Chihuahuas originate from Mexico. They are named after a city there called Chihuahua. The people of Mexico thought that Chihuahuas scared away spirits. They are the oldest domestacated dog breed from North America. But some say it might have come from china. And was brought to Europe at the end of the 19th century.
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Jakeey | March 16, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Origin of the Chihuahua
While there are different theories regarding the orgin of the Chihuahua as a breed, It appears to have descended from the small dog called the Techichi. Other dogs said to be related to the Techichi are the Chinese Crested, Mexican Hairless, and Xolo breeds.
The Techichi were known to be kept by the Toltec people of Mexico as far back as a thousand years ago. Evidence for this origin is provided by a monastery in Huejotzingo that was built by Franciscan monks with stones taken from the pyramids of Cholula. The stones have ancient carvings on them that closely resemble today’s Chihuahua.
Later, the Aztecs defeated the Toltec, and the aristocracy adopted these small dogs, particularly the blue ones, as objects of veneration. The dogs could reputedly guide the spirits of the dead in their journey through the underworld. Montezuma II, the last emperor of the Aztecs, was a fancier of the Chihuahua. It is said that he had hundreds of them, each with its own keeper. Skeletons of Chihuahuas have been found in human graves on the Mexico/U.S. border.
Research done by the late Thelma Gray, a historian and an authority on the Chihuahuas, lead her to believe that the native god of the Aztecs was crossed with a small, terrier-type dog brought over by the Spanish conquistadors. Thus, the basis was laid for the even smaller modern-day Chihuahua. First known as Texas or Arizona Dogs because they were found along those borders with Mexico, the Chihuahua received its current name in the mid to late 1800’s. American travelers to Mexico discovered large numbers of the breed in the state of Chihuahua and started bringing them back to the United States. About the same time, Carlotta, wife of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico contributed to the Chihuahua international fame by taking the breed to Europe.