| Techichi | |
|---|---|
 A pre-Columbian effigy of a Techichi | |
| Origin | Mexico |
| Breed status | Extinct |
| Dog ( domestic dog ) | |
The Techichi is an extinct breed of small dog bred by the Toltec culture in the 9th century C.E. It is thought to be an ancestor of the modern Chihuahua. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Techichis varied in appearance, with their coats ranging from brown, brown and white, black and white, to black. Their ears were sometimes cropped close to the head, but their tails were left uncut in their natural state. [6]
Techichis were larger than modern Chihuahuas, but were bred into the smaller, lighter dog known today by the Aztecs. [3] [7] The first European to encounter the dog breed was the Spanish explorer Francisco Hernandez, who reported its existence in 1578. He wrote that the native people ate them as commonly as they ate rabbits. The Spanish, who were often short of food, ate them on their expeditions as well. It is estimated that Spanish explorers ate as many as 100,000 Techichis, and by the 19th century they had disappeared altogether. [6] It wasn't until the mid-1800s that people outside of Mexico took interest in the breed, finding many of its modern descendants in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, from which the modern breed derives its name. [8] [9]
To the Toltecs, Techichis were believed to have supernatural powers, such as seeing into the future, and they were often sacrificed so they could guide their owners in the afterlife. [10] Like the Toltecs, the Aztecs also believed that Techichis could guide human souls after death, and that they could guard pyramids if buried underneath them. [11] Several pre-Columbian artefacts have been discovered depicting the dogs, including wheeled toys [12] and effigy pots. [13] They were eaten as food by people, and certain stud males and brood females were kept to produce as many litters as possible. [6]
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings, and is smaller than the similar-looking Alaskan Malamute.
The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
The Bullmastiff is an English breed of dog of mastiff type and large size, with a solid build and a short muzzle. It was developed as a guard dog in the nineteenth century by cross-breeding the English Mastiff with the now-extinct Old English Bulldog. It was recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club in 1924.
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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it is named. They descended from 19th-century bull terriers that were developed by crossing bulldogs with various terriers to create a generic type of dog generally known as bull and terriers. Staffords share the same ancestry with the modern Bull Terrier, although the two breeds developed along independent lines, and do not resemble each other. Modern Staffords more closely resemble the old type of bull terrier, and were first recognised as a purebred dog breed by The Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1935.
Cocker Spaniels are dogs belonging to two breeds of the spaniel dog type: the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel, both of which are commonly called simply Cocker Spaniel in their countries of origin. In the early 20th century, Cocker Spaniels also included small hunting spaniels.
A dog show is an animal show, an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a breed show, is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.
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A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs.
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Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include spaniels, pinschers and terriers that have been bred down in size. Not all toy dogs are lap dogs.
A lap dog or lapdog is a dog that is both small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap and temperamentally predisposed to doing so. Lapdog is not a specific breed, but a generic term for a type of dog that is small in size and friendly towards humans.
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The Pointer, sometimes called the English Pointer, is a medium-sized breed of pointing dog developed in England. Pointers are used to find game for hunters, and are considered by gundog enthusiasts to be one of the finest breeds of its type; however, unlike most other hunting breeds, its purpose is to point, not retrieve game.
The Córdoba fighting dog was a type of dog indigenous to Córdoba, Argentina, that resulted from crossbreeding old mastiff types of unknown pedigree. They were purposely bred for the sport of dog fighting until the early 20th century. They became extinct after dog fighting became illegal in Argentina in 1954.
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The English White Terrier is an extinct breed of dog. "English White Terrier" is the failed show ring name of a pricked-ear form of the white fox-working terriers that have existed in Great Britain since the late 18th century.
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The Chihuahua is a Mexican breed of toy dog. It is named for the Mexican state of Chihuahua and is among the smallest of all dog breeds. It is usually kept as a companion animal or for showing.
Native American dogs, or Pre-Columbian dogs, were dogs living with people indigenous to the Americas. Arriving about 10,000 years ago alongside Paleo-Indians, today they make up a fraction of dog breeds that range from the Alaskan Malamute to the Peruvian Hairless Dog.
Dogs originating in Mexico | ||
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| Extant |  | |
| Extinct | ||
| Related | ||