World's smallest living dog is 9-cm Chihuahua
MANILA, Philippines — Guinness World Records have officially announced a two-year-old Chihuahua named Pearl as the smallest living dog in the world.
According to official measurements, Pearl stands at 9.14 centimeters (3.59 inches), is 12.7 cm (5 inches) long, and weighs just 553 grams.
Pearl is actually related to the previous record holder Miracle Milly who stood at 9.65 centimeters (3.8 inches) — Pearl is the daughter of one of Milly’s identical sisters — however, Milly passed away in 2020.
Both Pearl and Milly weighed less than an ounce when they were born.
"We’re blessed to have her... and to have this unique opportunity to break our own record and share with the world this amazing news," said Pearl's owner Vanesa Semler.
This is Pearl, the two-year-old Chihuahua with a big personality and the record for being the shortest dog alive today ????? pic.twitter.com/rUjydX9A4T
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) April 12, 2023
According to Semler, the pocket-sized Pearl is "a bit of a diva" that enjoys eating high-quality food like chicken and salmon and loves "dressing up nice."
Semler also called Pearl "small like a ball" and "a child at heart," this despite her very calm temperament which is unusual for Chihuahuas.
The record for the smallest dog ever was a dwarf Yorkshire terrier that was 7.11 centimeters (2.8 inches tall) that died in 1945 ahead of its second birthday.
Last February, Guinness World Records recognized a 30-year-old purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from Portugal named Bobi as the oldest dog in the world ever.
