47 Fun Facts About Chihuahua

The Chihuahua holds what distinction among recognised dog breeds?

It is the smallest in the world: the Chihuahua is the smallest recognised dog breed, and Guinness's title of world's smallest living dog has repeatedly gone to Chihuahuas.

The Chihuahua breed originates in which country?

It is named after the largest Mexican state, where 19th-century visitors found the dogs plentiful.

A 2020 genome study found roughly what share of Chihuahua ancestry comes from pre-colonial American dogs?

About 4%: sequencing of ancient dog genomes in 2020 found the Chihuahua retains roughly 4% pre-colonial American dog ancestry, a trace most modern breeds lack entirely.

DNA studies suggest native American dogs entered North America from where, roughly 10,000 years ago?

Siberia: DNA studies indicate dogs crossed from Siberia into North America about 10,000 years ago, then stayed isolated for roughly 9,000 years until Europeans arrived.

In a 1520 letter, which conquistador wrote that the Aztecs raised and sold little dogs as food?

Hernán Cortés, in a 1520 letter, reported that the Aztecs raised and sold the little dogs as food; colonial records also describe small, nearly hairless dogs in the region later called Chihuahua.

The first Chihuahua registered by the American Kennel Club, in 1904, was named what?

Midget, owned by H. Raynor of Texas, became the first Chihuahua registered by the American Kennel Club in 1904.

Breed standards call for a Chihuahua skull of what shape?

Apple-shaped: the AKC and FCI standards describe a well-rounded 'apple dome' skull, and a flatter head is counted as a fault in the show ring.

What is the 'molera' that many Chihuahuas have on their heads?

A molera is a soft spot like a baby's fontanel, where the skull bones have not fused; it is hard to see but easy to feel with a fingertip.

The older Chihuahua type with a flat-topped head, wider-set eyes and longer legs is known as what type?

The 'deer' type, with a flatter head and longer legs, may be registered but deviates from the apple-dome standard and is penalised as a fault in the show ring.

A Chihuahua's 'stop', where muzzle meets skull, is described as close to how many degrees?

Close to 90 degrees: the breed standard's apple-dome head has a sharply defined stop where muzzle meets skull, set off by large round eyes and big ears.

How tall does a typical Chihuahua stand?

6 to 9 inches is the typical height; breed standards specify weight and proportions rather than height, and some pets reach 12 to 15 inches.

Which comedian voiced Papi, the lovestruck Chihuahua in Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)?

George Lopez voiced Papi, the landscaper's Chihuahua who falls for the pampered heroine, in the 2008 Disney film directed by Raja Gosnell.

Under the American Kennel Club standard, a show Chihuahua must not exceed what weight?

6 pounds: the AKC standard calls for 'a well balanced little dog not to exceed 6 pounds', and any dog over that weight is disqualified; heavier pets remain purebred but cannot be shown.

In 2009 the British Chihuahua standard dropped a clause preferring which of two equally good dogs?

The more diminutive one: in 2009 the UK Kennel Club removed the clause 'if two dogs are equally good in type, the more diminutive one is preferred', part of its health-driven revision of breed standards.

Why do many breeders try to produce ever-smaller Chihuahuas?

'Teacup' dogs command higher prices: the tiniest Chihuahuas are in higher demand, even though larger breeding females are less likely to suffer obstructed labour and the breed does not breed true for size.

Which coat pattern did the UK Kennel Club remove from the Chihuahua standard in 2007 for health reasons?

Merle: in 2007 the Kennel Club stopped registering merle puppies and amended its standard to disqualify the pattern, citing deafness and eye defects linked to the merle gene; the FCI also bars it.

According to the American Kennel Club, Chihuahuas are not recommended for which households?

Families with young children: the AKC advises against the breed for homes with small children, since like many small dogs Chihuahuas can show above-average aggression and their size makes rough handling risky.

What home remedy do vets recommend for mild hypoglycemia in toy-breed puppies?

Half a teaspoon of honey: a simple sugar such as honey or corn syrup rubbed on the gums raises blood glucose fast; small, lean or infrequently fed toy-breed puppies are most at risk.

A 2024 UK study found what life expectancy for the Chihuahua?

11.8 years: the 2024 UK study put the Chihuahua at 11.8 years, below the 12.7-year purebred average, while a 2022 UK study using veterinary data had given just 7.91 years.

A UK study found Chihuahua bitches suffer dystocia how many times more often than the average dog?

10.4-fold: a UK study of emergency-care records found Chihuahua bitches 10.4 times as likely to suffer dystocia as the average dog; tiny mothers and relatively big-headed puppies make whelping difficult.

The Techichi, an ancestor of the Chihuahua, was bred by which Mesoamerican culture in the 9th century?

The Toltecs bred the Techichi, and the Aztecs later bred it down into the smaller, lighter dog known today.

What unusual trait did the Techichi, the Chihuahua's supposed ancestor, have?

Its ears were sometimes cropped close to the head, but the tail was left natural.

Who voiced Tito, the streetwise Chihuahua in Disney's Oliver & Company (1988)?

Cheech Marin voiced Tito, the fast-talking Chihuahua in Disney's Oliver & Company, released in 1988 with Billy Joel as the voice of Dodger.

Mesoamerican peoples believed the Techichi could do what after its owner's death?

Guide the human soul in the afterlife: Techichis were often sacrificed and buried with their owners, in the belief that the dog would lead the soul through the underworld.

What was the real name of the Taco Bell Chihuahua, the advertising mascot of 1997 to 2000?

