Some cynologists believe that the Chihuahua is a descendant of a small dog known as the Techichi which lived amongst the Toltec people from the 10th to the 12th century.

Others hold to the theory that the Chinese Crested Hairless is the more likely ancestor, dogs that were brought back to Mexico by Spanish invaders who had taken over parts of ancient China. Once in Mexico, the Cresteds would likely have bred with the Techichi….. the Chihuahua being the result.

Another possibility is that Chihuahuas are from the island of Malta in the Mediterranean, the reasoning being that there was a small dog that inhabited the island that like the Chihuahua, had a molera, or soft spot on their skull. This last theory is made compelling by a painting by Sandro Botticelli on display at the Sistine Chapel. Look at this painting and note the boy holding a small dog that has an uncanny resemblance to a Chihuahua (lower left). The fresco, known as “Scenes From The Life of Moses” was painted ten years before Columbus sailed to the Americas.

But getting back to Mexico – it’s likely that tourists brought the breed into America around 1884 after enterprising Mexicans began selling them at border markets in Arizona and Texas. Twenty years later, the breed was recognized by the AKC with the first Chihuahua being registered in 1904 (a Chi named “Midget” born on July 18, 1903).  The AKC, having been only 20 years old at the time, makes the Chihuahua one of the oldest registered breeds in America. The Chihuahua Club of America was founded in 1923, and from there, the breed has had a steady rise in popularity.

Image: Scenes From The Life of Moses by Sandro Botticelli