Chihuahua (dog) Chihuahua (dog) The Chihuahua () is the smallest breed of dog and is named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. Chihuahuas come in a wide variety of colors, and two coat lengths. The Chihuahua's history is convoluted, and many theories surround the origin of the breed. Both folklore and archaeological finds show that the breed has origins in Mexico. The most common theory is that Chihuahua are descended from the Techichi, a companion dog favored by the Toltec civilization in Mexico. No records of the Techichi are available before the 9th century, although dog pots from Colima, Mexico, buried
Dog breed in 1873 in imitation of other stud book registries for cattle and horses. Ancient breed of dogs was a term once used for a group of dog breeds by the American Kennel Club, but no longer. These breeds were referred to as "ancient breeds", as opposed to modern breeds because historically it was believed that they had origins dating back over 500 years. In 2004, a study looked at the microsatellites of 414 purebred dogs representing 85 breeds. The study found that dog breeds were so genetically distinct that 99% of individual dogs could be correctly assigned to their breed