International Chihuahua Appreciation Day – May 14, 2027

History of International Chihuahua Appreciation Day

Humans have had pet dogs for thousands of years. In fact, archaeology suggests a period of 12,000 years, and it is an agreed-upon fact that dogs were the first animals to be kept as pets by humans. Ancient Greeks and Romans were known to openly mourn the loss of a dog, inscribing tombstones for their lost companions. Ancient Egyptians kept dogs and baboons as pets, and often named and buried them with their owners.

The modern conception of pet ownership stems from Victorian England. The 17th and 18th centuries bore witness to the gradual rise in the social acceptability of keeping a pet. Pets soon became a sign of elite status as aristocrats began keeping dogs for both hunting and companionship. The rise of the middle-class post during the industrial revolution led to pet ownership becoming a part of the so-called “bourgeois culture.” As the popularity of pets rose, the pet trade became lucrative, and the streets of London soon saw vendors selling different breeds. The pedigree of a dog also grew in importance as the breed of the dog was indicative of its owner’s status within society.

The Chihuahua is the smallest recognized dog breed. It is believed to have originated from the Techichi, a small dog kept by the Toltec people of Mexico around the 9th century A.D. Chihuahuas were quite rare until the early 20th century; it was first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1904.