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THE HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE CHIHUAHUA by Hilary Harmar (CHIHUAHUA GUIDE, 1968) Only in comparatively recent times was the Chihuahua given its present name, so that it is not too easy to trace its history. There is little doubt, however, that the smooth coat Chihuahua is of Mexican origin, although there are theories that it originated in Europe. These were based on the erroneous assumption that there were no dogs in Mexico at the time of the Spanish Conquest. There were, in fact, many dogs there at that time. Like most breeds of dog, the smooth coat Chihuahua has changed considerably over the centuries, but it has for the most part retained two out of its three original distinctive features. These three are molera in the skull (that is, an open fontanel), the flat furry tail that exists in no other breed, and the curious foot with extra long metacarpals and long curving nails. This unusual foot has, unfortunately, not been retained; however the modern, smaller Chihuahua foot does look neater. The molera, although curious, is of no advantage, but it is still to be found in most Chihuahuas, although less frequently in the long coat variety. Generally speaking, the smaller the Chihuahua, the larger the molera and, occasionally, there are several moleras in the skull. The flat furry tail, often an inch and a half wide at the center and furriest part, is also still to be found in most Chihuahuas. Since it is an idiosyncrasy of the breed, it would be a great pity if it were ever allowed to disappear. The smooth coat Chihuahua has been developed to its present standard by American breeders during this century. In the early days, the tiny smooth coat was exceedingly rare. Often they were not physically sound. Consequently, American breeders had to incorporate other breeds in order to produce stronger and sounder stock, particularly for showing purposes.
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