THE CHIHUAHUA .
By Charles G. Hopton.
(from Melbourne's Coffee Table Dog Portfolio. 1907. By Charles G. Hopton who was an AKC judge and noted Bulldog man).
Probably this quaint breed is the most mysterious of all Toys, having practically no authentic origin other than that handed down by the Aztec Indians, who claim it to be a wild dog related to the prairie dog living underground in its natural country, the deserts of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The genuine Chihuahua is an extremely sensitive creature, very delicate, more so than any other dog and is rarely seen in the north. Among the old Mexican families and Indians one occasionally meets with a pure-bred Chihuahua, but the occasion is so rare that this ancient breed is almost extinct.
The demand among tourists through Mexico for so-called Chihuahuas has created a market for any diminutive dog, and the Indians and many Mexicans have established a puny breed which in some instances may show some character of the ancient Chihuahua, but is invariably a mixture of Toy Terrier, Papillon, and other crosses.
Some authorities claim it is a cross between the prairie dog and a rabbit; others claim the coyote cross; anyway, there is no question about the ancient Chihuahua being a semi-wild dog and of a very odd character and disposition. In some traits they resemble the rat and flying squirrel.
Following is a description of the Chihuahua:
Body:-Extremely slender, somewhat of the Greyhound type, varying in weight from one to three pounds, the pure breed seldom exceeding the latter.
Skull:-High, somewhat domed, and has an indentation or soft spot on the forehead, known as the "muellera," which can easily be detected by running the finger along the skull.
Muzzle:-Short and pointed, not Pug-like.
Eyes:-Extremely large considering the size of the dog.
Ears:-Large and elongated and the dog should be able to be picked up by them, like the rabbit.
Legs:-Very slim.
Feet:-Long, resembling the claw of a bird.
Tail:-Long and slender, sometimes carried over the back, but the preference should be given to the down-carried tail.
Coat:-Short and smooth, much of the texture of sealskin. Occasionally a broken coat is seen, but this is not prized so highly as the short coat.
Colors:-Dark gray resembling a rat, fawn, black with brown markings, and others are tricolor. Seldom, however, are they seen pure white.
The most successful exhibitors here are Mrs. L. A. McLean and Mrs. C. D. Atwood, whose exhibits are extremely small and typical.
Evening star., May 02, 1907 link
Chihuahua Dogs.
Consul General A. L. M. Gottschalk of Mexico City, in responding to numerous inquiries from persons in the United States in regard to the purchasing of Chihuahua dogs, says: "The Chihuahua dog, which as late as twenty-five years ago was quite commonly to be found in Mexico, is a curious little creature, popularly supposed to be a cross- breed between the prairie dog and the jack rabbit. The animal resembles a small dog, whose weight is sometimes not over 1,5 pounds, with a disproportionately large head, bulging eyes, and long ears. The hair is usually scanty, showing the pink skin underneath. One of the marks is sald to be an unclosed cranial fissure, through which the brain can be felt throbbing underneath the skin. These little animals are particularly destructive, and are constantly scratching at things with their long claws.
They are quite susceptible of taming, if taken young, and in numerous instances the breeds has been domesticated, although they seldom show the usual dog traits of
sagacious and intelligent attachment. Unfortunately within the last twenty-five years the breed has become so largely mixed with small dogs of various mongrel types that it, is now a most
difficult thing to find in Mexico an example of the true breed. Such are sold occasionally at prices ranging from 200 Mexican pesos ($99.60 United States currency) upward.
Even in Chihuahua these dogs are very rare. A few recent specimens sold in this city are said to have been
specimens of the true breed.
There is no commercial bird-fancying business in this city, and birds are not as abundant on the upper table land of Mexico as they are in the more tropical coast region. There are bird fanciers'
stores in both Tampico and Vera Cruz, where inquires on the subject may be directed.
ЧИХУАХУА
Перевод: Елена Помогаева
В ответ на многочисленные запросы граждан США о покупке чихуахуа отвечает генеральный консул США в Мехико А. Л. М. Готтчолк :
"Чихуахуа, которые еще двадцать пять лет назад встречались достаточно часто в Мексике, - это загадочные маленькие создания, которые считаются гибридом луговой собачки (сурка) и пустынного кролика. Животное напоминает маленькую собачку, чей вес не превышает иногда полутора фунтов (0,68 кг), с непропорционально большой головой, выпученными глазами и большими ушами. Его шерсть обычно редкая, через нее проглядывает розовая кожа. По словам очевидцев, одной из отличительных особенностей этого животного является открытая щель в черепе, через которую можно почувствовать пульсирующий под кожей мозг. Эти маленькие животные крайне разрушительны и постоянно что-то царапают своими длинными когтями. Они поддаются приручению, если их забирать молодыми, и во многих случаях потомки этих собак одомашниваются, хотя они редко проявляют обычные черты собак, выражающихся в сообразительности, понятливости и привязанности к человеку.
К сожалению, за последние двадцать-пять лет порода так сильно метизировала с различными маленькими дворняжками, что на сегодня найти в Мексике чистокровного представителя породы – наисложнейшая задача. Цена на такие иногда встречающиеся экземляры составляют от 200 мексиканских песо ($99.60 долларов США) и выше. Даже в штате Чихуахуа эти собаки встречаются очень редко. Несколько последних собак, проданных в городе, говорят, были чистокровными представителями породы.
В этой стране нет бизнеса по коммерческому отлову и разведению животных, в верхней части Мексиканского нагорья птицы не так многочисленны, как на тропическом побережье. В Тампико и Вера Круз есть магазины по продаже животных, куда можно направлять вышеупомянутые запросы.
The Birmingham Age-Herald., May 01, 1907 link
