A two-year-old female Chihuahua named Pearl (USA; b. 1 September 2020) is now officially the world’s shortest dog living.
Pearl measures 9.14 cm (3.59 in) in height, meaning she’s shorter than a popsicle stick. She’s almost seven times shorter than Jyoti Amge, the world’s shortest woman living.
In length, Pearl measures 12.7 cm (5.0 in) – around the same size as a dollar bill – and weighs 553 g (1.22 lb).
Pearl is a relative of the previous record holder, Miracle Milly (9.65 cm; 3.8 in), who sadly passed away in 2020 before Pearl was born. Pearl is the daughter of one of Milly’s identical sisters.
Just like her ancestor Milly, Pearl weighed less than an ounce (28 g) at birth.
“We’re blessed to have her,” said Vanesa Semler, Pearl’s owner. “And to have this unique opportunity to break our own record and share with the world this amazing news.”
Pearl was recently unveiled to the world in Milan, Italy, on the set of our TV talent show Lo Show Dei Record.
She was carried onto the stage by Vanesa in an opulent Easter egg-shaped seat, receiving rapturous applause.
Vanesa told the show’s host, Gerry Scotti, that Pearl is “a bit of a diva.”
She enjoys eating high-quality food like chicken and salmon, and she loves “dressing up nice.”
“We have lots of fun together,” Vanesa said, mentioning their recent shopping trip around Milan.
Vanesa described Pearl as “small like a ball” and said she’s slightly taller than a teacup.
Unusually for a Chihuahua, Pearl has a very calm temperament and was unfazed at being on stage in front of a huge live audience.
Pearl’s record-breaking height was measured at the same hospital she was born in: Crystal Creek Animal Hospital in Orlando, Florida.
Her vet, Dr Giovanni Vergel, used a dog measuring wicket to accurately determine her height.
Pearl was measured three consecutive times, with short breaks in between each one.
While waiting, “Pearl was active walking on the wee wee pad,” wrote Dr Vergel in his report.
In compliance with the rules of the record, each measurement was taken from the base of the front leg foot up to the top of the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades) in a straight vertical line.
Despite now being over two years old, pocket-sized Pearl is still “a child at heart,” according to Vanesa.
Vanesa has three other dogs, but they are all “normal” sizes.
“Pearl is the only small one,” she said.
However, even though Pearl is physically small, she has a BIG personality, as she proved when she effortlessly commanded the stage in Milan.
Congratulations Pearl, you are Officially Amazing!
The shortest dog ever recorded was a dwarf Yorkshire terrier owned by Arthur Marples (UK) who was a former editor of Our Dogs weekly newspaper. The fist-sized dog stood at 7.11 cm (2.8 in) in height and measured 9.5 cm (3.75 in) from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail. It died in 1945, just before its second birthday.
