A two-year-old Chihuahua shorter than a popsicle stick has been named the world’s shortest living dog by the Guinness World Records.

Pearl, who was born in the United States, measures 9.14cm in height, which means she is shorter than a popsicle stick.

She measures 12.7cm in length, about the same size as a US dollar bill – and weighs 553g.

Pearl, who weighed less than 28g at birth, was measured for her height at her birthplace at the Crystal Creek Animal Hospital in Orlando, Florida.

A dog-measuring wicket to determine Pearl’s height was used by her vet, Dr Giovanni Vergel.

She was measured three times, with short breaks in between each one.

Pearl was recently unveiled at the Guinness World Records’ shiny Italian TV show Lo Show Dei Record in Milan, Italy.

She was carried onto the stage by her owner Vanesa Semler, who told the show’s host, Mr Gerry Scotti, that the dog is “a bit of a diva”.

Pearl enjoys eating food like chicken and salmon, and loves “dressing up nice”, according to the Guinness World Records, which made the announcement on Sunday.

“We have lots of fun together,” Ms Semler said, mentioning their recent shopping trip around Milan.

She also described Pearl to be “small like a ball” and said the dog is slightly taller than a teacup.

Ms Semler has three other dogs, but described them to be normal in size. It is not known what the other dog breeds are.

“Pearl is the only small one,” she said.

The dog is a relative of the previous record holder, Miracle Milly, according to the Guinness World Records.

Milly, a 453g Chihuahua born in 2011, was the world’s smallest dog. She died in 2020, before Pearl was born.

Pearl is the daughter of one of Milly’s identical sisters.

“We’re blessed to have her,” said Ms Semler. “And to have this unique opportunity to break our own record and share with the world this amazing news.”