# Wondering about the physique of a chihuahua



## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

Are they able to build muscle and hold it on? What does a fit chihuahua look like? Are you not supposed to see a tuck in the tummy as you are in pit bulls?

ALL of the chihuahuas i see around my block are either lacking muscle definition all together or overweight(borderline obesity).

I am not very active with my dog. We take an hour walk once a day and then two 10 minute strolls around the block. That being said she isnt one to hold much muscle lol 

Do any of you guys have a chi that is active, has a nice build and is ok with posting a pic or two? I'm eager to see what it would look like. I know this is a lean breed so i dont expect to see bulging muscles but i am interested.

I tried running a google search and got nothing :-(


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

well my chi is over weight, and has no muscle tone, I have tried diets but she still cant budge the weight. I have learnt to accept her for how she is  the pics in my siggy were taken 3 days ago.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Brody is lean and muscular. Yes, they should definitely have a defined waist and a tuck up. You should be able to feel ribs under a thin layer of flesh. Hip bones should not be prominent, but you should feel them, along with the spine. If you close your fist and rub your finger across your knuckles of the closed hand, that gives you a pretty good idea of what ribs should feel like, with a layer of muscle over them. I'll try and find a few pics for you ....


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

IMHO, Brody is the PERFECT chi that every boy should wanna grow up to be. He is Dexter's idol. 
So handsome and healthy!


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

angel-baby said:


> well my chi is over weight, and has no muscle tone, I have tried diets but she still cant budge the weight. I have learnt to accept her for how she is  the pics in my siggy were taken 3 days ago.


Shes cute. How old is she? Maybe diets just wont work for her... they sure dont for me lol Have you tried longer walks? I've been trying to add on muscle to my pit since the begining of May to no avail (mostly my fault since i hate to sweat) I am thinking of taking the summer off and just picking back up in the cooler weather.


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## Cricket'sMom (Jun 7, 2010)

Sweeny is half chi but I would say that he is at an ideal weight. He goes to the dog park every day and runs his little leggs off. He also is quite active around the house. Here is a picture of him. Hard to tell about his muscles but, he is very well toned. He gets a lot of exercise.

Julie


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

LovesMyPups said:


> IMHO, Brody is the PERFECT chi that every boy should wanna grow up to be. He is Dexter's idol.
> So handsome and healthy!


Awwwww, that's so sweet of you to say! Thank you! Brody is blushing!!


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

Vivid said:


> Shes cute. How old is she? Maybe diets just wont work for her... they sure dont for me lol Have you tried longer walks? I've been trying to add on muscle to my pit since the begining of May to no avail (mostly my fault since i hate to sweat) I am thinking of taking the summer off and just picking back up in the cooler weather.


Thanks! She is almost 4, LOL diets dont work for me either!!
I really should try longer walks but she is super lazy, and will just stop put the breaks on and refuse to walk most of the time. And I give in and carry her because I cant be bothered "arguing" with her!
I know I know I should make her walk etc.......


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

Cricket'sMom said:


> Sweeny is half chi but I would say that he is at an ideal weight. He goes to the dog park every day and runs his little leggs off. He also is quite active around the house. Here is a picture of him. Hard to tell about his muscles but, he is very well toned. He gets a lot of exercise.
> 
> Julie


He is beautiful, I love his tail


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

Brodysmom said:


> Brody is lean and muscular. Yes, they should definitely have a defined waist and a tuck up. You should be able to feel ribs under a thin layer of flesh. Hip bones should not be prominent, but you should feel them, along with the spine. If you close your fist and rub your finger across your knuckles of the closed hand, that gives you a pretty good idea of what ribs should feel like, with a layer of muscle over them. I'll try and find a few pics for you ....


Brody has always been one of my favorites on this forum! he's a looker. I'm glad to see you posted him. 

Yep, he has the tuck i was wondering about. I dont think i've ever seen a chi in person with a tuck except for the shelter dogs that are underweight. Is that Brodys natural shape or do you work him through exercise?

