Alice White
Chihuahua is a small dog with a big heart. These crumbs easily adapt to the interests of the owner and the situation, so they can simultaneously combine the features of an incorrigible couch potato and a desperate traveler. Chihuahua is easy to transport, they are glad to see him in all hotels offering accommodation with pets, and at social events, such a dog is almost always great. Recently, Chihuahuas have been actively conquering the world of gloss, driving around in celebrity handbags, and actively participating in magazine photoshoots.
#1 The name of the breed was given by the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
It was from here that the companion dogs began their triumphant march, first across the American continent, and later around the world. The ancestors of today's Chihuahuas are considered to be the ancient Techichi dogs, which were bred by the Toltec Indians in the 9th century. Small in size and absolutely dumb animals were raised by the indigenous population for a purely practical purpose: they were eaten and sometimes sacrificed to local deities. When the Toltec civilization fell into decay, its lands passed to the Aztecs, who continued to breed "tasty dogs" and were engaged in this business until the arrival of the conquistadors of Cortes.
#2 With the fall of the Aztec empire, the Techichi, as well as their “breeders”, faced difficult times.
The animals were almost completely exterminated by the Spaniards, and only a few surviving individuals took refuge in the forests. For almost a century, nothing was heard about the Techichi, and only from the middle of the 19th century, traces of their descendants began to be traced. During this period, tourists from America increasingly visited Mexico, to whom local merchants offered exclusive live goods - tiny dogs that fit in a pocket. At the same time, the color of animals could be very diverse, but one thing remained unchanged - their miniature size.
#3 At first, the dogs were named after the places where they were bought, for example “Arizona” or “Mexican”.
But gradually the name of the northern state of Mexico - Chihuahua, or in Russian pronunciation - Chihuahua was fixed for the breed. The descendants of the Aztec techichi entered the US studbook in 1904, and three years later, mini-dogs crossed the Atlantic and settled with British breeders. The first breed standard for the Chihuahua was signed in 1923 in America, and at first, the breeders' association recognized only short-haired dogs as purebred. Long-haired individuals were included in the FCI standard only in 1954.
