# Is it possible to tell if these are Applehead Chis at 3.5 weeks?



## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Hi, everyone. My boyfriend and I are on the search for our perfect Chihuahua puppy. I have my heart set on a shorthair female applehead. We came across an ad today with this picture of 3.5 week old puppies for sale, ready to leave on May 12th. Is it possible to tell whether they will be applehead or deerhead this young? We have mailed the breeder and asked if they had any pictures of the parents. I was wondering if anyone here could tell me what they think these puppies might look like as adults, if it's even possible to tell, while we wait for a response. Here is the picture:










I think the head shape and face of Vitsippa is the cutest, but I like the coloring/markings of Tussilago. What do you guys think? The shorthair females are Vitsippa, Tussilago, and Snövit.


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

Oh, wow, they are absolutely adorable!

My guess, and it's strictly a guess, is that they will not have the pronounced stop and short muzzle which is what I think you mean by applehead. I am basing this guess on various puppies I have seen online at young ages that did appear to already show those traits at a pretty young age.

I will be curious to see what some of the more knowledgeable folks on here think. And please, go by the opinion of someone who knows what they are talking about. I surely don't but I still enjoy being part of the conversation!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

These will not be typey apple headed puppies. The slope on the head is too great and they do not have the 90 degree stop and short muzzle you are looking for in an apple head. Still cute obviously, but they will have longer muzzles and a more sloped head (rather than a domed head).


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## theshanman97 (Feb 19, 2012)

all so cute! i would have them all!  x


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks for the response, Terri! Ah, yes, the "pronounced stop and short muzzle" type of look is exactly what I mean. There's a few Chis here, including Taz, that I'm absolutely in love with. Her face is just so cute! I'd like to find a Chihuahua with similar traits, I just have no idea how to spot them that young.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Oh, okay, thank you, Tracy! That's too bad, but at least I know what to look for now in puppies that young.

Yeah, they are cute, Shannon, even if they're not the exact Chis I'm looking for.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Here's a pic of the "look" you should be seeing in a puppy that age if you are wanting the correct head type.










Is there a chihuahua club in your country? I would be looking for a breeder who shows her dogs. You are more likely to find the correct head at a reputable breeder.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Thank you for the image! I'm not really sure, to be honest. I just moved here recently. I know it's possible to search Swedish Kennel Club registered breeders through the SKC website, but those show Chis always range from $2000-$2500. We're hoping to find a girl around $1500 right now.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

There are SKC registered Chihuahuas listed from time to time that are between $1300 and $1500, but it's a matter of them being near enough to us. We don't have a car, so we have to travel by bus/train to get to any breeder out of town. It seems that the majority of Chihuahuas puppies come from the southern tip of the country, which is over 10 hours travel time from here. The pickings are kind of slim in and near our county.


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

Keep looking! you should be able to find a nice head from a good "pet" breeder as well.
Both my dogs are from breeders who don't show.
They are very breed standard as well.

Good luck!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks, Kitty! Your pups are so cute! I think we will probably keep looking then. I have seen pet quality Chi breeders that have had definite applehead puppies for sale like the picture of the ones Tracy posted, but they have all been too far away from where we live. I guess I just have to stay patient!


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

Yes it can definitely take some digging around!


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## Charlotte~ (Apr 5, 2011)

Their head shape looks like Daisy's from when she was 3 1/2 weeks old;









This is her head shape now at 1 year old;









Kinda a mix between deer and apple head.





Btw, I LOVE Vitsippa!!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Thank you for the reference! That's exactly what I was hoping to see from someone. Not exactly the look I'm personally looking for, but Daisy is still very cute! I would agree she looks like a mix between apple and deer.


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## Chi Nation (Mar 7, 2012)

Not the best pics but this is my little girl Sasha. Is this the head type you are looking for??


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for.  She's adorable!


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

Parsley'sMommy said:


> Thanks for the response, Terri! Ah, yes, the "pronounced stop and short muzzle" type of look is exactly what I mean. There's a few Chis here, including Taz, that I'm absolutely in love with. Her face is just so cute! I'd like to find a Chihuahua with similar traits, I just have no idea how to spot them that young.



Thank you for saying Taz is cute! She certainly isn't to standard. Her muzzle is quite long and she isn't even registered but here is a picture of her at six weeks so you can kind of see how the puppy head compares to the adult head. Oddly, her stop looks more pronounced now than it did then - maybe its the angle of the photo. I wasn't even sure she was a purebred chi but since I would have been okay with a mix it wasn't an issue for me.










