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Important: This information is collected from a variety of sources and is presented as general thoughts about the breed. It is sugggested that you use our information with that of your own to make any decisions. We suggest you DO NOT make any decisions about a family pet based solely on these pages. Keep digging!
| Breed: Chihuahua | Group (AKC): Toy |  |
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| Country of Origin | Mexico |
| Type of coat | long or smooth |
| Grooming | Regular brushing, ear cleaning, regular nail trimming is a must |
| Average height | 6-9 inches |
| Average weight | 6 lbs or less |
| Activity level | very high |
| Watchdog | very high ability, good barker |
| Protection | no |
| Intelligence | very high to high |
| Trainability | n/a may resist |
| Compatibility with children | very low tolerance to children, nippy |
| Character | low to very low sociability, nervous, discriminating |
| Ideal home environment | high territoriality, barkers, apartment ok |
| Ideal owner | patient confident leader who leads a quiet life, no spoiling, good for elderly people , no children |
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Short History:
The progenitor of the modern Chihuahua probably came from the ancient Toltec civilization in what is now Mexico during the 9th Century. Stone carvings of its likeness bear witness to this. The Techichi was a small dog but not tiny. It was known for its muteness. The image of this dog goes back even further to the Mayan culture in Central America during the 5th Century and has also been seen in the stone pyramids at Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. The Chihuahua evolved from crossing the Techichi with a smaller hairless dog brought from Asia over the land bridge of the Bering Strait.
The Aztec conquerors of Central America developed a rich civilization which flourished along with the dogs. The dogs of the rich were highly regarded (especially the blue ones). They were used as pets and were regarded as a religious necessity.
There was a connection between the dogs and worship practices. It was believed that the dogs could guide the souls of the dead safely through the underworld by fighting off evil spirits. Dogs of a red color were sacrificed during the cremation of a body to transfer the sins of the deceased to the dog, thereby allowing the soul passage into the next world without arousing the indignation of the gods. Common people seemed to hold no value in them as pets but used them as food. How disgusting is that?
Christopher Columbus noted on his voyage to Cuba that he found small dogs with no bark that were domesticated and had names that were hard to say without laughing (especially the "huahua" part). When Cortez looted the Aztec civilization, the dogs also suffered and were lost for centuries.
The breed enjoys great popularity today. Its diminutive size and un-diminutive intelligence have few comparisons among other breeds. The dog is alert, curious, and somewhat cliquish, preferring those of its own kind as companions. It is a graceful, saucy little dog, though it doesn't actually go well with any particular sauce. It is available in many colors from snow white to jet black, parti-colored, and spotted. The coat is of two types: smooth or long.
