History of the Chihuahua

My research of the Chihuahua has revealed that there are as many different theories about their history as there are websites that provide a "History of the Chihuahua". I have gathered a few excerpts that seem to follow the same ideas. There are many more sites with their own versions of Chihuahua History but due to copyrights, you'll have to read them elsewhere.

Legend and history are rich in tales of the ancestors of the present Chihuahua. He is described as a popular pet, as well as a religious necessity. The Techichi, companion of the ancient Toltecs, is believed to be the progenitor (an ancestor in the direct line) of the Chihuahua. No records of the Techichi are, so far, available prior to the 9th century, but it is probable his ancestors were present prior to the Mayans. The Chihuahua owes its name to a town in the north of Mexico where the earliest sketches have been found representing small dogs resembling those bred in the State of Chihuahua.Dogs approximating the Chihuahua are found in materials from the Pyramids of Cholula, predating 1530 and in the ruins of Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula. There is little question the Chihuahua's principle home was present-day Mexico but the breeds immigration to Europe may be the result of the travels of Christopher Columbus. A historical letter written by Columbus to the King of Spain makes reference to the tiny dog.

The Chihuahua as we know it today is a much more diminutive dog than its predecessor. It is theorized that the Chinese Crested, brought from Asia to Alaska across the Bering Strait, was responsible for the reduction in size. Modern Chihuahuas are also found in a myriad of colors. The Chihuahua is an older breed by American Kennel Club standards, first registered in 1904.   There are several theories on the origin of the breed. For some, it dates back to the age of the Toltecs (ninth century), who selected the breed from the Techichi, an indigenous breed – one of the oldest known to humans – that was bred by the Native Americans. Larger than the modern Chihuahua, the Techichi had long hair and was mute. It was probably crossed with the Perro Chihuahueno, a dog from the Chihuahua mountains in the nort h of Mexico. There were other crosses with a dog whose ancestor came from Asia.

The history of the Chihuahua* or Techichi, is traceable back to the ninth century It is likely that it went back to a period prior to the Mayan tribes in the fifth century. Evidence of this little dog's existence during the several centuries the Toltecs who occupied what is now Mexico City dates back to the ninth century. The evidence has firmly established the Techichi to the Toltec period. There are pictures carved in stone still in existence in the Monastery of Huejotzingo, on the Highway from Mexico City to Puebla. The monastery was constructed around 1530 from materials taken from Pyramids of Cholula built by the Toltecs. These carvings give a full-head view and a full picture of a little dog that looks approximately like the Chihuahua of today.

There is also some evidence of the little dogs existence in the remains of pyramid constructions at Chichen Itza in distant Yucatan. Most of the Toltec civilization was around Tula which is close to the present Mexico City. Most of the relics are found here and the speculation is that the earliest specimens of the breed were found in this location in the state of Chihuahua. The dogs were found in 1850 in old ruins near Casas Grandes, which are believed to be the ruins of the palace built by Emperor Montezuma I. The relics of the Techichi indicate that the breed was longhaired and mute.

There is speculation that the size of the Chihuahua was reduced by crossing the Techichi with a small hairless dog brought from Asia to Alaska over the land bridge where the Bering Strait now runs. The Aztecs conquered the Toltecs and flourished for several centuries and there was a time when the wealthy regarded the blue-colored Chihuahuas as sacred. At the same time, the common people had little or no use for these little dogs and they were even used for food. Cortez conquered Montezuma's possessions during his 1519-20 crusade in Mexico. There is little or no record of Montezuma's dogs for several centuries.

There is a historic letter written by Christopher Columbus stating that in Cuba he found a small dog that was mute. Aztecs were not seafarers so it is theorized that they did not take the Techichi to Cuba.

Archaeologists have found remains of the Chihuahua in human graves in both Mexico and the United states. It is speculated that the little dog played a part in the religious and mythological life of the Aztecs.

The Tiny Chihuahua of today endured many changes. His color variations are limited only by the imagination. The smooth coated variety is still the most publicly recognized, but the long-coat variety has increased in numbers and popularity.

*this portion of the Chihuahua History excerpted from the Official Publication of the American Kennel Club THE COMPLETE DOG BOOK, Golden Anniversary Edition, 1983, 16th edition-fifth printing, HOWELL BOOK HOUSE, Inc.