Chihuahua 82

The Chihuahua is a small dog breed and is a national symbol of Mexico. One of the facts about Chihuahuas is that they are one of the oldest dog breeds in the Americas. Chihuahua ancestors appear in ancient paintings in Mexico and their lineage can be traced back to pre-Columbian ancient kingdoms.

The Toltecs ruled Mexico over a thousand years ago and had the Techichi, which is considered a larger and heavier ancestor of the modern Chihuahua. When the Aztecs conquered the Toltecs, they refined the Techichi into a smaller and lighter dog. These dogs became so valued within the Aztec culture that they became known as one of Montezuma’s fabled treasures after the Spanish conquistadors toppled the civilization in the 1500s.

North Americans started to take an interest in the breed in the mid-1800s and found several in the State of Chihuahua, which is how the modern breed got its name. The AKC recognized the Chihuahua as a member of the Toy Group in 1904. The first recorded Chihuahua registered by the AKC was in 1908. His name was Beppie.