The Chihuahua: An Excellent Family Dog

After first being discovered in the 1850s in Mexico, the Chihuahua was first registered with the American Kennel Club in 1904. The breed is named after the Mexican state Chihuahua in which they were found, a region that borders Texas and New Mexico. However, this isn't where the breed originally came from. Rather the breed comes from the ancient Techichi breed of dog that belonged to the Toltec Civilization near Mexico City.

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.

Officially the American Kennel Club describes the Chihuahua breed as graceful, alert and agile with a compact and terrier like quality. Although every dog of this breed has its own unique personality some Chihuahuas can be terrier like to the extreme and be very grumpy, haughty or even nasty if they are provoke. However, more often then not the Chihuahua is a dog with curiosity, intelligence and loyalty that makes them a wonderful companion.

The Chihuahua still may not be a suitable pet for households with small or noisy children due to the chance that they can be clannish at times and occasionally a dog may be suspicious of people other than their owner.

But for the individual or elderly couple they can be an excellent pet that loves to be pampered and are good for apartment living or those with limited incomes. It is best to get a feel for the temperament of a Chihuahua before determining if this is the right breed for you.

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.

For Chihuahuas human contact is a must, as they will need a lot of general attention, touching and petting. Without enough attention the breed will resort to various attention getting tricks, such as being mischievous.

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.