Comments on: A Crazy Theory on Chihuahua Origins

By: If you needed a reason to be skeptical of the theory that goldens have bloodhound in them « Retrieverman's Weblog

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:04:47 +0000

[...] They were said to be part otter, which is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard (even worse than theory that chihuahuas are derived from fennec foxes!) This story was amended to say that they were part otterhound, which is, at the very least, a [...]

By: Why you should never believe everything you read on the internet « Retrieverman's Weblog

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:08:21 +0000

[...] not as bad as believing chihuahuas are derived from fennec foxes, but this theory has been thoroughly [...]

By: retrieverman

retrieverman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:08:12 +0000

Dogs are only between 15,000 and 135,000 years old. They can cross with all members of the genus Canis, except black-backed and side-striped jackals. The ancestors of these animals and true foxes diverged millions of years ago. They have different chromosome counts, and very different behavior.

The South American foxes are not true foxes and are related to the dogs in the genus Canis and the African painted dog/painted wolf and the Dhole. Supposedly, a crab-eating fox, which is a South American fox, interbred with a domestic dog. However, I’ve not seen any good documentation of that cross, and I assume that the animal was a mule, a sterile hybrid.

There have been genetic tests on domestic dogs and many members of the dog family. All domestic dogs have an mtDNA sequence that is virtually the same as some wolf populations. Dogs are wolves, including Chihuahuas.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/5755/wolf.html

By: Diana Granat

Diana Granat — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:49:43 +0000

I have a Chihuahua and was looking for info on it origins. Has any DNA tests been done on the Chihuahuas beyond mitochrondrial DNA test to rule out relation of Chihuahuas to Cerdocyon thous or the Fennec fox? Foxes and dogs do not interbreed now, but is there any possibility that they could have done so in ancient times? I sure can understand why folks might think the Fennec fox is the origin just by looking at the fox. Am wondering about the state of DNA testing on the matter. Thank you.

By: Pai

Pai — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:51:02 +0000

I have heard from some sources that long-haired Chihuahuas were crossbreeds originally, having been developed by Ida Garrett (who also created the Chinese Crested) by crossing ‘traditional’ Chis with longhaired toy dogs like the Pomeranian. Since I believe both coat types are commonly interbred, those genes have been spread throughout the entire breed.

I’ve seen photos of South American pottery and such supposedly depicting shorthair Chihuahuas and Xolos that are quite ancient, and I don’t doubt that advanced mesoamerican civilizations were at least as competent at selective dog breeding as the Chinese were.

Ida Garrett wrote a handbook outlining her development of the Chihuahua (titled ‘The Chihuahua’ which was published in 1959 under the name ‘Rev. Kauffman’), which is out of print and hard to find nowadays. Since I haven’t read it, I’m not sure if it proves what I’ve heard, but I have to say, I find it baffling when there is clear historical information available about a breed that gets ignored or discarded by it’s breed clubs in favor of perpetuating rumors and fairy tales. Isn’t part of their purpose to educate their members about the breed and to preserve it’s history?