His name was “Mee Too,” and in 1887, he became the first Xoloitzcuintli registered by the AKC.

In 1940, a dog named “Chinito Junior” became the first Xolo to be named an AKC champion.

Wow. It took over half a century for a Xolo to earn an AKC championship?

Well, yes, but it wasn’t because there hadn’t been a decent Xolo in 53 years.

It will take more research to verify the validity of this next statement, but the Xolo may be the only breed to have been recognized by the AKC – twice.  The 50+ years between the first registered Xolo and the first AKC Xolo champion was due to the fact that not long after the breed was accepted by the AKC,  it essentially went into hibernation for nearly three decades. Not until a Xolo bred and owned by an eccentric New York socialite named Valetska Radtke did the breed show signs of life when her dog earned his title on October 19, 1940. It took another half-century (plus) for the Xoloitzcuintli to be once again formally recognized by the AKC in 2011 after having dropped from the registry (and even considered to be extinct by some) in 1959. It was a nod of well earned respect after one unkind description painted the hairless canine as a hot water bottle with pig eyes, bat ears and a rat tail. Ouch. At the time of its re-admittance into the AKC family fold in the 21st century, the worldwide population had grown to approximately 30,000 Xolos, probably because people realized the fine qualities of a very old breed that retained semi “wild” characteristics.

Trio of Xolos By tanipanova/Adobe Stock Photo

It’s interesting to note that Mexico, the breed’s country of origin, hosted its first World Dog Show in 1978, and the second in 1984, but when Mexico’s hosted the third World Dog Show in June 1999, the 88 Xolos that were entered for the four day show was the largest collection of Xolos to gather together in the history of the breed. It would have been something to witness in person.

Image: Xolo II by Gustavo Rimada is available for purchase here.