The Teacup Chihuahua

Before the world even knew of the expression Teacup Chihuahua, the regular Chi has had quite a history of their own. The American Kennel Club first registered them in 1904. They were discovered in the Chihuahua state, a region, bordering Texas and New Mexico. This is where the name of the breed came from.

The Origin Of The Worlds Smallest Dog

If we combine known facts they are said to come from the ancient Techichi dogs of the Toltec Civilization near Mexico City. The Aztecs conquered the Toltec�s and turned these dogs in to sacred icons of the upper class, giving them religious meaning.

Today�s Chis are smaller in size than were the Techichis, which was also mute.

This dog is then believed to have been crossed with an oriental dog, a hairless breed that gave modern teacup Chihuahuas more of the look they have today, smaller and smooth-coated with vocal resources that surpass their size.

Where the stories differ is partly as to how this hairless breed came to that part of the world. Some say these early Chi ancestors immigrated across the Bering Strait land bridge.

Others claim they were brought by Spanish settlers who had established trade routes with China. In support for this theory is stated that China has well documented practices of cultivating both animals and plants to be smaller in size.

In a historic letter found to be written by the famous Christopher Columbus is said that he found a small dog on the island of Cuba that was mute.

This adds to the speculation of the origins of the Breed.

There are different forms of support for the above theories, ranging from DNA to painted ancient artwork, though the teacup history might remain somewhat of a mystery, especially as to how they ended up where they were first discovered as a breed in 1884 and adopted into the AKC twenty years later.

In England the breed was not registered until another twenty years later.

Even though its past in some parts still remain a mystery nobody can deny that this small dog with the big temper remains a favorite with many.

The smallest ones nicknamed �Teacup� have made history in the past and continue to do so today on movie screen, TV, commercials and in homes worldwide.

Kari Eriksson (author)is an infopreneur and a dog lover for many years. Lately these tiny little ones have become a special interest and he operates The Teacup Chihuahuas Directory at: www.teacupchihuahuasdirectory.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources.

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