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The Chi Diaries
Ok, I thought I would dedicate this page to my heart of hearts, the best friend a gURL ever had....my dog Cupid. She is a 2 year old short hair chihuahua. She has enriched my life in so many ways that it would be safe to say that I would take a bullet for her. I used to hate little dogs, in fact, whenever I saw one I used visualize them as little footballs that I could kick. Mean huh? Well, at least I'm being honest. I used to also think that only a big dog was worthwhile. It could at least protect you and do more than just bark all the time. But then on Valentines Day, I got Cupid for a gift. She was 1 of 8 dogs the owner had and had to go because she was the runt and kept getting picked on by the other chi's. I was drawn to her and I know it sounds weird, but we connected instantly. She has been my constant companion since. She doesnt smell bad, (in fact, I think she smells better than i do lol), she doesnt drool, she doesnt piddle, she doesnt bark all the time (in fact, she didnt bark for the first three days after I got her, didn't think she was a real dog till she did that), she doesnt shed so much hair that it covers the furniture. Since she only weighs 3 pounds it is easy to take her wherever I go. She is a great traveling dog, she likes to white water raft with me, and loves to go fishing. She is very smart, does the usual tricks, my favorites being the 'high five' and barking at me when she needs to go outside. I am totally devoted to her. She is the best present I've ever had, and for people who are looking to get a small dog, or apartment dwellers, I would recommend chi's. Do not get one though, if you do not plan on giving it a lot of love, chi's are very high maintenance in the love department. They need constant attention and devotion. History of Chihuahuas Aye, Chihuahua Few breeds of dogs can claim as mystical or mysterious a past as can the chi. One of the very few native American breeds, the chi's roots can be traced back to the ancient Olmec, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations of Central America and Mexico. The Olmecs (now thought to be the mother culture of Mexico) had two sources of domesticated meat. Turkey and dogs, (UGH). Although repulsive to us now, this tradition of eating dogs was not unusual. By the age of the Toltecs, there is evidence that a plump, thick-necked little dog with short erect ears and tail was bred for the table to be eaten principally by the nobility. It was not the Chihuahua as we know it today, by the Toltec carvings dating from the ninth century A.D. show a small dog with a rounded head and erect ears, reminiscent of the Chihuahua. This early dog, known as the Techichi, is believed to be the ancestor of most Central American breeds and was most fully developed my the conquerors of the Toltecs, the Aztecs. The Aztecs kept several distinct typed of dogs for a variety of reasons, the most unusual being sacrificial animals. Aztec life was filled with attempts to ensure prosperity by appeasing the gods with ceremonial blood offerings, usually of captive humans. These dogs lived in the temple with the priests. Dogs were believed to be able to see into the future, and to cure disease by transferring sickness to other people. A small red dog was believed to guide the souls into the underworld of the dead. Such a dog was kept in every Aztec household and killed at the grave and buried with any family member who died. Archaeologists have found the Techichi in human gravesites all over Mexico. Occasionally a pottery dog figurine was substituted for a real dog. The Techichi was larger than a chihuahua, usually had long hair and was said to be mute. There are a lot of legends of how the modern chi was derived. Some say it was interbred with prarie dogs, others say it was crossed with a small Asiatic hairless dogs brought into the region by migrating Indian tribes, still others point to a more recent influence from China. At any rate, it was over 300 years or more until the dog known as the Chihuahua made it's appearance.
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