Aussie Chi Dog Breed Pictures, Characteristics, and Facts

The Aussie-Chi is a mixed breed, so they don’t have history as their own breed. With that being said, both of their parent breeds have their own rich histories. 

Despite the Australian Shepherd’s misleading name, the breed originated fairly recently in the western United States.  It’s likely that the Aussie’s ancestors include collie and shepherd-type dogs that were imported from Australia during the 1840s, leading to their « Australian » name. Although the breed is prized both for their ability as working  sheepherding dogs and talented agility participants, the breed wasn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club until 1993. 

It’s not fully clear how or when the Chihuahua originated, although we do know the breed is very old. There are two main theories as to the Chihuahua’s development into the breed we know and love today.  The first is that the breed descended from a Central or South American dog breed, now extinct, known as the Techichi. The second theory is that small hairless dogs from China, like the Chinese Crested, were brought to Mexico by Spanish traders and then bred with small native dogs. Regardless, the first appearance of the breed as we know them was in the 1850s in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, from which they took their name. They began to be shown in 1890, and a Chihuahua named Midget became the first Chi registered with the American Kennel Club in 1904. The longhaired variety was likely created through crosses with Papillons or Pomeranians, but longhaired Chihuahuas are now recognized as purebred. The breed’s popularity took off in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was associated with dance king and Latin music bandleader Xavier Cugat. Since the 1960s, the Chihuahua has consistently stayed in the most popular breeds registered by the AKC. Today they rank 11th among the 155 breeds and varieties the AKC recognizes.