Breed Spotlight: the Chihuahua

For well over a century, researchers have argued about the Chihuahua’s exact origins. Some experts say that the breed’s descendants arrived in the Americas with the Spanish armies of Hernando Cortes around 1519, and those specimens bred with the native pariah dogs. Others speculate that the Chinese—a people noted for their fascination with producing miniature breeds—exported the Chihuahua’s ancestors to the Americas long before European explorers stepped foot on the New World’s soil. Still, some experts argue that the Chihuahua’s ancestors were here in the Americas all along—bred by the Aztecs and Incas and utilized as a source of food, sacrificial offerings to the gods, and vermin control. While all versions of the Chihuahua’s story are possibilities, none of these rumored origins has concrete, historical proof. History does, however, record that early Chihuahua specimens were imported to the United States in the 1850s, and that the breed was named after the Mexican state, Chihuahua, from which they were first sent.

Chihuahuas typically weigh between 1 and 7 pounds and stand 5 to 10 inches tall. “Saucy,” alert, terrier-like, and intelligent, making for a great family pet. Due to their human’s tendency to “spoil” them, the Chihuahua should be trained and well-socialized from an early age! 

Want to learn more about the Chihuahua? Click here to see the full breed standard.