, not the puppy in front of you. Individual dogs vary.
Living with each one
The Dachshund’s build is the headline. VCA notes that breeds with long backs and short bowed legs show faster disc deterioration, with obesity and repeated jarring adding risk. That gives an owner three jobs: keep the weight down, discourage jumping off sofas and beds, and take what this particular dog can safely do to a veterinarian. Stairs, car seats and a favourite armchair are worth thinking about beforehand.
On the Chihuahua side, tracheal collapse is associated with toy breeds, and the practical point is a harness rather than a neck collar. Both live through Georgia summers: air conditioning, shade, water, walks at either end of the day rather than the middle. Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, and hot red clay is hard on a dog carried low to the ground.
The Chiweenie, since people ask
Crossing the two gives what the market calls a Chiweenie. It is a marketplace name: no registry recognises it and it has no written standard. It inherits from both parents, so it can inherit the long back as readily as the six-pound frame, and the guidance above applies. Any weight figure for the cross is a bracket, not a specification.
Which one suits you
- Are you set up to protect a long back — weight control, no jumping down from furniture, help with stairs — for the life of the dog?
- Do you want a dog under a written six-pound ceiling, or one whose standard runs to 32?
- Can you live with the 11-to-16-pound gap the standard never names, if that is where your dog lands?
- Would you use a harness instead of a collar as routine?
Both are easier judged in person. See available puppies by breed for what is in the Lawrenceville showroom now, browse our toy breeds, or read the other breed comparisons.
Common questions
How tall does a Chihuahua get?
We publish no height for this breed, because the standard contains no height clause at all. It gives a weight ceiling of “not to exceed 6 pounds” and nothing about inches. Any height figure elsewhere came from somewhere other than the standard.
What is a Dachshund between 11 and 16 pounds?
It is a Dachshund the standard has no name for. The written split is 16 to 32 pounds for standard size and 11 pounds and under for miniatures; the gap between is unnamed. Dogs land in it.
Does every Dachshund get back problems?
That is not something we can tell you, and we publish no numbers on it. VCA says long backs with short bowed legs show faster disc deterioration, and that obesity and repeated jarring add risk. Your veterinarian is the one to assess an individual dog.
Come and meet them both
Every puppy here is health-checked by our on-staff veterinarian, raised in our family home nursery, and waiting to say hello.
1848 Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Mon–Sat 12:00–7:00 PM • Sun 2:00–6:00 PM
