Chihuahuas are adorable small dogs with a fiery temperament.
Chihuahuas are enlisted as one of the world’s smallest dog breeds. They take their name from their native state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The history of the ancient Chihuahua breed was unknown until it was recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1904.
There are two types of Chihuahua dogs: the smooth-coated, short-haired and the long-haired, long-haired.
The main physical difference between the two breeds is the length of the coat.
Both smooth-haired and long-haired breeds of this species are adorable and attractive as they are easy to care for with good health and keep clean due to their small size.
Chihuahua dogs also vary according to the shape of their head. There are apple-headed dogs, which are round like fruits, and deer-headed dogs, which have narrow faces.
They have large round eyeballs and long wolf-like ears, as they originate from wolf breeds.
They are 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) tall and weigh up to 4-6 pounds (1.8-2.7 kg).
Although the Chihuahua is small and may seem weak, it can live a long life as a pet if its owner takes good care of it.
They can have a lifespan of 15-20 years because they belong to healthy dog breeds.
They can be of various body colours with bright colours such as black to solid white, or brown, fawn, reddish-brown, chocolate, mixed with a variety of spots and patterns.
They are carnivores, and therefore can have a diet just like other dog breeds.
Evolution of the Chihuahua
Modern Chihuahuas originated in Mexico. Like all modern dog breeds, Chihuahuas trace their evolutionary roots to the grey wolf (Canis lupus).
Chihuahua, the smallest recognised dog breed, is named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where it was first noticed in the mid-19th century.
The Chihuahua is thought to derive from the Techichi, a small mute dog kept by the Toltec people of Mexico as early as the 9th century.
Although modern Chihuahuas originated in Mexico. Dogs such as the Labrador, Pekinese and Rottweiler are related to them.
There is an ancient history connected with the evolution of dogs.
Although some scientists consider the fact that dogs evolved from wolves selected and domesticated by humans with the invention of agriculture, and humans began to settle.
However, DNA evidence shows that dogs evolved much earlier than almost 100,000 years ago, when humans were still nomads.
This was reported in a scientific journal in 1997. There was clear evidence linking domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) as direct descendants of grey wolves.
Most dog breeds, nearly 150 species of dogs, have evolved through human guidance as pets over the last 150 years, but somehow Chihuahuas predate this period of relatively rapid breed development.
What are Chihuahuas named from?
Chihuahuas are named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, although there is some debate about their origin in Mexico.
The word ‘chihuahua’ is believed to mean ‘meeting place of two or more rivers’.
Chihuahuas have many appearances on the silver screen and in television culture because of their personality and have been featured as pets of some famous celebrities.
‘Bruiser’ was a uniquely dressed chihuahua who was Elle Woods’ companion in ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘Legally Blonde 2’, playing a lead role in the sequel.
Paris Hilton owned a chihuahua named ‘Tinkerbell’ and carried him around in designer bags and featured him in photo shoots.
It can be considered that the trend of having small dogs as pets was due to Paris and Tinkerbell.
The animation world also featured a Chihuahua in the ‘Ren And Stimpy Show’, a cartoon on Nickelodeon, where the dog was presented with hot-headed features, in the company of Stimpy, a cat.
A Chihuahua can be named according to its colour, size, personality or just for fun.
In many cases, adopted Chihuahuas have been returned to pet shops because their human parents were unable to take responsibility for them, which is not good.
Before adopting a pet, you should be prepared to love and care for it for a long and healthy life.
They need dental cleaning, vaccines, and also regular check-ups from a professional veterinary clinic.
For several hundred years, it was believed that the Chihuahua dog breed originated in Mexico, but many modern researchers claim that the evolutionary roots of this breed are linked to northern Asia in China and may be the origins of Chihuahuas.
There are many stated theories about their origin, with some saying that this breed migrated from pre-Columbian regions to America and Europe.
The AKC has stated that the Chihuahua breed had a genetic development from a dog called Techichi (also known as a toy dog), in the ninth century.
Palaeontologists have found the oldest fossilised remains of Chihuahua-like dogs in the Yucatan Peninsula, 1600 years ago.
