The True Origin of Dogs
Why did God make chihuahuas? An excellent question, I thought, as I stared down at the inquisitive seven-year old girl at my feet. Her family was attending one of my dog training classes and being the instructor, I guess I was supposed to know these things. Her family owned a Golden Retriever. I guess Golden Retrievers made sense to her whereas Chihuahuas did not. I could see her point. And I like Chihuahuas. However, when you look at a dog such as a Golden Retriever, or even something as unusual as a Great Dane, you can see the reasoning behind the design. But, look at a Chihuahua, and you say, “Huh?”.
Not knowing what else to do, I simply told her the truth. God had nothing to do with the Chihuahua. In fact, God has nothing to do with dogs, period. Dogs are Man-made. God made the wolf. A perfectly designed, intelligent predator. Man, many thousands of years ago, decided that the wolf could be a handy hunting partner. The only problem being that the wolf was too big, too ornery, and tended to want to eat Man’s children. This was frowned upon, so Man decided he’d do something about it. Over many hundreds of years and thousands of generations of selective breeding, Man created the dog. He created the dog to hunt with him, herd his animals, tend his flock, pull his sleds and guard his family. He created dogs to kill vermin and retrieve game. Eventually, Man became so good at having his animals do his work for him that he found he had leisure time. Tinkering again with selective breeding, Man created the Toy category of dog to help him pass this leisure time. This is why Chihuahuas exist. They were bred as companions. They were made lively and fearless and protective in order to be entertaining. You wouldn’t want a boring companion, would you? So, this is why Chihuahuas are what they are. We made them so. It’s why all breeds of dogs are what they are. Some stubborn, some aggressive, some loud, some wanting to do nothing but pull, others wanting only to chase and herd, still others that dream only of retrieving balls and sticks (and dead birds, if they get lucky).
When looking at a purebred dog as a potential family member it is very important to look into the origin of the breed. Why does this breed exist? What was it created to do? If it was created to be an active, working dog, then perhaps a town home and a couple who work ten hours a day wouldn’t be a good choice. If the breed was designed as a guard dog, (Lhasa Apso) a runner, (Siberian Husky) a barker, (Norwegian Elkhound) or a lap dog, (Pekinese), will it still fit well within your family? Research the breed. Don’t choose a puppy based on color, size, and coat length alone. Find out why the breed exists. Make sure it will fit into your family as an adult dog. You’ll be much happier if you do.
