The Chihuahua breed has a long and distinguished history as a dog. The breed originally came from the ancient Techichi breed of dog that belong to the Toltec Civilization near Mexico City. This ancient breed of dog was larger than today’s modern breed and was also mute. The breed became a sacred icon of the upper class members of society and as a religious symbol when they were used in ceremonies to help guide dead spirits after the Aztec empire conquered the Toltecs.
When the Aztecs conquered the Toltecs the dogs became sacred icons of the upper class and gained religious meaning when they were used in ceremonies to help guide the spirits of the dead. Somewhere between the fall of the Toltec Empire and the discovery of the Chihuahua in the 1850s the breed was crossed with a hairless dog from the Orient, which led to the modern breed we see today. The original Techichi breed was larger than today’s breed and they were also mute.
Each dog within the Chihuahua breed has their own unique personality and they can be very individualistic. However, the American Kennel Club officially describes the Chihuahua breed as graceful, alert and agile with a compact and terrier like quality.
This terrier like quality doesn’t make the Chihuahua a good breed for large households or those with small or noisy children because of their clannish tendencies and suspiciousness of other people. But the curiosity, intelligence and extreme loyalty of the breed make them an excellent pet for the elderly, individuals and disabled people.
However, the Chihuahua breed may not be good for households with small or noisy children and households with a lot of people since they can be clannish at times and will be suspicious of other people besides the owners. In general it is best to consider the temperament of the individual Chihuahua before you can decide if this breed of dog is the right pet for you and your household.
Despite the Chihuahuas small size, they often aren’t aware of it. Many times a Chihuahua will be much bolder than other dogs that are three times or more their size. Because of their fierce loyalty to only one or two individuals the breed will often become highly protective of their owners. It is because of this nature that they are often wary of strangers or any new guests that are introduced to the household that the Chihuahua considers it’s personal domain.
A Chihuahua requires a lot of human contact in the form of touching, petting and general attention. Without this, the breed often resorts to various attention getting tricks until they gain attention.
While some find this makes their dog a bit too needy, you will gain a lot of loyalty from your Chihuahua in exchange for love, affection and care.
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