Mexican dog breeds
Two breeds in Breed Guesser come from Mexico: the Chihuahua, named after the country’s largest state, and the Xoloitzcuintle, named after the god Xolotl. One is the smallest pedigree dog in the world, by its standard; the other is almost completely hairless.
Six dogs: Chihuahua, Xoloitzcuintle, or neither?
Dog 1.
Photo: Nadar13a, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dog 2.
Photo: Banne27, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dog 3.
Photo: Skest, CC BY-SA 3.0 Dog 4.
Photo: Canarian, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dog 5.
Photo: Pacia04, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dog 6.
Photo: Luna capreza, CC BY-SA 4.0
The two Mexican breeds
The Chihuahua
Its breed standard calls the Chihuahua the smallest pedigree dog in the world and says it carries the name of the largest state of the Mexican Republic, Chihuahua. It assumes these dogs once lived in the wild and were caught and tamed by the native people at the time of the Toltec civilisation. Statues of a toy dog called the “Techichi”, which lived in Tula and decorated its buildings, look very like today’s Chihuahua.
- Size: judged by weight alone, 1 to 3 kg, ideally 1.5 to 2.5 kg.
- Head: an apple-shaped skull and large, upright ears.
- Coat: two varieties, smooth-haired and long-haired, in any colour except merle.
- Tail: carried very high, curved or in a half circle.
The Xoloitzcuintle
Its standard says the Xolo’s origin “dates far back in history”. In pre-Hispanic Mexico it was regarded as a representative of the god Xolotl, from which its name comes, and its task was to guide the souls of the dead to their final destination. The standard adds that it was also eaten in ritual ceremonies, and that this brought the breed close to extinction. The Mexican kennel club, the Federación Canófila Mexicana, rescued it, and has used the Xolo on its logo since 1940. It is also known as the Mexican Hairless Dog, “perro pelón mexicano”.
- Two varieties: hairless, with smooth, soft skin and at most a few short, coarse hairs on the head and neck; and coated, with a short, flat coat. Both have the same build.
- Three sizes: standard, 46 to 60 cm at the shoulder; intermediate, 36 to 45 cm; miniature, 25 to 35 cm.
- Ears: long and large, held erect when alert; the standard likens them to “bat” ears.
- Colour: solid, dark skin is preferred, from black and slate grey to reddish, liver, bronze or blond, sometimes with spots.
- Job: the standard and intermediate sizes are watchdogs; the miniature is a companion.
Hairless dogs: Xolo or Chinese Crested?
The Chinese Crested, from China, is the other hairless breed with a hairless and a coated variety. The Crested’s hairless variety keeps a crest of hair on its head, “socks” on its feet and a plume on its tail; the Xolo’s hairless body has at most a few short, coarse hairs on the forehead and neck, and never a long, soft topknot. The Peruvian Hairless Dog, from Peru, is the third hairless breed in the game. More dogs from China are on the Chinese breeds page.
Facts from the Chihuahua standard (No. 218, 4 September 2019) and the Xoloitzcuintle standard (No. 234, 8 October 2012).