Chi-Poo

While there is not much information on the Chi-Poo breed itself, one can still learn much about the breed by studying the parent breeds. The Chihuahua’s exact ancestry is not known, but there are two theories about his origin. One is that he descended from a Central or South American dog called the Techichi. Carvings from this area depict a small dog that resembles the Chihuahua of today. After the Aztecs conquered the Toltec people (these are the people who had made the carvings on which the Techichi was depicted), the Aztecs took the dog as their own. The dog would live in temples such as the Templo Mayor and was a part of Aztec rituals. The dog was thought to have magic powers and be able to heal the sick. Red Techichis were killed and cremated and buried with deceased individuals. He was also a source of food. There is another theory that small hairless dogs were brought to Mexico by Chinese traders and bred with native dogs. No one knows for sure which theory is accurate. However, the shorthaired Chihuahua was discovered in Mexico in the 1850s, and Americans visiting Mexico began bringing the small companion dogs into the United States with them. The Poodle was developed for hunting waterfowl. The Poodle originated in Germany, but French breeders brought him to the dog we know today. The ancestry of the Poodle is debatable; many believe the Poodle is a mixture of European water dogs, the North African Barbet, and Asian herding dogs. It is a very old breed. There are illustrations that look very much like the modern-day Poodle in Egyptian and Roman artifacts. They have also performed as circus dogs over the years. Poodles were rare in the United States until after the second World War. At one time, the Poodle was the most popular breed in the country.