The name we use today, Chihuahua, originated from a state in Mexico called Chihuahua. Chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed in the world. However, their small body doesn’t mean they can’t have a big brain! Chihuahuas are extremely smart and Chihuahua like dogs have been respected by many groups over the centuries. These Chihuahua like dogs have been found in artwork, stories and artifacts from as early as 5th century A.D . Dogs resembling Chihuahuas have been around for over a thousand years in areas around Mexico and Central America. Evidence of these dogs has also been found in the Chichen Itza of the Mayan ruins, Cases Grandes, Tres Zapotes(an archeological site in Veracruz Mexico) and many more places .
The dog resembling the Chihuahua could be the exact same breed as the modern day Chihuahua, or it could be an ancestor of the modern day Chihuahua. The exact history of a Chihuahua’s origins is not specified but there are a few speculations made by Archeologists and historians. The most common ancestor theory is centered around the Techichi. The Techichi is a small dog that was domesticated by the Toltecs, a civilization that resided in Mexico. The techichi dwelled in an area in Northern Mexico ( now
…show more content…
People in the early 1900 's tended to buy dogs that were more utilitarian in nature. The majority of people in the U.S. lived on farms in the early 1900 's and needed dogs that could be used for herding livestock, pulling carts, chasing off varmints, scaring away predators, and hunting dogs that could retrieve. The Chihuahua was simply too small to be of much use on a farm. It wasn 't until the 1960 's, when most of the population was now living in cities and desired a dog that was more suitable to household living, that the Chihuahua become really popular. In 1964 the Chihuahua became the 12th most popular breed in the country (out