Chihuahua

Chihuahua

The Chihuahua received its name from the northern part of Mexico. This is one thought

on how the tiny canine received its name but isn't the only theory. Archeologists have

dug up remains of Chihuahuas and have pieced together history that goes back to at least

5th century A.D. This shows the existence of the dogs ancestors in the central and

southern regions of Mexico. The Mayan Indians made clay sculptures of small dogs that

may have been a Chihuahua , they date all the way back to the 5th century A.D. A native

people of Mexico may have also been the first to develop a relationship with the

Chihuahuas. They were the tribe known as the Toltecs, they were said to have conquered

a portion of Mexico, they possessed a dog that was of small stature and heavy- boned,

with long coats. This particular dog was known as a Techichi. It had long legs, with a thin

body, almost fawn-like with a humped back. This dog may have been bred with a dog

that inhabited the mountains of Chihuahua , called the Perro Chihuahueno. It is believed

to be a foraging type of dog that lived in holes in the ground. They had round heads,

long nails and short erect ears. When the Aztecs conquered the Toltecs and became the

ruling class, they also used the dogs in religious ceremonies. From the remains found in

pyramids and in graves, it is believed that these people thought that the dog would

function as guides for the human soul. Another ritual was the burning of a dog with a

human body. They believed that doing this would transfer