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HISTORY OF THE CHIHUAHUA

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CHIHUAHUAS IN CHICAGO

Back to Mayan times (around the 5th century AD).
The dogs were found in the state of Chihuahua in 1850 in old ruins near
Casas Grandes, and are thought to be the ruins of the palace built by
Emperor Montezuma. The relics and remains of the Techichi indicate
that the breed was long haired and mute, very different from the modern
Chihuahua. The Aztec wealthy and clergy thought the Techichi to be
sacred, Especialy the blue colored and that the small companion was
powerful enough to protect them from the dark spirits and help them
with a safe passage to the spiritual world of death, while the lower class
had little use for the dogs and sometimes used them as food.

After the Aztecs became the ruling class of Mexico, they also used the
dog as a companion and in religious ceremonies. This has been learned
due to the writings in Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec writings in tombs,
temples, and pyramids. Also, remains of the small dogs were found in
graves in both Mexico and the United States so this could back up the
religious theory.

When the explorers arrived in the New World it is believed the Techichi
breed with a dog that was brought over and the result is the Chihuahua
that we have today. The tiny modern day Chihuahua has gone through
many changes and has become very popular since their discovery. The
American Kennel Club first registered the Chihuahua as a breed in 1904.
Color variations are limited only by the imagination. The smooth coated
variety is still the most publicly recognized, but the long-coat variety has
increased in numbers and popularity. Chihuahuas are a long lived
breed, often achieving 16 or more years of age.

Famous Chihuahuas:
* Tinkerbell Hilton, Paris Hilton's pet, and author of "Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries."
* Bruiser, Elle Woods' pet in the Legally Blonde movies.
* Gidget, the Taco Bell mascot.
* Ren Höek, of Ren and Stimpy fame.
* Wheely Willy, a motivational "speaker."
* Tito from Oliver & Company.
* Taquito, the University of Puerto Rico's School of Medicine volleyball mascot.

* The Spooky Chihuahua from Invader Zim.
* Pepito, Xavier Cugat's chihuahua immortalized in the children's book Pepito
the Little Dancing Dog: The Story of Xavier Cugat's Chihuahua.
* Godzilla, a South Texas chihuahua that has won many awards in regional dog
shows, and is now famous in its statewide commercials.
* Coco, Cesar Millan's The actor, dog behaviorist of The Dog Whisper by
National Geographic.
* Pancho, the "heart-broken" dog of the Fullers in the movie Big Momma's
House 2.
* Lou, a chihuahua featured on the television show The Soup.
* Clay, the current longhaired Chihuahua ambassador.