After first being discovered in the 1850s in Mexico, the Chihuahua was first registered with the American Kennel Club in 1904. The breed is named after the Mexican state Chihuahua in which they were found, a region that borders Texas and New Mexico. However, this isn’t where the breed originally came from. Rather the breed comes from the ancient Techichi breed of dog that belonged to the Toltec Civilization near Mexico City.

By the time the Chihuahua breed was discovered in the United States in the 1850s it had been crossed with a hairless breed from the Orient, which led to the modern breed we see today. The Chihuahua was discovered in the Chihuahua state of Mexico, which is located near Texas and New Mexico, this is also where the name for the breed comes from. The breed was then added to the American Kennel Club in 1904.

Graceful, alert and agile with a compact and terrier like quality is the official description of the Chihuahua breed given by the American Kennel Club. Generally the Chihuahua is a very graceful, energetic and swift dog, but each Chihuahua has it’s own unique personality and some can be very grumpy, haughty or even nasty when provoke if they have an extreme terrier like quality to them.

This terrier like quality doesn’t make the Chihuahua a good breed for large households or those with small or noisy children because of their clannish tendencies and suspiciousness of other people. But the curiosity, intelligence and extreme loyalty of the breed make them an excellent pet for the elderly, individuals and disabled people.

The Chihuahua will often become attached to just one or two individuals and want to be pampered. The Chihuahua is also idea for those living in apartments or on a limited income. You should always observe the temperament of your Chihuahua before determining if it is the right breed for you.

Often Chihuahuas aren’t aware of their small stature and you can typically see them acting much bolder than other dogs that are three times their size or more. The breed will often become extremely loyal to just one or two individuals, which causes them to become highly protective. This results in the Chihuahua becoming wary of any news guests introduced to their personal domain and can cause a rather violent reaction. Although not a very good guard dog, this trait makes the Chihuahua an excellent option for a watchdog.

A Chihuahua requires a lot of human contact in the form of touching, petting and general attention. Without this, the breed often resorts to various attention getting tricks until they gain attention.

This makes the breed seem too needy for some, but you can get so much back if you just give the Chihuahua love, affection and care.