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
Breed club (dog) may be registered with breed clubs that have competition in dog shows and the breeding of showdogs and pets as their primary purposes. Most of the clubs have a closed stud book. Many dogs that are bred for show and pets are inbred, in order to make them as uniform in appearance as possible. Close inbreeding, called linebreeding, has only recently been recognised as problematic; generations of breeder manuals have recommended close inbreeding to produce a dog that is highly standardised in appearance. Today, testing for genetic defects before breeding is required by most breed clubs' code of ethics (but