50 Fun Facts About Chihuahua

The Chihuahua holds what distinction among recognised dog breeds?

It is a Mexican toy breed kept almost entirely as a companion animal.

The Chihuahua breed originates in which country?

It is named after the largest Mexican state, where 19th-century visitors found the dogs plentiful.

A 2020 genome study found roughly what share of Chihuahua ancestry comes from pre-colonial American dogs?

That small trace still sets it apart from most modern breeds, which are almost entirely European; a 2013 study had guessed as high as 70 per cent.

Which other Mexican breed shares the Chihuahua's trace of pre-colonial dog ancestry?

The hairless Xolo carries about 3 per cent, and the two are the only modern breeds found to retain any at all.

DNA studies suggest native American dogs entered North America from where, roughly 10,000 years ago?

They were then isolated for about 9,000 years until Europeans arrived, and their genetic signature is now nearly extinct.

In a 1520 letter, which conquistador wrote that the Aztecs raised and sold little dogs as food?

Colonial records also describe small, nearly hairless dogs in the region later called Chihuahua.

The first Chihuahua registered by the American Kennel Club, in 1904, was named what?

The dog was owned by H. Raynor of Texas.

Breed standards call for a Chihuahua skull of what shape?

The older 'deer' type has a flatter head and longer legs and is now considered a fault in the show ring.

What is the 'molera' that many Chihuahuas have on their heads?

It is hard to see but easy to feel with a fingertip.

The older Chihuahua type with a flat-topped head, wider-set eyes and longer legs is known as what type?

Such dogs can still be registered, but the deviation from the apple-dome standard counts as a fault.

A Chihuahua's 'stop', where muzzle meets skull, is described as close to how many degrees?

That sharp stop is part of the apple-dome look, together with large round eyes and big erect ears.

How tall does a typical Chihuahua stand?

Breed standards generally specify only weight and proportions, not height, and some pets reach 12 to 15 inches.

The FCI standard says a Chihuahua should ideally weigh how much?

Dogs outside 1 to 3 kg are disqualified from exhibition; the American standard caps show weight at 2.7 kg.

What is the maximum weight for showing a Chihuahua under the American breed standard?

Pet Chihuahuas often weigh more than that, sometimes over 9.9 lb, without being any less purebred.

In 2009 the British Chihuahua standard dropped a clause preferring which of two equally good dogs?

The change reflected concern about breeding for ever-smaller 'teacup' dogs.

Why do many breeders try to produce ever-smaller Chihuahuas?

In fact larger breeding females are less likely to suffer obstructed labour, and Chihuahuas do not breed true for size anyway.

Which coat pattern did the UK Kennel Club remove from the Chihuahua standard in 2007 for health reasons?

The international standard also bars the mottled pattern because of risks tied to the underlying gene.

According to the American Kennel Club, Chihuahuas are not recommended for which households?

Like many small dogs they can show above-average aggression, though they tend to be mildly good with other dogs.

What home remedy do vets recommend for mild hypoglycemia in toy-breed puppies?

Breeders often give it daily to help wean puppies onto dry food; pups taken from their mothers too soon are most at risk.

In a 2001 radiographic study of six breeds, the Chihuahua had the lowest incidence of what?

The breed's real weak points are neurological, including hydrocephalus and atlantoaxial instability, plus luxating kneecaps.

A 2024 UK study found what life expectancy for the Chihuahua?

That was below the purebred average of 12.7; a 2022 UK study using vet data had put the figure at just 7.91.

A UK study found Chihuahua bitches suffer dystocia how many times more often than the average dog?

Tiny mothers and relatively big-headed puppies make whelping difficult.

The Techichi, an ancestor of the Chihuahua, was bred by which Mesoamerican culture in the 9th century?

The Aztecs later bred it down into the smaller, lighter dog known today.

What unusual trait did the Techichi, the Chihuahua's supposed ancestor, have?

Its ears were sometimes cropped close to the head, but the tail was left natural.

How many Techichis are Spanish explorers estimated to have eaten?

The Spanish, often short of food, ate them on expeditions, and the breed vanished by the 19th century.

Mesoamerican peoples believed the Techichi could do what after its owner's death?

