Chihuahua - Little Dog, Big Bark!

The Chihuahua is the smallest of toy dogs, and is usually less than 6 pounds, although occasionally you will see one that is more. They mainly live indoors and prefer warm climates.

Chihuahuas have two basic body types - apple headed and deer headed. The apple headed Chihuahua has an apple shaped head and a short nose where the deer shaped headed Chihuahua is elongated similar to a Doberman. The Chihuahua is the only dog born with a soft spot in their skull like a human baby. It takes about 6 months for the skull to be completely formed.

Chihuahuas come with short or long hair. They are both the same breed but people usually treat them as separate breeds. One interesting fact about the long hair Chihuahua is that they don't shed more than the short haired ones.

The Chihuahua's history is an interesting story. It is believed that the Chihuahua originated in Mexico, in the state of Chihuahua. The truth is, no one knows for sure how the Chihuahua evolved. Archeological findings show that the Chihuahua predates any other breed of dog in the Americas. It is believed that the Chihuahua was a cross between a Techichi and a Biche. The Techichi was a little dog which belonged to a primitive race of people in Mexico called Toltec. The Toltec people were conquered by the Aztec who had a little dog called the Biche. It is thought the two may have interbred to produce the Chihuahua.

Another theory about the Chihuahua's origin is that a ship from Asia stopped in Mexico. A Chinese passenger had a small dwarf dog. Could this have been the Chihuahua? Chinese are known for dwarfing plants, trees and some animals. The first record of a Chihuahua was from the coast of Chihuahua. So did the Chihuahua actually come from China? Is the 'Chi' in Chihuahua actually Chinese?

We'll probably never know the actual origin of the Chihuahua but one thing's for sure, the Chihuahua is here to stay!