Chihuahuas Pictures

Chihuahuas Pictures - Chihuahuas Pictures - General Information and History

Picture source: Die Chihuahua Site

The breed appeared in the town of Chihuahua, Mexico, although many recently discovered stone engravings by archaeologists testify to the breed's relation to the ancient times of Toltecs and Aztecs. Depicted on these engravings are dogs, which bear close resemblance to the modern Chihuahua.

There are other pieces of evidence. In ancient Toltec and Aztec graves are many skeletons of the dog. Tribesmen buried the dog together with the dead in keeping with a religious tradition. The dog, called 'Techichi', had, according to belief, the power of absorbing human sins and thus helping souls to rest in peace.

Concurring opinion is that the modern Chihuahua is the offspring of the Techichi and some breed, which arrived in Mexico with Chinese and Arabic immigrants. There is still much uncertainty about the dog's actual genetic background, in particular, about how many breeds were crossed with the Techichi.

The breed registered officially at the American Kennel Club in 1904, and the first Chihuahua club originated in America in 1923. There are two varieties of the Chihuahua, the long-coated and the short-coated. In America, both species can occur within one litter, but in England, there is a clear demarcation line between these two varieties of Chihuahuas.