Jackahuahua ~ The Perfect Doggie Mixture

Small, alert, fast moving, cheeky expression. 

Intelligent.

They have a well rounded skull, often refered to as 'apple shaped'.  Muzzle should be short and pointed. 

Large but not protruding eyes.

The ears are large, should be set at an angle of 45 degrees with breath between the ears.  Ears should be up.  Broken tipped or down ears are not welcomed in pedigree dogs.

Strong jaws.

Neck is slightly arched.

Body should not be long.  They should be about as long in the back as they are tall.  Ribs are well sprung and they are deep chested.

They have muscular butts and legs should not bow in or out. 

Feet are small and dainty.

The tail is not too long and is carried up and shaped like a sickle.

They move with a fast action but should not lift too high.  Should have power from the hindquarters.

Coats can be either short or long.  They can be any colour or mixture of colour apart from merle.

Charachteristics 

They make be small in size, but the breed is thought of as a big dog in a small parcel.

They are livley and fiesty and have a bold charachter.

They are gay, spirited and intelligent.  They fall into the 'toy dog' as regards Kennel Club Standards, however they are unlike may of their fellow 'toy' breeeds.

They are very nosy dogs and will investigate anything that passes them. 

They do need to be kept 'entertained' and will play with all manner of toys and chews. 

It is said they are not good retrievers, it is not in their nature. 

As a breed they are very hardy, with few hereditary problems.  They can be prone to knee problems altough breeders work to use lines that do not have inheriant problems. 

They often quiver when excited or anxious.

They can be wary of children but can live in family enviroment with the right care and understanding of the needs of the dog.

They are quite long lived. 

History 

Although some history exists in regards to dogs similar to the modern-day Chihuahua, the origins of Chihuahuas seem somewhat shrouded in mystery. Some claim the dog originated in Mexico during ancient times, while others say that Chihuahuas were developed in China. Some long-ago Chinese practices included breeding animals into miniaturized versions of their ancestors.

Authorities have found a lot of answers relating to the chi's origin in old Mexico. The Olmec tribes were thought to be the "mother" of Mexico and were known to eat dogs during their time and by the age of the Toltec tribe, it became quite common to eat canine. There is evidence that they ate a plump, thick-necked dog with short erect ears and tail and it was clear it was bred for the table, being particularly for the noble. From Toltec carvings dating back to the 9th century, it is evident that they had a small dog which clearly looked similar to the modern day Chihuahua. This dog was known in that age and day as the Techichi and that breed is believed to be the ancestor of most of the Mexican and Central American breeds of canines. The Aztecs made full use of the Chihuahua-like dog and historical evidence shows that the dog appeared to be used in religious and other activities not related to companionship. In the early 1500s, the arrival of Hernando Cortes quickly halted the flourishing Aztec civilization. It was during this time that the Techichi was believed to become feral. What is known about the Techichi is that it was bigger than the modern day Chihuahua and had long hair. It is thought that the modern day Chihuahua originated from cross-breeding with Asiatic hairless dogs, but this has not been proven.

It wasn't until about the late 1800s that the Chihuahua that we know today made an appearance in the civilized world. A few were found in Mexico around 1850 and named after the Mexican state they were found in - Chihuahua. They remained rare until the early 1900s. Chihuahuas started gaining notoriety after being shown on television and in the early 1960s.

From The Complete Dog Book The American Kennel Club, 1997