The dogs were often sacrificed for that purpose, and were thought to guard pyramids if buried beneath them.

The Mexican state that gave the breed its name is the country's largest by area. Which US states does it border?

It is slightly larger than the United Kingdom and nicknamed El Estado Grande.

What was the real name of the Taco Bell Chihuahua, the advertising mascot of 1997 to 2000?

The dog was female, even though the character was voiced by a man.

What was the famous catchphrase of the fast-food advertising Chihuahua of 1997 to 2000?

'Yeah, drop the Chalupa!' and 'Viva Gorditas!' followed, and the first became a running SportsCenter line.

Who provided the voice of the Taco Bell Chihuahua?

He described the voice as a cross between Peter Lorre and Ren Höek, with a touch of Anthony Quinn.

In a 1998 crossover ad, the Taco Bell Chihuahua tried to trap which movie monster in a box?

Seeing the monster's size, the dog says 'Uh-oh, I think I need a bigger box', a nod to Jaws.

In 2003 two Michigan men won how much from Taco Bell for pitching the 'Psycho Chihuahua' concept in 1996?

Nearly $12 million in interest was added three months later; Taco Bell then sued its ad agency TBWA.

The retired Taco Bell Chihuahua later appeared as 'Bruiser's Mom' in which 2003 film?

She also did a 2002 GEICO commercial before dying of a stroke in 2009 at age 15.

What is the name of the pampered heroine dognapped in Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)?

She is voiced by Drew Barrymore, with George Lopez as the lovestruck Papi.

In Beverly Hills Chihuahua, what breed is El Diablo, the villain who hunts Chloe?

The German Shepherd in the film is Delgado, a former police dog who lost his sense of smell.

In Beverly Hills Chihuahua, a long-haired Chihuahua named Montezuma tells Chloe the breed is what?

He leads a pack of Chihuahuas that rescues Chloe and Delgado from mountain lions and tells her to find her bark.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua cost $20m to make. Roughly how much did it gross worldwide?

It spawned two sequels, in 2011 and 2012.

Ren Höek of Nickelodeon's Ren & Stimpy is described as what kind of Chihuahua?

His partner Stimpy is a dim-witted Manx cat.

John Kricfalusi based Ren on a 1946 photograph of a Chihuahua in a sweater by which photographer?

The image is titled 'New York City, 1946'; Stimpy came from a Tweety Bird cartoon.

After creator John Kricfalusi was fired in 1992, who took over the voice of Ren the Chihuahua?

West already voiced Stimpy and refused Kricfalusi's request to leave with him.

Miracle Milly, a Chihuahua measured in 2013, was the world's smallest dog at what height?

She weighed about a pound, and a cloning firm later claimed to have made 49 copies of her.

How many clones of the record-holding Chihuahua Milly did the company Sooam say it produced?

Her owners sued the firm for breach of contract in 2019; a daughter of one clone, Pearl, took the shortest-dog title in 2023.

Which Chihuahua held the world's smallest dog title from 2007 to 2013, standing exactly 10.16 cm tall?

Beyoncé, a Dachshund-Chihuahua mix, and Scooter, a Maltese, were rival claimants.

Wheely Willy, the paraplegic Chihuahua celebrity of Long Beach, California, got around using what?

His owner tried balloons and a skateboard first; the wheelchair advert changed everything, and he starred in two children's books.

What was the name of Paris Hilton's famous Chihuahua, dubbed an 'accessory dog' on The Simple Life?

Hilton built a $325,000 air-conditioned house for her pets.

The two coat varieties of the Chihuahua are long and what?

The breed appears in almost any colour or pattern, from solid to 'splashed'.

The Chihuahua's ears are described as large and what?

Together with the rounded skull and compact size, they define the breed's look.

The name 'Chihuahua' for the modern breed derives from what?

Outsiders took an interest in the dogs there in the mid-1800s.

An earlier 2013 study suggested pre-colonial ancestry in the Chihuahua might be as high as what?

A 2020 study of ancient dog genomes revised the figure down to about 4%, still rare among modern breeds of largely European origin.

Which knee problem is the Chihuahua believed to be significantly predisposed to?

The breed also carries predispositions to several neurological conditions, from congenital hydrocephalus to atlantoaxial instability.