First of all show quality is based on what would make a good fur pelt and second when I refer to pet quality I do not mean "pet shop" quality at all. I do breed from show quality stock, but I breed for high quality pets and I treat my breeders as my pets. They all have names, they all get love, attention and big cages with wheels and other toys. So, that being said lets go through the basics of a beautiful chinchilla and compare show to pet quality:
Health: A must for both qualities. Health will be shown in the brightness of the eyes, fur quality, and the quality of babies produced. Health must be the main concern to breed any really nice animal.
Fur Quality: For show it must be soft but dense and thick. If you blow into the fur it should not stay flopped open, but go back to it's upright position. Not too long and not too short. For nice pet it should be soft and fluffy, not flopped over. I like the longer hair or shorter hair as long as it's a nice quality.
Blocky Shape Verses Pie Shaped: For show you want a blocky shape; thick shoulders, neck and hips. For pet I love a blocky stocky chin with a big broad bear type head, neck, shoulders and rump! But a chin with a large rump and narrower shoulders (pie shaped) can still be cute and make a nice pet. I just prefer the blocky shape so that is what I breed for. Now if you are breeding you will want the blocky shape also. You do not want to breed a female with narrow hips because she could have trouble giving birth.
Face: For show they do not even look at the face because this would not be part of the pelt. For pet, ahhhhh a cute teddy bear face can melt your heart at first sight! I breed for short noses, broad head, short ears and extra cuteness. Some chins have a narrower head and longer nose giving them a mousey look and some people like that, but I prefer the teddy bear head so that is what I breed for.
Size: For show a bigger chin will make a bigger fur pelt. For pet I do like the nice big bubbas and they do seem a little more laid back than the smaller chins, but not always. I have a couple smaller breeding pairs that have adorable faces, make beautiful babies and great pets. Smaller is not the same as tiny, weak, little animals, you would never want to breed something like that. The funny thing is the really big chins are slow breeders that will have a litter of 1 baby and the smaller chins are the ones that are fertile myrtle having triplets and quads.
Color: For show all the colors of fur should have a blue hue to them or an absence of brown, Even the beige and tans are more of a taupe beige or taupe tan. For pet to get a super dark rich chocolate I think you need a little warmth in the color, but that's just my opinion. Unless you are under the special judging lights on a white table the average person will not be able to tell if an animal is a little off color unless it is extreme. I do breed for the blue hue and absence of brown. Beiges and tans will tend to oxidize as they age becoming a warmer shade.
