History of the Chihuahua

The Chihuahua is one of the most noticeable breeds of dogs because of their small size and big ego. They are the smallest breed of dog in the world. There are two variations of the Chihuahua breed: the smooth coat and the longcoat, and each has its own history. The longcoat Chihuahua is an American breed, possibly a cross with either a Papillion or a Pomeranian. The smooth coat Chihuahua has an older history, dating back thousands of years to Mexico.

HISTORY

According to the "Library's Chihuahua Guide" by Hilary Harmar, thousands of years before the Spanish conquest in Mexico and Central America, dogs commonly used in Indian festivals, feasts, and religious ceremonies. The other common breed in Mexico is the Mexican Hairless Dog, otherwise known as the Xoloitzcuintli. Often confused with the Chihuahua, the Mexican Hairless comes from Asia and China via the Chin dynasty. These dogs look nothing like Chihuahuas but their size and origin leads to common confusion.

Aztecs used little yellow dogs for funeral services. These dogs are probably the origin of smooth coat Chihuahuas. When someone died, the Aztecs would kill a small yellow dog and bury it with the deceased. A cotton cord was placed around the dog's neck, probably as a passport to the afterlife. At the end of the journey through the afterlife, the deceased was required to cross a river on the back of the yellow dog, who was waiting for him on the other side of the dangerous river. Aztecs also believed that animals rule over particular parts of the body. Dogs rule the nose. The Chihuahua breed is susceptible to respiratory problems, so today some still hold the believe that owning a Chihuahua helps with asthma and other breathing disorders, although this has never been proven.

Late in the 19th Century, Americans began buying Chihuahuas from Indians, who got them from below the Mexican border. The name Chihuahua is derived from the state of Mexico where they are thought to originate. The Techichi, a companion dog of the Toltec civilization, may be an ancestor to the common day Chihuahua.

The Chihuahua became a popular breed in the United States by the 1970's, continuing still today. For what the lack in size, the Chihuahua makes up for in spunk. They often seem like a pit bull trapped in a Chihuahua's body, and they're as loyal as the day is long, often getting attached to and overprotective of one owner. They have terrier like qualities.

Small dogs are all the rage with celebrities, and it's hard to resist the charm of a Chihuahua. In the 1990s Taco Bell hired a small yellow Chihuahua named Gidget as their spokes dog, and the "Taco Bell Dog" became so popular other fast food chains created toys after it. Gidget recently died but her legacy lives on. Chihuahuas even star in their own Hollywood movies like Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Famous Chihuahua owners include Santa Ana, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Eminem, Rosie O'Donnel, Paula Abdul, Reese Witherspoon, Tim Burton, Adrien Brody, Mickey Rourke, Madonna, Martina Navratilova, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Billie Holiday.

SOURCE:
LIbrary's Chihuahua Guide, Hilary Harmar, The Pet Library. 1968.