Is that a papillon he is playing with in one of the pics?


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

Cricket'sMom said:


> Sweeny is half chi but I would say that he is at an ideal weight. He goes to the dog park every day and runs his little leggs off. He also is quite active around the house. Here is a picture of him. Hard to tell about his muscles but, he is very well toned. He gets a lot of exercise.
> 
> Julie


Sweeny is adorable lol. What is he mixed with? He looks to definately have a tuck under all that fur. I even see the muscles in his back legs. Its hard to show off the build of a dog that is brindle or has a lot of fur. The dog park does wonders for blowing off steam and getting a good run in lol


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## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

I think there is a difference in CHIs.... Brody is the long-legged CHI.... my Chico is the 'squatty' CHI that has short legs.... I have ALWAYS had the long-legged CHIs... Chico is the first shortlegged CHI I ever had and there is a big difference to me in the weight issues... the longlegged CHI I *never* had problems with weight... but Chico can LOOK at food and gain weight... some may not agree with me but I think the short legged CHI is harder to get the 'brody look'....  if it can ever even be achieved....


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

angel-baby said:


> Thanks! She is almost 4, LOL diets dont work for me either!!
> I really should try longer walks but she is super lazy, and will just stop put the breaks on and refuse to walk most of the time. And I give in and carry her because I cant be bothered "arguing" with her!
> I know I know I should make her walk etc.......


LOL She must have learned from my Lozier, for sure!!!  She will play outside good and hard, but when it's time to come in she stares at me and lays down where ever she is. She knows I'm a sucker and will just come pick her up. lol


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Vivid - yes, Brody definitely has a tuck up at the waist. He is naturally thin. I think there are some dogs, like people, that just have that faster metabolism. He's not a huge eater and never has been. He exercises himself! He runs up and down the stairs multiple times a day playing with his ball which he rolls down the stairs for entertainment... he sits at the top of the stairs and pushes it down, watches it bounce, and then races down the stairs and retrieves it and then does it over and over. He also loves to go outside and run in huge circles around the yard at full speed. He's just naturally active. When we go for walks, we tire out long before he does. My hubby took him on a 3 mile hike in the mountains and he would have gone longer.

And yes, that's my mom's papillon! He loves to play with her. 

Jan - that's an interesting observation about the difference in body shapes. I think it's much more common to see the lean and muscular look in the leggier chi's and the cobby chi's are more compact overall. You're right - the shorter chi's can't carry as much weight as the taller ones without looking pudgy. I love Chico.


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

Brody is the most handsome man! I love his coat, and physique, and face, and ears, and attitude, and... heck... the whole package. It's obvious you take wonderful care of him! Lilo just saw his picture and asked me to tell him 'hi' (she's young and silly and too embarrassed to say it herself :daisy: I think she has a crush.)


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## MisStingerRN (May 16, 2010)

Lucy is a chi mix but her weight and muscle tone is ideal, as is my pure chi Bailey's. Bailey's not a great representation of the breed standard, but that's not what you're asking Here's a couple of shots.


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## CindeRae (Jun 20, 2010)

Cinder's body looks just like Brody's! She is the long legged thin kind of chi and she is very active. She's all muscle! However, her sister is a more barrel type looking chi. She's not overweight, she's just built differently, but she tends to look like shes overweight. So it can even vary that much in siblings!
I'm going to try to get some new pics of her 'grown up' today if I can borrow my MIL's camera. =)


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## MisStingerRN (May 16, 2010)

Tracy, I LOVE Brody's little necklace...so, so, cute!


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## JRZL (Jul 10, 2009)

angel-baby said:


> well my chi is over weight, and has no muscle tone, I have tried diets but she still cant budge the weight. I have learnt to accept her for how she is  the pics in my siggy were taken 3 days ago.