I tried to choose a shot from the side so you could see the length of the muzzle.

In the United States, it possible to find a chi with a head more to standard who doesn't come from a show breeder, as some of the others have said. If you want a pup who comes close to the standard overall, not just the head, as Tracy said you are more likely to find that from a show breeder. I do not know what the puppy availability situation is like there but I wish you good luck and enjoy the search! It took me almost six months to find Taz. I actually sort of miss looking for puppies but I am afraid to look anymore as two chi's and one obnoxious shepherd puppy is our limit according to my husband.


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## Charlotte~ (Apr 5, 2011)

Parsley'sMommy said:


> Thank you for the reference! That's exactly what I was hoping to see from someone. Not exactly the look I'm personally looking for, but Daisy is still very cute! I would agree she looks like a mix between apple and deer.


No problem  
I started out looking for an apple head too. But I saw Daisy, fell head over heels in love and never cared that she wasn't a perfect apple. You never know what you'll fall for


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

Here's a pic of Kahlua; she isn't "to standard" but still has the apple head and defined stop. She just has a longer muzzle; and that's my favorite look in chihuahuas lol. Don't know if it'll help at all with your search, but here's a comparison pic of how Kahlua looked as a puppy; and adult... 

Baby Lua:









Teen Lua:









(Still my baby  today!!!) Lua: 









Side profiles:


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## LBChi (Mar 12, 2012)

Good luck on your search, all of those pups in your first post are adorable. I bet if you went to see them, and held them you would fall in love.......just sayin...


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Gosh, I would LOVE to find a puppy like Taz. She was and is so adorable still. I don't mind the longer muzzle look on some Chis. It works sometimes, but other times it doesn't appeal to me. I'm not saying I'm looking for the _perfect_ standard applehead, I just would prefer one that looks closer to that than the deerhead look.

Kahlua is gorgeous also! I don't mind her longer muzzle at all. It's more the pronounced stop and head shape that matter to me than the length of the muzzle.

Honestly, everyone who has posted a Chihuahua here has made me go "Awwww!" They are all beautiful. LBChi, you are probably right. I KNOW if I went and held any one of those puppies I would fall in love instantly.


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

Charlotte~ said:


> No problem
> I started out looking for an apple head too. But I saw Daisy, fell head over heels in love and never cared that she wasn't a perfect apple. You never know what you'll fall for


I can see why you fell in love! I think she is beautiful!



KittynKahlua said:


> Here's a pic of Kahlua; she isn't "to standard" but still has the apple head and defined stop. She just has a longer muzzle; and that's my favorite look in chihuahuas .


I love Kahlua's color and markings. She was a beautiful puppy and is a beautiful adult too!


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## RandomMusing (Aug 27, 2011)

They're all SO cute!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

I agree, Musing! We're still waiting to hear back if they have pictures of the parents available. I'm really curious to see what they look like, even if the puppies aren't going to have the standard applehead look.


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

I think you are probably wanting a stop/muzzle like this little boo right?
This is my lil' munchkin Bijou dressed in an adorable Carebear hoodie from an awesome member here named Elaina 

He's very fluffy! LOL but you can see how his muzzle is very short and his head is very apple with the dome etc.

Out of the two head styles, I love this short muzzle/nice stop domed head look.. but I also love a Deer head, and I mean a proper deer head with big bat ears! LOL

I'm not fussy on anything in between for my own dogs, but lets face it.. all Chi's are adorable in their own way


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

My only piece of advice is to get EXACTLY what you want. If kept healthy, your Chi will be around a very long time. 
I wanted an apple head, female black and tan. I kept falling for other dogs but somehow kept searching. By not getting exactly what I wanted, I kept acquiring. She was our third. 
Now, I am completely satisfied!


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

LOL! That picture is hilariously cute! Love the little tongue sticking out. I haven't seen a puppy listed here that fits the applehead standards like him since I started looking back in January. I'm beginning to think they really are limited to the show breeders in this country.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

That's what I keep telling myself, Karen. Every puppy I see is tempting, but I'm holding out for the PERFECT one for me. I think deep down I will know which puppy is mine when I see her. I used to lurk on these forums for a while before I actually signed up, and I always admired your three girls.  They all have such precious faces!


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

jesuschick said:


> My only piece of advice is to get EXACTLY what you want. If kept healthy, your Chi will be around a very long time.
> I wanted an apple head, female black and tan. I kept falling for other dogs but somehow kept searching. By not getting exactly what I wanted, I kept acquiring. She was our third.
> Now, I am completely satisfied!


