What is a Chihuahua?
The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog, named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua. They have a feisty, confident personality and come in a wide variety of colors. Chihuahuas are believed to be descendants of the Techichi dog, a companion dog favored by the Toltec civilization in Mexico as far back as the 9th century.
When the Spanish conquered the Toltec, they brought the Techichi dogs back to Europe. Over the years, by breeding the Techichi with small hairless dogs from China, the tiny modern Chihuahua was developed. The Chihuahua breed became popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the American Kennel Club officially recognized them in 1904.
Today, Chihuahuas are beloved as companion dogs around the world for their size, big personality, and devotion to their owners. They thrive as apartment and city dogs due to their small size and minimal exercise needs. The Chihuahua is consistently ranked as one of the most popular dog breeds.
Chihuahua Name Capitalization
The rules for capitalizing the name Chihuahua are the same as for capitalizing any proper noun versus common noun:
- Proper nouns like someone’s name or a specific breed name should be capitalized.
- Common nouns like “dog” or “pet” should not be capitalized.
So in a sentence like “My Chihuahua is small but feisty,” Chihuahua would be capitalized because it refers to the specific dog breed. But “dog” would not be capitalized because it’s a common noun referring to dogs in general.
These capitalization rules apply when referring to Chihuahuas or any other specific dog breed. The formal breed name is a proper noun and should be capitalized. But the common noun “dog” should not.
Capitalize Proper Nouns
The name Chihuahua should be capitalized when referring specifically to the dog breed. Proper nouns—including names of specific people, places, organizations, etc.—are always capitalized in English.
Since Chihuahua is the proper name of the small dog breed originating from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, it is considered a proper noun. Whenever directly referencing the dog breed itself, Chihuahua is capitalized.
Don’t Capitalize Common Nouns
When referring to chihuahuas in general, not a specific chihuahua’s name, the word “chihuahua” should not be capitalized. This is because it is being used as a common noun, not as a proper noun. For example:
- “Chihuahuas are small dogs.”
- “We have three chihuahuas.”
- “That chihuahua is cute!”
In these examples, “chihuahua” is just describing a type of dog, not referring to a specific dog’s name. Since it is being used as a common noun, it should not be capitalized. This applies anytime you are talking about chihuahuas as a breed in a general sense.
Capitalize Formal Uses
Chihuahua should always be capitalized when referring to the dog breed in formal contexts such as breed registries, breed standards, breed clubs, dog shows, publications or books about dog breeds, veterinary records, pet registrations, etc. For example:
- The Chihuahua is one of the smallest breeds recognized by major kennel clubs.
- I registered my Chihuahua with the American Kennel Club.
- The Chihuahua Club of America is the official AKC parent club for the breed.
- My Chihuahua met all the requirements in the official breed standard.
- The veterinarian added “Chihuahua” to my dog’s medical records.
In these formal settings related to dog breeds and pedigree, Chihuahua should always be capitalized when referring specifically to the breed itself. This formalizes and officially recognizes it as a proper breed name.
Don’t Capitalize Informal Uses
In informal uses like conversation, chihuahua doesn’t need capitalization. When referring to the dog breed in a casual, conversational way, you can write “chihuahua” with a lowercase “c”. For example, you might say “I have two chihuahuas” or “Chihuahuas are small dogs.” In informal writing like emails, text messages, social media posts, etc., the rules are more relaxed and you don’t need to capitalize chihuahua unless it’s at the start of a sentence. The key point is that in casual uses where you aren’t using the formal name “Chihuahua”, you can write it lowercase.
Capitalize at the Start of Sentences
Even when chihuahua is used informally to refer to the breed in general, it should still be capitalized if it appears at the beginning of a sentence. This is because standard capitalization rules dictate that the first word of any sentence should be capitalized, regardless of whether it’s a proper noun or common noun. For example:
“Chihuahua are tiny dogs.”
“Chihuahua make great apartment pets due to their small size.”
In both of these example sentences, chihuahua is not being used as a formal proper noun but is still capitalized since it starts the sentence. This rule applies for any common noun and is not specific to just dog breeds like chihuahua.
Examples of Proper vs. Common Nouns
Here are some examples to demonstrate when Chihuahua should be capitalized vs. not capitalized:
- I have a Chihuahua named Chico. (Proper noun, capitalized as part of the dog’s name.)
- The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog. (Common noun, not capitalized when referring to the breed in general.)
- “Chihuahua” is spelled with a capital C. (Proper noun, capitalized when referring specifically to the breed name.)
- We saw lots of chihuahuas at the dog park today. (Common noun, not capitalized when used informally.)
- The Chihuahua breed originated in Mexico. (Proper noun, capitalized when referring specifically to the breed.)
- I prefer chihuahuas over larger dogs. (Common noun, not capitalized when used generally.)
As you can see, “Chihuahua” is capitalized when referring to the specific breed name, individual dog names, or formal uses. It is not capitalized when used as a common noun informally.
Similar Rules for Other Dog Breeds
The capitalization rules discussed in this article for the Chihuahua dog breed name also apply to other dog breeds like Poodle, Labrador, Golden Retriever, Bulldog, Beagle, German Shepherd, and more. These are common nouns when referring to the general dog type, but can be proper nouns when referring to a specific dog’s name.
For example, “poodle” would not be capitalized when used in a sentence like “Poodles are known for their curly hypoallergenic coats.” However, a specific Poodle’s name like “Charley the Poodle” would be capitalized.
The same is true for other dog breeds. Referring to “labradors” as a general breed is lowercase, while a dog called “Bailey the Labrador” uses capitalization. Whether you’re writing about Chihuahuas, Poodles, Beagles or any other breed, the same capitalization rules apply for common versus proper dog breed names.
Summary
To recap, here are the key rules for properly capitalizing the name Chihuahua:
- Capitalize Chihuahua when using it as a proper noun, such as referring to a specific dog or breed.
- Do not capitalize chihuahua when using it as a common noun, such as referring to multiple chihuahuas or small dogs in general.
- Capitalize Chihuahua in formal uses like breed registries, kennel clubs, and show names.
- Do not capitalize chihuahua in informal uses like casual conversations or non-formal writing.
- Capitalize chihuahua at the beginning of a sentence, but lowercase it if it appears elsewhere in the sentence.
The same capitalization rules apply to other dog breeds like Poodle, Labrador Retriever, and more. Proper nouns are capitalized, while common nouns are not.