“When one thinks Mexico and dogs , one thinks of the small hairless varieties if the Chihuahua and the Xoloscuintles, breeds which were kept as much for food as they were for other reason one commonly held belief in Mexico is the idea that asthmatics benefit from living under the same roof with such varieties of dogs. Modern medicine has shown that while they do not cure asthma these dogs produce skin cells that, when released and inhaled by asthmatics, will cut down on the number and severity of such attacks in most people. Xoloscuintles were considered sacred dogs by the Aztecs and also Toltec’s, Maya and some other groups because they believed the dogs were needed by their masters’ souls to help them safely through the underworld. They were also useful companion animals. According to Aztec mythology, the god Xolotl made the Xoloitzcuintli from a sliver of the Bone of Life from which all mankind was made. Xolotl gave this gift to Man with the instruction to guard it with his life and in exchange it would guide Man through the dangers of Mictlan, the world of Death, toward the Evening Star in the Heavens. Some people in Mexico continue to believe this breed has healing qualities. The Aztecs also raised the breed for their meat. Sixteenth-century Spanish accounts tell of large numbers of dogs being served at banquets. Aztec Merchant feasts could have 80-100 turkeys and 20-40 dogs served as food. When these two meats were served in the same dish, the dog meat was at the bottom of the dish, either because it was held in higher regard or because it was increasingly considered a step above cannibalism. The Aztecs did not eat much domesticated animals like Xolos or turkey. Over 90% of the bones found at sites are of deer that were hunted.
When Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, his journal entries noted the presence of strange hairless dogs. Subsequently, Xolos were transported back to Europe. Mexican hairless circa 1915
The breed is not well known in the United States. As a result, the Xolo has been mistaken for the mythical Chupacabra of Mexico. Research have been done and there is no genetic relationship between the Chinese crested dog and the Xoloscuintles dog . Two different dogs just with one thing in common they