Unless you think you might like to have three dogs! Karen, I think you ended up with a wonderful little pack!


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## elaina (Jul 1, 2008)

KittyD said:


>


Awwwww, i love that pic of Bijou !!!! he looks soooooo cute in that blue carebear hoodie


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## fayzoe (Oct 22, 2011)

Prince is very cute


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

Just thought I would add my 2 cents. I have an apple head and a deer hed. They look the same in their 3 week pictures but by their 6 week pictures you could see that Axle had a really defined stop (it casts a shadow in all of his pics) whereas Chloe did not. If you can wait to see pics of these pups in a few weeks and also get pics of the parents you will get a good idea (although Ax and Chloe have the same dad and have completely different head shapes and body types so it can still be pot luck).

I agree with Karen on waiting to find the perfect dog for you. I was only going to get 1 dog, I wanted a 4lb to 5lb apple head fawn male and ended up with Axle who is all of those things except his coat darkened up to a light golden tan. He's exactly the look I was going for and i think he's the most handsome boy ever! Chloe was bought in a rush as a companion to Ax so I was much more worried about her personality fitting with his than her looks but she's beautiful in my eyes despite being far from standard.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Hello, Fay. Nice to meet you. I think you need to be honest with yourself and your hubby and decide whether or not you are ready for a new puppy. If you are ready then you will know. You can always just go to see the puppy and see how you feel. You may fall in love and realize this new puppy is just the thing you need now.

Sarah, thank you for your input! Hoping for pics of the parents tomorrow. I will post them as soon as we get them. I thought that since they were so young in the pics their stops and heads might change a little as the mature. I guess we will just have to wait and see in a couple of weeks. Hopefully Vitsippa is still available then.  Chloe and Axle are quite different looking but they are both gorgeous!


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

I look forward to seeing the parents! I love getting to watch a chihuahua 'grow up' here on the forum. I remember others who had puppies around the same time I did when I got Kahlua back in November 2010! And I still can't believe how grown up THEIR dogs look in pix let alone my own haha. My best advice, is to take a TON of pictures as they are maturing.... once the dog reaches true adulthood not too much will change. I have easily hundreds of pix of Kahlua when she was a pup and it's still not enough...


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## Gingersmom (Mar 12, 2009)

Just compared the picture of the pups you posted with mine and nope they definitely do not look the same..my girls had a stop and round appley head... I had seen Abby's picture right after birth and she had the stop and appley head..she's the black/tan...I was lucky to be online when she posted the pic...


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Oh, thank you, Jessica. So your girls had their defined stops right at birth, huh? My gut is yet again telling me to just wait for different puppies since I don't think these are going to be exactly what I'm looking for. But gosh, it is so difficult waiting when I'm 100% ready now!


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## chideb (Jan 29, 2008)

Hi Caitlin.. Here's on shot looking straight down on a baby apple head pup with a short muzzle. 









and a front shot pic.


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## Jennmay (Dec 31, 2011)

Aww all those pups are adorable. I have no clue to tell apples from deer heads as puppies. I know my Zoe is clearly a deer head Holly not sure if she is apple or not lol.. I just wanted Chi's and when i seen something I liked I went for it. I can not believe the prices over there though if I had to spend that much I guess I would not own one let alone 2 myself. Good luck in finding that one that appeals to you


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

Parsley'sMommy said:


> Oh, thank you, Jessica. So your girls had their defined stops right at birth, huh? My gut is yet again telling me to just wait for different puppies since I don't think these are going to be exactly what I'm looking for. But gosh, it is so difficult waiting when I'm 100% ready now!


It is hard to wait when you are ready. I only had to wait a week to pick up Charlie and while I was waiting I bought him a full wardrobe including a personalized collar. His breeder was kind enough to measure and weigh him for me so I knew his sizes. Maybe you can be getting stuff while you are waiting to find your puppy. There are lots of things you could get ahead of time, maybe even a photo album for all the pictures I am sure you will want to take.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Aww, what a cutie, Deb! I'm jealous! 

Yeah, Jenn, Chihuahuas are very expensive here in Sweden. "Pet quality" puppies start from $1200. I'm almost thinking I should look into US breeders that ship internationally, but I'm worried about a little puppy being flown all the way over here. Supposedly they do it safely all the time, but I don't know. Just seems like such a long trip for a fragile little thing.

Yes, I have been buying lots of stuff!  Which is making it even harder because I have all of this stuff ready to spoil my puppy with but no puppy! I want to get a little plush Chihuahua and set up the playpen and stick it in there and pretend that's my puppy for now. LOL. Ah, that must be my tired humor. I should probably go to bed.


