we have all heard the term teacup chihuahua, but what do the terms apple head and deerhead mean when it comes to describing characteristics of the chihuahua breed and what exactly makes an apple head chihuahua different from a deerhead chihuahua?
the term apple head is used to describe any chihuahua with a round or ‘dome-like’ head similar to the shape of an apple. the upper part of the chihuahua’s skull is wider than the lower part in the jaw area.
if you look close at the top of the skull of most chihuahuas, you will notice that it is slightly sunken in just like the top of an apple. this area is called molera, a spanish word for ‘fontanel’, or any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus and it is similar to the ‘soft spot’ that human babies have on their heads upon birth.
according to chihuahua breed standards, the term apple head is required in the description of the ‘head’ of a chihuahua that includes an apple domed skull with either the presence or absence of molera. it is also used when referencing chihuahua puppies at an age where it is noticeable.
the term deer head is used to describe any chihuahua that does not have the characteristic apple shaped head. deer head chihuahuas tend to have a longer noses and a head shape similar to that of a miniature young deer. they also tend to have less chihuahua health problems.
in this picture of teaka the famous chihuahua you can see deer-like features, but she is an apple head chihuahua, so it can be confusing at times. at birth she was given the temporary name of fawn, which means a young deer under a year old.
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below is a sample page from the section on chihuahua facts!
related: what is a blue chihuahua?
apple head and deer head chihuahua names
clothing for apple head and deerhead chihuahuas
article source: chihuahuadogcare.com/applehead-chihuahuas
skull photo source: skullsunlimited.com/chihuahua-skull.html
Comments 183
I have been a chihuahua owner for 5 years now.I am 12 years of age and I have a have a story to tell. My oldest dog Lucky is one lucky dog.We named him “Lucky” because he was lucky to have found us.Me and my family.Me and my uncle and my aunt mom,and grandma where sitting on the front porch watching my mom and uncle play catch.Then all of a sudden a little white and black chihuahua comes running by in the street.Heading toured a busy street.My mom and my uncle stopped and ran after him.At first he was growling and we thought he would be very mean.My uncle picked him up with his glove and brought him by us.For a little over a week we looked for his owner.Nothing.After a while he planned to keep him.We named him Lucky for being lucky to have found us.Then one day my aunt had him in front,when a van pulled up.They showed us papers and pictures of him.They were his owners.We gave him them.They told us that they would give us another dog.We found out they only wanted him because he was a beautiful dog and they wanted to breed him.They gave us a dog.Lucky’s puppy.He was a runt.An a fat one.So we named him Pudge.We Loved Pudge.About 5 months later the people came back with Lucky and said that they were going to Mexico and they could not take him with.They told us we could have Lucky back for $100.We accepted.Then we found out that they kept Lucky in a cage all day and gave him little food and water.We knew we had to take him.That is when are family became whole.We spoil Pudge and Lucky now.We have a cat name cheata ,Pudge and Lucky and our bunny name Thumper.We saved all of them too.Cheata was homeless and a kitten on the streets when we found her.It took a week to grab her and bring her home but we got her.An last,Thumper.My mom’s friends bunny had Babies and she had one more left.If we did not take him he would of been tested on in the shelter.We are one big family now and we love them all.They all have warm beds,lots of food,toys,and plenty of love.
I’m a new Chihuahua owner. Goliath is a 3 month old, 1.6 pound Applehead. I bought him after I retired so we could go everywhere together and he’s been all around. He sleeps in my purse when we are in restaurants or stores. If we are in an animal friendly environment, he’s in a papoose like carrier. My family was appalled that I bought him, but he and his BIG personality has won everyone over. My husband is thinking about getting another one!!
TENGO UN CHIHUAHUA CABEZA DE VENADO MACHO Y NACESITA UNA PAREJA CABEZA DE VENADO TIENE UN AÑO Y TRES MESES CUALQUIER COSA AVISENME POR ESTE MISMO SITIO
Our little guy, Charlie, is a deerhead Chihuahua we think. His eyes aren’t bulgy and his face is longer than an applehead. Also he seems bigger than appleheads. His parents are one of each and both owned by the same family. The vets say he is indeed a Chihuahua though he doesn’t have papers. We are of course partial to him and think he’s adorable whatever he is!
I highly recommend anyone looking for a Chihuahua to adopt, not buy! Here in California, our shelters are exploding with all kinds of beautiful chi’s, and sadly, a lot are put to sleep because there are just too many & not enough people to adopt them. A heartbreaking tragedy! There are MANY transport options to all over the US, so please look up our local shelters in Los Angeles and OC (Orange County). I have two chi mixes that I rescued and am fostering two chihuahuas right now, one of which is an adorable little apple head girl.
Hello, I was hoping someone could help me. My mother lost her Chihuahua a couple of months ago and she is still torn up about it. We can not find the breed of the type of Chihuahua she had because he was a rescue. However, the picture on this website…the small brown, black, and white stripe Applehead Chihuahua chewing on the bone looked exactly like my moms dog. Does anyone know this special breed or name?! Thank you so much.
we have a deer chiwawa he is 12 lbs. and is 6 months od and his face and body is exactly looks like a deer and his color is fawn I would love to get him a wife but so far they are too small for him
Hi!I Also Have A Chihuahua Her Name Is Daphy She Also Has A Soft Spot On Her Head Her Head Is The Size Of My Wrist But I Dont Know If She Is Applehead Or A Deer I Think She Is More Of A Apple.
i have a deer head chihuahua, Attila. He is AKC registered. When comparing him to apple head chihuahua’s at the dog park, my baby is slimmer and a little taller. He weighs 5 pounds. When he lays down he does look just like a tiny deer! I call him my velcro dog because he is so attached to me. love him with all my heart.