I know how you feel! Zoey is like this and ive tried all sorts of diets and increased exercise ect but the weight wont budge! Im taking her to the vet soon to see if she has a thyroid problem. Have you took Honey to the vets to see if she has a thyroid problem, i think you can get medication for it that helps and i have heard its not that expensive.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

Leila thinks brody is *(whistling)* wooowheee! She said he has the "perfect physique" lol 
She asked me to find out if he has a "myspace, or facebook"! LOL :coolwink:


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

jan896 said:


> I think there is a difference in CHIs.... Brody is the long-legged CHI.... my Chico is the 'squatty' CHI that has short legs.... I have ALWAYS had the long-legged CHIs... Chico is the first shortlegged CHI I ever had and there is a big difference to me in the weight issues... the longlegged CHI I *never* had problems with weight... but Chico can LOOK at food and gain weight... some may not agree with me but I think the short legged CHI is harder to get the 'brody look'....  if it can ever even be achieved....


I never thought of that but it definately seems to be true now that you brought it to my attention. Great observation!



Brodysmom said:


> Vivid - yes, Brody definitely has a tuck up at the waist. He is naturally thin. I think there are some dogs, like people, that just have that faster metabolism. He's not a huge eater and never has been. He exercises himself! He runs up and down the stairs multiple times a day playing with his ball which he rolls down the stairs for entertainment... he sits at the top of the stairs and pushes it down, watches it bounce, and then races down the stairs and retrieves it and then does it over and over. He also loves to go outside and run in huge circles around the yard at full speed. He's just naturally active. When we go for walks, we tire out long before he does. My hubby took him on a 3 mile hike in the mountains and he would have gone longer.
> 
> And yes, that's my mom's papillon! He loves to play with her.


I dont know if i have mentioned it here on this forum but i was torn between my next breed being a papillon or a chi and even though i keep checking up on pap rescues i'm pretty sold on my next dog being a chi.

Awww, brody playing fetch all by himself sounds soo cute. The only thing my dog plays with by herself is plastic bottles... go figure lol

It seems like Brody has quite the following 



MisStingerRN said:


> Lucy is a chi mix but her weight and muscle tone is ideal, as is my pure chi Bailey's. Bailey's not a great representation of the breed standard, but that's not what you're asking Here's a couple of shots.


Lucy seems more muscular than Bailey except for in the first shot when she is facing away from the camera... she looks buff there lol Maybe its just the black color that helps the muscles pop for me?

It doesnt matter about their representation of the breed, just the physique ... if anyone has any chi mixes that they'd like to post here feel free.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

I've always thought Maxies had a nice bod. hehe Especially lately. He's lost 1 1/2lbs (huge for a Chi, right?!) since starting raw yet he doesn't look like he's lost much weight at all. Though when I look at older pics from say, January, he totally looks like a huge body builder.  I love his new figure though - he's got lots of lean muscle & fluctuates between 4lbs 14oz & 5lbs 2oz for the record. He's not perfect standard wise but handsome none the less. (I'm not bias or anything :roll: )


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

Maxies face keeps catching my attention in your siggy ;-) Just stands out for me

I like the picture of him waving his paws in the air like hes trying to catch something. The last pic really shows off his body though

Yay!for raw fed chis. I wish i could feed my dog raw. Is your whole bunch on raw?


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## rocky scotland (Jun 15, 2008)

I would say my Rocky is kinda muscular around his chest area, he weighs just under 8lbs which is bigger than standard but he definately isnt overweight, he had a tuck at the waist and I can feel his ribs. 

He defo has a totally different build to Brody, much shorter legs I would say?


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Vivid said:


> Maxies face keeps catching my attention in your siggy ;-) Just stands out for me
> 
> I like the picture of him waving his paws in the air like hes trying to catch something. The last pic really shows off his body though
> 
> Yay!for raw fed chis. I wish i could feed my dog raw. Is your whole bunch on raw?



Yeah, the last one shows him best in motion per say....I love his "prance". haha I liked the muscle you can see in the one of him standing - he's a nut for his treats!  Must be his eyes in my siggy? They always sparkle the most...well his & Maya's. LOL I used to prefer lighter eyes but those two have the darkest eyes & I admit I've grown quite fond of the very dark eyes.