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## bayoumah (Nov 30, 2010)

hi im falling in love with all this precious pics


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

I would say keep looking. I have a dog with "faults" , from a KC breeder--he is no way a show quality. Yes he is bred to "standard" but his traits by no means are the excellence of breeding/show dogs. His muzzle is longer than I'd prefer but he has a stop and an apple dome skull. I have been told if his muzzle was as short as I like he 'd have breathing issues and not be able to fit his teeth in his mouth . You will know when you find the right one, or when that pup finds you. I had it in my mind what I wanted in pup and it totally changed over the course of time that I was looking. Please becareful of breeders who "ship" chi puppies. It really is not a good idea. If any breeder offered to ship from US to Sweden I would not advise buying a pup from them--that is way too long of a flight unless you are collecting them and flying with them in the cabin. Keep giving us updates and pictures--I love looking at puppies.


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## Gingersmom (Mar 12, 2009)

Parsley'sMommy said:


> Oh, thank you, Jessica. So your girls had their defined stops right at birth, huh? My gut is yet again telling me to just wait for different puppies since I don't think these are going to be exactly what I'm looking for. But gosh, it is so difficult waiting when I'm 100% ready now!


Yes and yes and definitely yes...LOL


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

That Abby's Birthday picture is the sweetest thing ever !!! What a nice picture of the mum and pup


Gingersmom said:


> Yes and yes and definitely yes...LOL


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## Gingersmom (Mar 12, 2009)

rubia said:


> That Abby's Birthday picture is the sweetest thing ever !!! What a nice picture of the mum and pup



Thank you, see how I couldn't resist...LOL..she posted that picture and I called and said....she's mine.. and mailed the deposit that day..VBG


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Jessica, those pictures are really helpful! Thank you! I will be saving them to look back as references while searching for a puppy. 

We received pictures of the parents today. The father is just what I'd hoped for but the mother is definitely not applehead. Here they are:

Father:









Mother:









We're going to wait in this case. They're both beautiful parents but the mother is not exactly what I personally prefer. I would rather wait for the puppy I really want.


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## Gingersmom (Mar 12, 2009)

Parsley'sMommy said:


> Jessica, those pictures are really helpful! Thank you! I will be saving them to look back as references while searching for a puppy.
> 
> We received pictures of the parents today. The father is just what I'd hoped for but the mother is definitely not applehead. Here they are:
> 
> ...


Your Welcome...glad I could help you out!


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

The dad is gorgeous! I would wait and see if she's still available in a few weeks and what she's looking like. My Ax was clearly looking like an apple head in his 6 week pics. If its meant to be she will still be there then.


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## Wodjeka (Mar 29, 2012)

If you are looking for a real apple head chi I would not take any puppy from the above litter.
The muzzle of the mom is really long and the pups will probably get longer muzzle than a real applehead.
Maybe you should consider a puppy from a breeder out of Europe.
In germany, the netherlands, belgium and france puppies are between 1300-2000 us dollars, from registered breeders. 
Maybe even less if you are looking for a pet. Because you live in Sweden you can pick up the puppy yourself by plane and carry it on board as carry-on luggage
Most airplane companies allows you to take a small dog in a carrier with a max weight of 8 kilo. Mostly it costs a few dollars as a fee for taking the dog on board.
Looking at the prices asked in Sweden you probably would have a nicer pup for a lower price, including your plane-ticket.
Off course you can also look in the USA but the flight times are much longer... And I personally would pick up the puppy myself instead of shipping it like cargo.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Yes, Wodjeka, I have decided not to get any of these puppies after seeing their mother. That's a great suggestion. Would you happen to know of any reputable breeders from these countries? I know the USA has tons of great breeders with prices I can afford, but yeah, a plane ticket to the US is a lot more expensive and the travel distance is so far. I actually looked into how much taking a pet on the airlines that travel between here and the US would cost, and the fee is almost $200. Then the plane ticket it'self is $800 or more.

But to be honest, I would probably rather hop on a train in Sweden for 11 hours to get to the bottom of the country where there seems to be a higher population of Chihuahua breeders. However, I don't speak Swedish, so if they can't communicate well in English, it may not be possible without the assistance of my boyfriend. He is completely unwilling to travel more than five hours by train to reach a puppy. :foxes15: But yeah, I'm really thinking about just trying to go myself. I have passed up calling about too many gorgeous puppies because they are "too far away" for his liking.


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