The smallest breed of dog in the world is the “Teacup Chihuahua” which weighs less than one pound and can stand in the palm of a person’s hand.  I’ve seen this breed and they made me nervous.  For fear of crushing the little thing, I’d end up never letting their feet touch the ground.  Pockets and purses would be their home!  No thanks, little one, you are not for me!

Even a normal-sized Chihuahua is very tiny, usually weighing between four and six pounds.

The ancestor of the modern Chihuahua is a breed called the Techichi, which was developed in Mexico by the Toltecs almost 1,000 years ago.  The Techichi was very important in the religious ceremonies of the Toltecs and the Aztecs.  According to Aztec custom, whenever a person died, mourners sacrificed one of these dogs and buried it with the corpse.  The Aztecs believed that the dog would lead the human soul through the underworld, fighting off evil spirits.

For their size, Chihuahuas have a loud bark and can be very bold and aggressive, often taking on dogs several times their size.  I guess their brain is too small to know better than that!  Cute dogs, but the barking drives me nuts and I never met one that didn’t shake all the time.