General Appearance:

Xoloitzcuintli are characterized by a clean and elegant silhouette. The bone should be of medium size but proportional to the overall size of the dog. The larger the dog, the more bone is permissible, but the breed should still exhibit overall elegance and strength. The body length is slightly greater than the height at a ratio of 10:9. Females may be slightly longer than males. There are two varieties: hairless and coated. The hairless variety is almost or completely hairless. The coated variety has full hair coverage without thin or bald spots, except on the belly and the inner side of the hind legs. In shows, the varieties are shown together but divided into size categories - toy, miniature, and standard.

Characteristics:

These dogs are natural, calm, happy, and alert, with an intelligent and lively expression that demonstrates the breed’s noble and loyal character. They are wary of strangers, making them good watchdogs, but they are never aggressive. They are exceptionally quiet.

Head:

The head is wedge-shaped when viewed from above; broad and strong between the ears, tapering towards the muzzle. The lines of the skull and muzzle are almost parallel. The stop (the transition from the forehead to the muzzle) is small but well-defined.

Skull:

The widest part is between the ears, the skull tapers towards the eyes. The occipital bone is not prominent. The cheeks are slightly developed.

Muzzle:

The muzzle is similar in length to the skull. The nasal bone is straight, and the upper and lower jaws are well-developed. The lips fit tightly.

Teeth:

Scissor bite or level bite. A full set of teeth is mandatory for the coated variety. In the hairless variety, crooked or missing teeth should not be penalized. The tongue may have black marks, spots, or stripes and should not be visible when the mouth is closed.

Eyes:

Medium-sized, almond-shaped eyes with an intelligent and alert expression. Eye color ranges from yellow to very dark brown, depending on the skin color. Darker eyes are preferred. Both eyes should be the same color.

Nose:

The nose color is dark in dark-colored dogs, brown or pink in bronze and light-colored dogs, and spotted like the rest of the body only in spotted dogs.

Ears:

In hairless dogs, the ears are long, large, elegant, and fine-textured. They are held erect when the dog is alert.