Despite its dwarf size, the Chihuahua is a vigilant, strong dog. He really doesn’t need a dog coat.
The emergence
The Chihuahua is known to everyone because it is the smallest dog breed in the world. However, there are still doubts about his origin. The most common is that the Chihuahua is descended from the Techichi. The Techichi was a small but powerful dog with long hair that could not bark. The Techichi are depicted in Toltec stone carvings, so it is beyond doubt that this small dog breed existed. Several stone blocks depict dog heads and whole dogs that look very much like the Chihuahua of today. The Chihuahua was bred by the Toltecs, the ancestors of the Aztecs in Central America. In Aztec times, the Techici race was sacred, but when Cortés tried to destroy the Aztecs between 1519-1925, we don’t know exactly what happened to this sacred race.
Only around 1850 the first images of the dogs from the Aztec period reappear, at Casas Grandes. Since the Casas Grandes is located in the state of Chihuahua, we think the Chihuahua breed started there. The breed was crossed with the Chinese Crested Hairless Dog, according to American and French cynologists. They believe that the Chinese Crested Hairless Dog was shipped to Mexico by ships and that the Chihuahua owes its small size to this breed.
However, there are also other assumptions about the origin of the Chihuahua, but it is certain that it was the Americans who bred the breed to the Chihuahua of today. The Mexican copies are also of American descent. The long-term selection that preceded this was aimed at breeding the smallest, most remarkable dwarf breed dog. The first Chihuahua, named Midget (meaning Dwarf), was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1904.
The long-haired Chihuahua was the first to be bred, but the American Breed Club that was founded in 1923 mainly focused on the short-haired variety, making the long-haired Chihuahua very rare by 1952, when they were officially recognized. The Chihuahua only came to Europe after the Second World War. The well-known cynologist Toepoel wrote about it for the first time in his book Onze Honden, in a chapter about ladies’ dogs. When Toepoel wrote about the Chihuahua in his book, the long-haired variety was not yet present. It is now true that the long-haired Chihuahua is more popular than the short-haired.
The race
The Chihuahua is the smallest of all dog breeds. The height is between 16-20 centimeters. The breed is much appreciated for its vigilance and companionship. The Chihuahua has an apple-shaped head, is sturdy and has expressive eyes. This dog is compact, powerful, energetic and fast. They are sensitive, curious, lively and watchful by nature.
The Chicuahua is available in two variants, the short-haired and long-haired. They are also inspected separately. Short-haired hair should be smooth, soft and shiny, with hair lying close to the body. The presence of a little undercoat is desirable. All colors and patterns are allowed, for both long and short hair. The coat of the long-haired Chihuahua is longer, finer and softer. The coat may be slightly wavy or straight, but it should not curl. Again, an undercoat is preferred. Average life expectancy is 12 years.