Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is widely regarded as the smallest pedigree dog breed in the world.
About the Chihuahua
There are two distinct varieties of the breed – the short-haired Chihuahua and the long-haired Chihuahua – each with their own distinct temperament. Chihuahuas can become very devoted to one person.
Due to their size and fragile build, it is important to make sure children are taught how to handle these dogs properly. Their temperaments can vary quite drastically, with some being particularly challenging to train.
Source: key facts and characteristics sourced from Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)
Breed specifics
- Country
- Mexico
- Group
- FCI Group 9, AKC Toy Group
- Size category
- Very small
- Avg life expectancy
- 14–18 years
Alert / Lively / Confident / Even-tempered / Friendly
Key facts
Origins of the breed
The Chihuahua carries the name of the largest state of the Mexican Republic. Although the breed originates from Mexico, it’s thought that China and the U.S.A. also had a part to play in the development of the Chihuahua breed.
The most popular theory is that Chihuahuas descended from the Techichi, a companion dog that was favoured by the ancient Toltec civilisation in Mexico. Representations of this Toy dog were used as decorations on town architecture. These statues are very similar to the present-day Chihuahua.