Say hello to Willy the One-eyed Chihuahua. My brother-in-law, Dave, and his wife, Kitty, are Willy's proud owners. He is a rescue dog, and he has two fellow rescued Chihuahuas for companions, though only Willy sports an empty eye socket.
No one knows how Willy lost his eye, since he came that way when he was adopted. Legends and tales abound, however. Dave made the mistake of telling our nieces that Willy misbehaved once, so Dave poked his eye out. Four-year-olds tend to believe that kind of stuff, and now most of the nieces and nephews look at Dave askance, despite our attempts to correct them.
Much like Willy's missing eye, the history of the breed is clouded in speculation and theory. There is no doubt that the proto-Chihuahua is from pre-Columbian Mexico, but beyond that all we have is educated guesses. It probably comes from the Techichi, contemporary to the ancient Toltecs, and was probably around before Mayan times. Their remains were found in a pyramid in Cholula. Christopher Columbus commented on the dog in one of his letters to the king of Spain. The Chihuahua's progenitors were larger then, but still small.
This is a plug for adopting rescue animals. There're lots out there. If you're looking for a good companion animal and can't decide where to go, start with a reputable shelter or rescue organization. Reputable, people. There are lots of animal hoarders out there.
Have a Happy New Year.
