Mexican hairless dog Xoloitzcuintli. One of the oldest dog breeds in the world and one of the most peculiar, both in appearance and in the legend that accompanies it, is the xoloitzcuintle, a type of hairless dog originating in Mexico and considered an animal ancestral. He was on the verge of extinction, but his breeding was saved and thanks to this, today you will learn everything you need to know about this hairless Mexican dog. As soon as you look at this type of dog, you can notice the big difference it has with other breeds, and that is that this dog has no hair, its skin is very soft and can be born black, gray, red or brown.
Everything you need to know about xoloitzcuintle: the Mexican hairless dog.
According to different researchers, this type of dog has lived in Mexico for over 7,000 years, making it one of the oldest dogs in the world. According to the stories told by Europeans during the conquest, these dogs kept company with their Mexican masters when they died in order to guide them on the path that led them to Mictlan (the underworld).
The Xoloitzcuintle or Xolo is a hairless dog with very smooth skin and slightly longer than it is tall. The skin can be black, gray, red, brown, bronze and blond. There are three sizes of this breed. The adult Miniature Mexican Xolo typically measures 25-35cm, the medium 36-45cm, and the standard 46-60cm.
Legend of the xoloitzcuintle, also known as the Aztec hound.
According to Aztec legends, the xoloitzcuintle was a gift from Xolotl, the god of darkness, death and spirits, i.e. the counterpart of Quetzalcoatl. Xolotl was depicted as a man with a dog’s head. Xolotl created this dog from a splinter he took from the Bone of Life, for this reason the Aztecs considered him sacred, so much so that when one of his dreams died, his xoloitzcuintle was sacrificed and buried with him, because according to them, the dog would guide him to Mictlan. Its name comes from the Nahuatl language, where Xólotl means misshapen, hairless or strange and the word itzcuintle means dog. He was an exceptional companion for his masters, as he is said to ward off evil beings and spirits from homes. He was also considered a healing dog,
On the verge of extinction.
During the conquest, this dog was on the verge of extinction, because the Europeans first mistook it for a dwarf horse and ate it to survive. On the other hand, they sought to erase all the religious traces linked to this animal, which led the dogs to flee and hide between Oaxaca and Guerrero, where they managed to use their instincts for several centuries. Its reproduction was saved in 1956 thanks to the Federación Canófila Mexicana and has been preserved until today.
The Aztec dog today.
The government of Mexico has declared the Xoloitzcuintle canine breed as a Mexican cultural heritage and symbol since August 12, 2016. It should be noted that this dog breed is 100% Mexican and should not be confused with the Peruvian Hairless Dog. If you’re considering getting a Mexican xoloitzcuintle, it’s best to know how to care for it. For example, they should be moisturized with a cream all over their body between 2 and 3 times a week, and if you go out with them, you should apply sunscreen so that their delicate skin does not get burned.
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