the Techichi Dog
The Techichi is probably known as one only a couple indigenous breeds in the western hemisphere. It evolved into the Chihuahua dog and was present in the early civilizations of Central America and Mexico. It is believed the Techichi, which did not bark, were used in temples and cared for by priests. Common belief was the Techichi Dog had mystical powers and could heal human illness and see into the future. Sacrifices were commonly associated to this breed. The red Techichi could guide souls to the underworld, which is proven since many graves have been excavated in Mexico containing the skeletons of these small dogs.
Christopher Columbus reported of small dogs “which were mute and did not bark, as usual, but were domesticated.
Though the Techichi was larger than the present day Chihuahua, as the size decreased, the courage increased and this mighty little dog found its voice. These tiny dogs are driven by their loyal, underlying love of their owners, and without regard to difference in size will defend home and master without thought of consequence.
The Chihuahua is popular with apartment dwellers and elderly owners. With its big eyes, oversized ears, and bigger-than-life attitude, the Chihuahua is an excellent example of a canine who rules.
Chihuahuas tend to be very possessive and protective with little tolerance for intrusion. There is a story of an elderly woman who admitted a meter-reader without checking ID. Her pregnant Chihuahua followed. She led the uniformed man to the meter, where he attacked her, her Chihuahua promptly attacked and managed to bite the jugular vein. When everything settled after this incident, the woman advertised the courage of her Chihuahua and that this trait is in her puppies.
The Chihuahua’s loyalty is unquestionable, yet it is important to properly train and socialize. The Chihuahua does not adapt to change easily. Although often seen in travel cases, carried in someone’s arms or attached via leash, the Chihuahua is happiest with the stable environment where it can exhibit its playful, mischievous temperament. Because children under 12 move and interact rapidly, it is recommended that Chihuahuas do not be introduced into a family of young children
[...] The Evolution of the Techichi Dog | Video Dog Blog [...]
I don’t know where the claim that chi’s are one of “only a couple indigenous breeds in the western hemisphere”. The chi as we know it is recent, for one thing, having been developed in the late 1800s from a Mexican dog crossed with other tiny breeds, primarily from Asia. Conjecture that this happened earlier is just that, conjecture. A Mayan man from southern Mexico told me that dogs like mine (a 10 pound, muscular chihuahua from the US Southwest) are know as “techica” where he is from. He does not have a domed head or protruding eyes like the bred dogs, and he is gentle if a bit certain of himself. The natives of the Pacific NW, where I grew up, once had several breeds of dog, all of which are now extinct. One of them was a lap dog with long white hair that was used to spin and weave cloth for blankets and winter clothing. All are extinct now, due to the forced relocation of native peoples by whites.
I live in New England now, and have been told that natives here are known to have had companion dogs, recognizable from tribe to tribe. Some of these dogs were interbred with European dogs and changed the character of those dogs.
Natives throughout North America kept dogs which they recognized as unique, and the northern people in particular had dogs that they bred for specific purposes, such as sledding.
I do not know if South American natives had dogs, but mesoamericans certainly did, based on art that distinctly shows several types of dogs, the presence still of dogs in rural areas that resemble the descriptions of dogs present at the time of Spanish arrival.
One unfortunate thing is that so many of the native breeds either died out as native cultures were disrupted or were deliberately killed by European intruders. The other unfortunate thing is that by and large, Euro-Americans are ignorant of much of the history and culture of indiginous people, both past and present.