What Are Rare Chihuahua Colors?

The Chihuahuas that pranced into the public eye in movies like "Legally Blonde" and commercials such as Taco Bell ads have made fawn the color most commonly associated with the tiniest dog breed. The little Chihuahua comes in a big range of colors, though — all accepted by the American Kennel Club. A few fur shades are less common than others (some even rare Chihuahua colors) including pure white, solid black, lilac, and brindle.

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These cute colorful small packages, however, are known for big personalities. Chihuahuas of any color need a lot of mental stimulation, are prone to barking, and required a lot of exercise. Nevertheless, both their short or long coats require only monthly grooming, rather than daily like some dog breeds, and shedding is minimal.

One indication of whether you have a cream Chihuahua is the dog's nose and eyes. A white Chihuahua has lighter eyes than the usual dark luminous peepers of most colors and a pale nose in shades of pink or beige. A dark nose would indicate color genes that produced the pigmentation in a cream Chihuahua, instead of coming from a truly colorless gene pool, like the white version. White Chihuahuas are extremely uncommon because only two white parents can produce this snowy shade without any other color markings. True white Chihuahuas lack black pigment.

Black shows up in most Chihuahuas, at least in the genetic profile if not the fur. This dominant gene is also easier to breed out of Chihuahua lines. Breeders often take advantage of this because a solid black pup has more challenges at dog shows. You most often see black combined with another dash of color such as white or tan. A solid black Chihuahua without a touch of another shade is more difficult to come by. Solid black is rare.

Despite the purplish name, a lavender or lilac Chihuahua isn't a shade of pastel violet but actually a variation on rich brown coloring. Chocolate coloring is not rare and can range from a rich mahogany shade to a brown so dark it almost looks black. However, when chocolate becomes diluted into a soft wash of grayish tone, you have a lavender Chihuahua. Because of the need to have the gene to cause the dilution in one of the parents, a lilac Chihuahua is difficult to produce even from two like-colored dogs.

Perhaps you're looking at pup whose fur is richly accented with black hairs dispersed throughout a coat of sable, or another contrasting shade. One of the more rare Chihuahua colors is the brindle pattern, which presents itself in a variety of striping or streaking. It's also seen with a contrasting color streaked across a black base.

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Brindles can be combined with another color, such as a brown brindle with black striping paired with a white chest and paws. According to the American Kennel Club, brindles can be classified as blue brindled fawn, chocolate brindled fawn, or fawn brindled black.