Chihuahua - (Chi-wah-wah)
Chihuahuas are of Mexican descent and got their name from the city of Chihuahua in the state of Mexico to west Texas and New Mexico. It is likely that they came from the ancient Techichi dogs of the Toltecs and crossed with hairless dogs from the Orients. Chihuahuas were discovered in the 1850's and became popular quickly.
This breed was well known among the Aztecs as well as the Toltecs. The Chihuahua is the only breed of dog truly indigenous to the Western Hemisphere. Legend and history are rich in tales of the ancestors of the present Chihuahua. The breed's name indicates the ancestors of the dog came from the state of Chihuahua in Mexico; however, the breed's origins more properly belong to the southern part of Mexico or the whole.
Legend has it that the Chihuahua was also involved in the religious worship of the Aztecs. The dog was presumed to have the power of leading the dead through the fearful regions of the underworld, when a dog was sacrificed at the time of the death of a human, the sins of the human were supposed to be transferred to the animal that appeased the gods. The dog was often in religious rituals, many remains of the dog have been found in graves. Aztec drawings and pottery show animals similar to the modern day Chihuahua.
The Aztec also raised turkeys and dogs, which were eaten by the wealthy and sometimes male dogs were castrated and fattened on corn, and either eaten or sacrificed.
It is thought that the Chihuahua is derived from an earlier breed known as the Techichi, which was popular during the Toltec period around the seventh century. The Spanish also played a very important role in the development of the breed. They brought the small dogs to Spain and they crossed them with a few native terrier breeds. It is believed that the Chihuahuas have resulted from these crossings.
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