The Techichi is an extinct breed of small, mute dog bred by the
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, reaching prominence from 950 to 1150 CE. Th ...
culture as long ago as the 9th century C.E. It is thought to be an ancestor of the modern
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to:
Places
*Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state
**Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state
**Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state
**Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state
**Chihuahua Mun ...
.
Appearance
Techichis varied in appearance, with their coats ranging from brown, brown and white, black and white, to black. Their ears were sometimes
cropped
Cropping is the removal of unwanted outer areas from a photographic or illustrated image. The process usually consists of the removal of some of the peripheral areas of an image to remove extraneous trash from the picture, to improve its framin ...
close to the head, but their tails were left uncut in their natural state.
History
Techichis were larger than modern Chihuahuas, but were bred into the smaller, lighter dog known today by the Aztecs, who conquered the Toltecs in the 12th century.
The first European to encounter the dog breed was the Spanish explorer Francisco Hernandez, who reported its existence in 1578. He wrote that the native people ate them as commonly as they ate rabbits. The Spanish, who were often short of food, ate them on their expeditions as well. It is estimated that Spanish explorers ate as many as 100,000 Techichis, and by the 19th century they had disappeared altogether.
It wasn't until the mid-1800s that people outside of Mexico took interest in the breed, finding many of its modern descendants in the state of Chihuahua.
In human culture
To the Toltecs, Techichis were believed to have supernatural powers, such as seeing into the future, and they were often sacrificed so they could guide their owners in the afterlife. Like the Toltecs, the Aztecs also believed that Techichis could guide human souls after death, and that they could guard pyramids if buried underneath them. Several pre-Columbian artefacts have been discovered depicting the dogs, including wheeled toys and effigy pots.
They were eaten as food by people, and certain
stud
Stud may refer to the following terms:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...
males and brood females were kept to produce as many litters as possible.
See also
*
Dog meat
Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world. During the 19th century westward movement in the United States, ''mountainmen'', native A ...
*
Dogs in Mesoamerica
Dogs in Mesoamerica of various sorts are known to have existed in prehispanic times as shown by archaeological and iconographical sources, and the testimonies of the 16th-century Spaniards. In the Central Mexican area, there were three races: the ...
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List of extinct dog breeds
The following is a list of Extinction, extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces and types.
List of extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces and types
References Citations
Bibliography
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Native American dogs
Native American dogs, or Pre-Columbian dogs, were dogs living with people indigenous to the Americas. Arriving about 10,000 years ago alongside Paleoindians, today they make up a fraction of dog breeds that range from the Alaskan Malamute and P ...
References
{{Extinct dog varieties
Dog breeds originating in Mexico
Dog breeds originating from Indigenous Americans
Extinct dog breeds
Dog as food