Gidget: the female Chihuahua who played Taco Bell's mascot from 1997 to 2000 was named Gidget, though the character was voiced by a man.

What was the famous catchphrase of the fast-food advertising Chihuahua of 1997 to 2000?

'¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!', Spanish for 'I want Taco Bell', was the Chihuahua's signature line from 1997; 'Yeah, drop the Chalupa!' and 'Viva Gorditas!' followed in later ads.

Who provided the voice of the Taco Bell Chihuahua?

Carlos Alazraqui, also the voice of Rocko in Rocko's Modern Life, voiced the Taco Bell Chihuahua throughout the 1997–2000 campaign.

In a 1998 crossover ad, the Taco Bell Chihuahua tried to trap which movie monster in a box?

Godzilla: in a 1998 tie-in ad for the Godzilla film, the Chihuahua lures the monster with 'Here, lizard, lizard, lizard', then says 'Uh-oh, I think I need a bigger box', a nod to Jaws.

In 2003 two Michigan men won how much from Taco Bell for pitching the 'Psycho Chihuahua' concept in 1996?

$30.1 million: in 2003 a jury found Taco Bell had used the two men's 'Psycho Chihuahua' idea and awarded them $30.1 million; nearly $12 million in interest followed, and Taco Bell then sued its agency TBWA.

After her Taco Bell days, the Chihuahua Gidget appeared as 'Bruiser's Mom' in which 2003 film?

Legally Blonde 2 came after a 2002 GEICO commercial; Gidget died of a stroke in 2009 at age 15.

What is the name of the pampered heroine dognapped in Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)?

Chloe: the pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua, voiced by Drew Barrymore, is dognapped on a trip to Mexico and rescued with help from Delgado and the lovestruck Papi.

In Beverly Hills Chihuahua, what breed is El Diablo, the villain who hunts Chloe?

Doberman: El Diablo, voiced by Edward James Olmos, is the Doberman enforcer of the dog-fighting ring that seizes Chloe; the film's German Shepherd is Delgado, a former police dog.

In Beverly Hills Chihuahua, a long-haired Chihuahua named Montezuma tells Chloe the breed is what?

'Tiny but mighty': Montezuma, voiced by Plácido Domingo, leads the Chihuahua pack that saves Chloe and Delgado from a mountain lion attack and urges her to find her bark.

Roughly how much did Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) gross worldwide?

About $149 million worldwide against a $20 million budget, enough to spawn two sequels, in 2011 and 2012.

Ren Höek of Nickelodeon's Ren & Stimpy is described as what kind of Chihuahua?

'Asthma-hound': Ren Höek is billed as an 'asthma-hound Chihuahua', a scrawny, unhinged dog paired with Stimpy, a dim-witted Manx cat.

John Kricfalusi based Ren on a 1946 photograph of a Chihuahua in a sweater by which photographer?

Elliott Erwitt: Kricfalusi modelled Ren on Erwitt's photograph 'New York City, 1946', a ground-level shot of a sweater-clad Chihuahua beside its owner's feet.

After creator John Kricfalusi was fired in 1992, who took over the voice of Ren the Chihuahua?

West already voiced Stimpy and refused Kricfalusi's request to leave with him.

Miracle Milly, a Chihuahua measured in 2013, was the world's smallest dog at what height?

3.8 inches: Guinness measured Miracle Milly at 3.8 inches (9.65 cm) tall in 2013, making her the smallest living dog by height; she weighed about a pound.

How many clones of the record-holding Chihuahua Milly did the company Sooam say it produced?

49: South Korea's Sooam Biotech, which cloned Milly to study what made her so small, said it had produced 49 copies of her by 2018.

Which Chihuahua held the world's smallest dog title from 2007 to 2013, standing exactly 10.16 cm tall?

Boo Boo, a Chihuahua from Raceland, Kentucky, measured 4 inches (10.16 cm) and held the Guinness title for smallest living dog by height from 2007 until Milly took it in 2013.

Wheely Willy, the paraplegic Chihuahua celebrity of Long Beach, California, got around using what?

A K9 Cart dog wheelchair: after a skateboard and helium balloons failed, owner Deborah Turner answered a K9 Cart advert, and the wheeled Willy became a Long Beach celebrity and the star of two children's books.

What was the name of Paris Hilton's famous Chihuahua, dubbed an 'accessory dog' on The Simple Life?

Tinkerbell, the Chihuahua Paris Hilton carried everywhere on The Simple Life, lived until 2015; Hilton later built a $325,000 air-conditioned house for her pets.

Besides the long coat, what is the Chihuahua's other recognised coat variety called?

Smooth is the short-coated variety, and the breed appears in almost any colour or pattern, from solid to 'splashed'.

The Chihuahua's ears are described as large and what?

Erect ears, the rounded skull and compact size define the breed's look; it is kept mainly as a companion animal.

Which Chihuahua did Guinness name the world's shortest living dog in 2023?

Pearl, a Chihuahua from Orlando, Florida, measured 3.59 inches (9.14 cm) tall and was confirmed by Guinness World Records as the shortest dog living in 2023.

In which FCI group is the Chihuahua classified?

Group 9: the FCI lists the Chihuahueño in Group 9 (Companion and Toy Dogs), Section 6, and its standard judges the breed on weight alone, not height.

Which knee problem is the Chihuahua believed to be significantly predisposed to?

Medial patellar luxation: the kneecap slipping inward off its groove is common in Chihuahuas, as in many small breeds, alongside neurological predispositions such as hydrocephalus and atlantoaxial instability.