The Techichi was an ancient species of small dog that played a significant role in the civilizations of Mesoamerica. Its history is deeply rooted in Central Mexico, particularly with the Toltec people, who flourished as early as the 9th century CE. The Aztec Empire later adopted and revered the animal, recognizing its cultural and spiritual importance. This article examines the historical timeline and factors that led to the Techichi’s disappearance as a distinct breed.
Identifying the Techichi
The Techichi was a sturdy, small dog, though generally larger than its modern descendants, with historical estimates suggesting it weighed between 10 and 20 pounds. Depictions in ancient carvings and artifacts show an animal with a compact build, large ears, and an alert demeanor. One of its most distinctive physical traits was its inability to bark, often described by early chroniclers as a mute dog.
Archaeological findings in Mexico, including pottery, effigies, and skeletal remains, confirm the Techichi’s existence well before the arrival of Europeans. These remnants are often found in burial sites, highlighting the dog’s profound religious significance in indigenous cultures. The Toltecs considered the Techichi a valuable companion and commodity, even using the animal in trade.
Later, the Aztecs intensified the spiritual reverence for the dog, believing it possessed the power to guide human souls after death. The dog was closely associated with the god Xolotl, the deity of lightning and death, who was thought to shepherd the deceased through the treacherous journey to the underworld. This belief led to the ritualistic practice of sacrificing and burying the small dogs alongside their noble owners to serve as spiritual guides. The Techichi’s history is confirmed through these primary sources, which date back to the Toltec civilization.
The Historical Record and Disappearance
The exact moment the Techichi became extinct is not recorded, as its disappearance was a gradual process of cultural and genetic absorption rather than a singular event. Its decline began with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, which fundamentally altered the socio-cultural landscape of Mesoamerica. The Spanish conquest brought a swift end to the indigenous practices that sustained the Techichi as a distinct breed.
The ritualistic breeding and sacred use of the dogs ceased as Spanish rule dismantled the Aztec and Toltec religious systems. This loss of cultural significance reduced the incentive for the indigenous population to maintain the breed’s purity. The Spanish also introduced European dog breeds to the continent, leading to widespread cross-breeding and genetic dilution of the native canine population.
A significant pressure on the Techichi came from its use as a food source. The Spanish explorer Francisco Hernández reported the native people commonly ate the dogs, and conquistadors consumed them in large numbers during expeditions when other provisions were scarce. Historical estimates suggest that the Spanish may have consumed tens of thousands of the dogs, pushing the population to the brink.
The combination of genetic intermixing with European canines, the cessation of ritualistic breeding, and intense predation for food meant the pure Techichi bloodline vanished. While the exact date is unknown, the dog is generally considered to have faded out by the late 16th or early 17th century. Surviving lineages persisted only in isolated, remote villages, where they continued to evolve largely unobserved.
The Techichi Chihuahua Connection
The Techichi is the direct ancestor of the modern Chihuahua dog breed. This connection is strongly supported by the morphological similarities between the ancient remains and the contemporary dogs. The modern breed is believed to have developed from the surviving Techichi populations that were rediscovered in the mid-19th century in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Scientific evidence supports this lineage through genetic analysis of the modern breed. Studies of mitochondrial DNA have identified a unique haplotype shared by modern Chihuahuas and pre-Columbian Mexican dogs. Approximately 36% of Chihuahuas carry this genetic marker, which distinguishes their ancestry from European-introduced breeds. This genetic continuity confirms the modern Chihuahua is a living remnant of the Techichi.