Coco Puff and her good friend Merlin

The true origins of the Chihauhua breed may never be known although studies indicate that it is the oldest dog on the North American continent.   One theory suggests that Chihauhua is actually from Malta as a small dog possessing the molera (the open spot on the skull) once lived on the island.  Another hypothesis speculates that they originated in China and were brought by the Spaniards to North America.  The most popular theory is that the dog originated in Mexico and can be traced back to the Toltec tribe with a range in north, central and southern Mexico.  ` 

Without doubt, the Chihuahua of today is decended from the small dogs found in Mexico and brought to the US in 1850.  They were given the name of a Mexican province - Chihuahua.  The original dogs were smooth coats.  The long coats came from crossing Chihuahuas possibly with Papillon and/or Pomeranian.   The first dog was  registered in 1904 by the American Kennel Club and today the breed is ranked among the top ten AKC registrations.

The Chihauhua is a true toy breed, not a breed that was bred to be smaller such as the Pomeranian or Yorkshire Terrier.  The breed standard states that the Chihauhua (both long and short coat) is to be between 2 lbs and 6 lbs.  The body shape is identical to both varieties.  

There are two fashions to Chihuahua, the apple headed dome seen on the show dog and the deer head seen on the Taco Bell Chihuahua.  All colours are accepted, the most common are fawn, brindle, chocolate, white, cream, black & tan and black.  The rare "blue" dog is harder to find.  There isn't a colour or marking that is considered better than another.