Apple Head vs. Deer Head Chihuahua: Breed Comparison · Kinship

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Apple Head vs. Deer Head Chihuahua

Know how to spot the difference between the two.

by Dr. Amy Fox, DVM
October 27, 2025
An Apple head chihuahua vs a Deer head chihuahua.
BREEZY STOCK / Shutterstock, Sophon Nawit / Shutterstock

If you’ve ever gone down a Chihuahua rabbit hole on the internet, you may have come across terms like “apple head” and “deer head” used to describe the look of different Chihuahuas.

As the names suggest, apple head Chihuahuas tend to have shorter, rounder heads, while deer head Chihuahuas have a longer, pointier head. Depending on how deep your search went, you may have also come across many other descriptors for the endless varieties of Chihuahuas that exist, including smooth-coated versus long-haired Chihuahuas and size variations from tea cup to toy to standard-sized Chihuahuas.

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All of these different kinds of Chihuahuas are reflective of how popular the breed is and how breeding practices have led to lots of variation in pet Chihuahuas. When it comes to the purebred breed standard, however, most of these varieties are not recognized and are considered to be evidence of mixed breeding.

Read on to learn more about the varieties in Chihuahua appearance and the implications they may have on a dog’s health and behavior.

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Amy Fox

Dr. Amy Fox, DVM

Amy Fox, DVM is a small animal veterinarian in New York City with over thirteen years of experience in a mixture of general practice, emergency medicine, and shelter medicine. A lifelong animal lover, Dr. Fox studied biology in college and then worked as a veterinary nurse before pursuing veterinary school at Cornell University.  Her expertise includes surgery, dentistry, and management of chronic conditions, and she is interested in toxicology, pain management, nutrition, care of senior pets, and educational outreach. Dr. Fox also enjoys writing about veterinary medicine and teaching, and her work has previously appeared in Spruce Pets. In her free time, she loves to cook, garden, go for long runs, and hang out with her goofy mixed-breed dog May, who provides never ending comic relief!

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