It’s interesting reading about all the different chi’s. I have a deer head, long haired boy and he weighs 13 pounds. I have papers for him but sometimes wonder if his mommy had an affair or something. Seeing the pictures of the deer head chi’s has shown me that he is a chi. He is a terrific companion. I have a shih tzu as well, female, and they are great friends. They are both spoiled rotten but why have dogs if you don’t spoil them is my motto.
We have a 20 month old Chihuahua that was given to us at te age of 13 months, because they got a Dashound for thier son, it was so jealous of the Chi., that it tormented her constantly.
We were told by the people we got her from that they paid $400.00 for her, & that she is a “knobhead”, NOT an “Applehead”! I had never heard of a “knobhead” before or since!!She weighs 4.5 pounds, & is “fawn” color with white markings. Has smooth coat & looks allot like a baby deer or even a little like a fox. She is very fast running & enjoys the outdoors, but we do not let her out unsupervised because we live near a big wooded area, & there are hawks & a couple of eally big Owls that we have seen swoop down & snatch up rabbits her size.
We named her Molly & we adore her! She very smart & learns quickly. She even tries to talk! She is even tempered, loves people & other small bred dogs, & only barks when she first meets a new person, but quickly warms up to them, & is very friendly. She gets cold easily & loves to wear the dresses I make for her! She loves to be “fussed” over. Wants to sit in your lap most of the time. She loves to snuggle & wants you to kiss on her etc. She also loves to play fetch with her toys & wants to play tug-a-war with you ! She was not housebroken when we got her, but was trained in less than 3 weeks!
She gets sick if she is seperated from us for more than a day! She behaves like she thinks she is a little girl, rather than a dog! Everyone falls in love with her!!
Ashley, I have a deerhead female and I received AKC registration papers from American Kennel. Would love to see a picture of your baby.
People say that my chi is not akc because it is a deerhead is that true?
What happens if two appleheads have puppies? Will they have extremly round heads and bulging eyeballs? Does a breeder need to balance them by breeding an applehead and deerhead?
Just a thought…..
I also have what looks to be a deerhead chi. I love him dearly but he wont just let me love on him or pet him without wanting to bite playfully. Can someone tell me if this is normal.
Anyone looking for a Chihuahua, PLEASE adopt one! Don’t buy one. There are so many babies that need homes. Petfinder lists just go on and on. We adopted our deerhead and she is the love of our life.
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try the famous chihuahua breeder list or rescue a chihuahua
Where can I get a male chi pup short haired that won’t get over about 4 pounds? I would prefer 6 months or under in age.
If your chihuahua has a large frontal or forehead then it is an applehead. A deer head chihuahua actually looks like or resembles a very small deer. Eyes on an apple head look a little pushed out while a deer head doesn’t have such large eyes and they have more eye lid coverage than an apple head.
I have a 5lb deerhead. He weighed 7lbs but I cut back on the McDonald’s fries and he is now back to 5. He is so special that we don’t even use the word dog to describe him.
My mom and I got females from the same litter, and mine is about a 5 lb deer head fawn. Hers is a 7.5 lb apple head. It worked out we both ended up with what we preferred. We both since have gotten more chis based on our personal preferences.
My 5lb chihuahua got with a 12 lb puggle. i just learned she is with “dog”. I’m concerned there is a big risk to my dog’s health at birth time. I am seriously contemplating spaying her and stopping the pregnancy, but if she were to be all right giving birth, I would tough it out and let her have pups. Anyone have any thoughts?
I have an apple head chihuahua named Babygirl. When I got her a year ago and took her for her shots and manicure she weighed 2lb.9oz. I took her for her yearly rabies shot about a month ago and she weighed 3 lb 9oz. I live alone and she is such good company. She only barks when someone comes to the door. She is very quiet and even tempered. I believe that the person who had her before me must have abused her. And was probably a man. She doesn’t take up with men very well. I am having problems house breaking her and have tried everything I have found on the internet to no avail. But I can overlook that because I have fallen in love with her. She’s adorable !
Can someone look at these photos and tell me if they feel the dog is bull blooded?
facebook.com/album.php?aid=22856&id=100000107296704&l=77ca3d7762
@Kitana: She may yet ‘discover’ her bark! Angelbat didn’t bark until she was almost a year old! I think the long, cold winter indoors didn’t supply her with a lot of distractions but once spring came and all the windows were open, she found she could bark at noises outside. We were stunned the first time we heard our tiny ‘squeaker’ actually bark as it was a surprisingly deep bark, like a much bigger dog!
@Missy: Seriously, I am terrified that you want to breed a 3.5lb dog. There is every likelihood she would die in childbirth. Female chis who are actually bred are fairly big dogs for chis. They need to be! Chi pups have oversize heads and they don’t really go through the birthing canal all that easily. If you try to breed such a tiny dog she would definitely need to be at the vet for a caesarian delivery at the right moment. Otherwise you seriously run the risk of losing your precious little girl just to get some more chi puppies. If you got her from a reputable breeder, go there for another puppy. Good breeders do not force tiny dogs to give birth at risk of their own death.