According to the American Kennel Club, the chihuahua is the smallest of the registered breeds. However, dogs of this breed have suffered from some misconceptions over the years.
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“These are not fragile, noisy ‘ankle-biters’ that only like to sit on your lap,” explained Kyle Potts, former president of the Chihuahua Club of America, in a conversation with the American Kennel Club.
Potts knows a lot about chihuahuas, but even those without much experience can quickly assess for themselves that the chihuahua is a stable, friendly, and healthy dog that isn’t afraid to participate in agility trials or join the family on camping trips.
Likely native to Mexico, some breed experts have theorized that the Chihuahua may have been brought from the island of Malta by the Spanish conquistadors, while others speculate that the breed may have originated in China.
Aztec History
“We know that the Toltec people of Mexico had a little dog known as Techichi, which had a plump body and large ears, similar to those of a chihuahua. When the Aztecs came to power, the nobility of that society owned these little dogs,” wrote William Miller in his book History of the Chihuahua.
“These dogs were more than just companion animals. It is believed that this dog was crossed with the Xoloitzcuintli, the Mexican hairless dog, to produce the Chihuahua as we know it today,” Miller further stated.
As they craved history and power, the Toltec civilization gave way to the Aztecs during the 11th century. The Aztecs believed that when an Aztec nobleman died, it was necessary to kill a chihuahua and bury or cremate it along with the human body.
They believed that the spirit of the dead chihuahua would act as a guide in the afterlife for the soul of the deceased nobleman. The human spirit needed help to cross a river toward the afterlife and would crawl on the back of the chihuahua spirit to reach its heavenly destination in the afterlife.
There is evidence that the nobility kept large packs of hundreds of dogs of the breed for this purpose. Potts added that chihuahuas “were almost a form of currency and were used in trade.” Eventually, the chihuahua became an “average” dog, and most households had one.
Arrival in the USA
In 1888, author and judge James Watson purchased a female dog named Manzanita. Owen Wister, author of The Virginia, also imported a chihuahua named Caranza, who became the dog that produced the famous lines Meron and Perrito.
About 20 years later, the breed was recognized by the AKC in 1904, with Midget, the first registered chihuahua, owned by H. Raynor of Texas. Within a few years, the breed had its first champion, Beppie, owned by Mrs. L. A. McLean of New Jersey.
In 1923, the Chihuahua Club of America was founded as a way to develop a community of Chihuahua breeders and promote the breed in the United States. Within a few years, the club decided to hold its annual meeting and specialized show in Chicago, which created a more centralized meeting place for members.
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