Apple Head Chihuahua Puppies for Sale

Apple Head vs Deer Head Chihuahua

Stand side-on to the puppy and look at the point where the nose meets the forehead. That one angle tells you most of what you need to know.

A deer head is still a purebred Chihuahua, not a mix, and plenty of families prefer the longer face. If that is the look you are after, our page on deer head Chihuahua puppies explains how to spot one and what to ask a breeder.

How We Judge Head Shape in Our Litters

Head shape is not fixed at birth. A newborn's skull is soft and rounded on almost every puppy, and the muzzle lengthens as the puppy grows. By about 8 weeks you can usually see which way a puppy is leaning, but some keep changing until 6 months or later. Two puppies from the same mother can end up with clearly different heads.

That is why we do not label any puppy an apple head on its listing. When a family asks about a specific puppy, we look at it from the side, check the stop and the length of the muzzle, and tell them what we see right now and how sure we are. Sometimes the honest answer is that it is too early to say. A breeder who promises a perfect apple head on a 3 week old puppy is guessing.

Teacup Apple Head Chihuahua for Sale: Size and Price

We do not charge more for a rounder head. Every puppy we raise is $700, teacup or toy size. What we can tell you about each puppy is its projected adult size, which we estimate from the parents' adult weights and the daily weight log we keep for each puppy from birth.

• Teacup size, projected at 3 to 4 lbs as an adult. These puppies usually go home at 10 to 12 weeks.
• Toy size, projected at 4 to 6 lbs, going home at 8 to 10 weeks.

Adult weight is always an estimate. We never promise an adult under 2 lbs, and we would be wary of any applehead teacup Chihuahua for sale that comes with that promise attached. A very small apple head is also more likely to have a large molera and crowded teeth.

The Molera: The Soft Spot on an Apple Head

Many apple head puppies are born with a molera, a gap in the skull bones on the crown that you can feel as a soft spot. The breed standard accepts it, and in many dogs it shrinks a great deal or closes by adulthood. Our vet checks the soft spot at the go-home exam, and your own vet should note its size at the first visit. Day to day, be gentle with the top of the head and teach children never to tap or pat there.

Long Haired Apple Head Chihuahua for Sale

Coat and head shape are inherited separately, so you will find round-headed puppies in both coats. A long coat can hide the true shape of the skull, especially once the ear feathering grows in, so feel the dome and look at the stop rather than trusting a photo. Our long haired Chihuahua puppies page lists the long coats we have now.

Do Apple Heads Have More Health Problems?

The short muzzle is the main thing to watch. Teeth have less room, so start brushing them the week your puppy comes home. Beyond teeth, the issues people worry about most in this breed, low blood sugar in tiny puppies, loose kneecaps and heart murmurs in older dogs, track more with size, parents and early care than with head shape. Our guide to how long teacup Chihuahuas live covers what actually adds years.

Our Advice: Head Shape Last

Choose your puppy for temperament and size first, and head shape last. Over the next fifteen years, a slightly rounder skull will matter far less than whether the puppy settles in your lap or wants to patrol the house. If you do care about an apple head, say so on the free puppy application and we will tell you which puppies are leaning that way. You can also read more about Twin Cities Chihuahuas and how we breed, before you apply. Wherever you live, your puppy can reach you by in-cabin flight with one of us, or by pickup from our home. We will contact you within 24 hours.