Chihuahuas are reputed to have originated in the Valley de Allende in the State of Chihuahua in Mexico from where they acquired their name. These little dogs were the sacred dogs of the Mayan Indians and the Toltecs and trace back to between the 7th and 9th centuries AD. It is written that the Aztecs followed the Toltecs and that they continued to develop the breed. When an Aztec Indian chief died, all his belongings, including his little dog, were burnt. The legend goes that when the Indian crossed the nine deadly rivers of the fearful underworld, the little holy dog with the symbolic cotton cord tied around his neck would be waiting on the furthest bank for his master. As soon as the little dog recognised him he would swim across the turbulent waters and guide his master’s soul to safety.

Amongst the wealth of material passed down from the early Indians, especially from Colima, are statues that are unmistakably Chihuahuas. These statues are known as the pottery dogs of Colima. It is said that they could depict the hairless edible breed, the large ancestor of the modern dwarf Chihuahua.

The Spanish were to conquer Mexico in the 16th Century and it is reasonable to assume that specimens of the smooth coat Chihuahua were returned to Europe. Some believe that these were crossed with long coated Spaniels, little Italian Spaniels, or 'comforter' as they were often called which in turn produced the little Papillon of later years. Many of the little dogs resembling Chihuahuas have been depicted in oil, particularly in Italy and it is well known that a similar variety of smooth coat Chihuahua existed on the island of Malta.

More modem stories relate that Chihuahuas were really Chinese dogs that were imported into Mexico by merchants. One of the supporting theories is that the Asians dwarfed animals and trees and may similarly have reduced the size of the Chihuahua. The flat furry tail, an important part of the Chihuahua is also common to other Asian breeds of toy dogs.

It is interesting to note that by 1935 in the U.S.A. the breed was definitely showing the results of mixed breeding, particularly with terrier breeds. Mrs. Ida Carrat, one of the greatest pioneers of the breed in the USA traveled many miles looking for litters of Chihuahuas and mentions that for years she interbred the smooth coat variety with Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians, Papillons and Poodles. She then crossed the offspring back to the Chihuahua and only after about three generations it appeared that a Chihuahua similar to the long coat as we know it today evolved and was eventually registered in the USA. It was not until 1952 in the U.S.A. that long coats were separated from smooth coats and the Long Coat Chihuahua Club founded. The Chihuahua Club of America was founded in 1923

Long coats were unknown in Mexico before 1959, but original smooth coat registrations go back to 1934.

Chihuahuas were known to have been kept as pets in the U.K. as early as 1850 but they were not registered in the U.K. until 1907. Up until 1940 in the U.K. there were only 59 registered. During the Second World War a number of dogs perished so that by 1949 there were only eight Chihuahuas registered in the U.K. It was not until 1954 that the first challenge certificates were issued for the breed in Glasgow, Scotland and in 1965 Chihuahuas were classified as two varieties and judged separately as they are to this day. Cross mating of the two varieties was allowed in the U.K. until about 1978 when it was discontinued

In Australia the two varieties were separated in 1966 when separate Challenge Certificates were offered and whilst some states continued to crossmate the two varieties, crossmating the two varieties in N.S.W. was banned until 1982. After strong representation to the R.A.S.K.C. a trail period of five years ended in 1987 with crossmating in N.S.W. to continue indefinitely.

The breeding stock which has established and improved the breed in Australia has been and still is to this day predominantly English which in turn was based on Mexican and U.S.A. imports. Sadly, few Chihuahuas have been imported from Mexico and the U.S.A. to Australia.