Oh & yes they are all on raw. It was the only thing I've found that helped with Milo's weight loss (he went from 11lbs down to 9lbs now) so it's really been a savior. Almost all my crew lost some weight on the scales but you can't really tell - I guess they just gained more lean muscle or something. Except Maya...she came to us to thin & she's put on 1/2lb. The hard part is going to be slowing it down because she loves food so but any more weight & she's going to start porking out!


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

aww maxie has quite the bod too. lol He is such a handsome boy period!
Aww and little rocky, what a studmuffin and the face of an angel!


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## MisStingerRN (May 16, 2010)

Vivid said:


> Lucy seems more muscular than Bailey except for in the first shot when she is facing away from the camera... she looks buff there lol Maybe its just the black color that helps the muscles pop for me?
> 
> It doesnt matter about their representation of the breed, just the physique ... if anyone has any chi mixes that they'd like to post here feel free.


Lucy has always been very lean, but yes muscular. Bailey is only 7.5 months so she's still coming in to her own

All the pics are great you guys!


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## Fizzy Chihuahuas (Mar 8, 2010)

My Zeta is 'solid muscle ' 




























and my little Luke


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## CindeRae (Jun 20, 2010)

Here's some pics that show off Cinder's muscle and tucked tum. =D


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

rocky scotland said:


> I would say my Rocky is kinda muscular around his chest area, he weighs just under 8lbs which is bigger than standard but he definately isnt overweight, he had a tuck at the waist and I can feel his ribs.
> 
> He defo has a totally different build to Brody, much shorter legs I would say?


To be honest, Rocky looks like he has more muscle on his chest than my Tyler does considering his size lol



MChis said:


> Yeah, the last one shows him best in motion per say....I love his "prance". haha I liked the muscle you can see in the one of him standing - he's a nut for his treats!  Must be his eyes in my siggy? They always sparkle the most...well his & Maya's. LOL I used to prefer lighter eyes but those two have the darkest eyes & I admit I've grown quite fond of the very dark eyes.
> 
> Oh & yes they are all on raw. It was the only thing I've found that helped with Milo's weight loss (he went from 11lbs down to 9lbs now) so it's really been a savior. Almost all my crew lost some weight on the scales but you can't really tell - I guess they just gained more lean muscle or something. Except Maya...she came to us to thin & she's put on 1/2lb. The hard part is going to be slowing it down because she loves food so but any more weight & she's going to start porking out!


haha... i'm a sucker for a man with light eyes.

Aww, i doubt Maya would put on too much more weight lol. I dont think i've ever seen a fat raw fed dog. Has anyone? It seems that raw keeps helps keep them in prime shape.



Fizzy Chihuahuas said:


> My Zeta is 'solid muscle '
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm usually all for the darker coats but Zeta is too cute. And totally has some muscles going on. Thats for sure. Is she also just a dog that gets her workout in by running around or do you take her for long walks?

*CindeRae*, I must have missed your posts with picts of Cinder. I dont think i've ever seen her before. I love the first picture. What is she mixed with? She looks great!


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## CindeRae (Jun 20, 2010)

She's actually a pure Chi, tho her nose is a bit long. The pics make her nose look even longer. Her ears are up sometimes, down sometimes, so I'm not sure if its due to teething or just they'll always be floppy. She weighs about 6lbs. o.o I met her parents and the dad was a small merle guy who looked more to standard, the mom was barrel shaped and had the longer muzzle, she was a black and tan. I'm told she's pure, anyway, but who really knows!


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

Pure or not ... shes a cutey 

It seems like this thread is slowing down so i want to say thank you to all the posters. I enjoyed the pics and it was refreshing to know that chis can have a killer shape :-D


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## Fizzy Chihuahuas (Mar 8, 2010)

My Zeta ( and all my dogs ) get a good hour ( normally more ) walk/run a day . Plus I've got a big garden so they all spend hours doing zoomies every day


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## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

Her being so active definately shows


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