THE XOLOITZCUINTLI IS NOW known to be one of the world’s oldest and rarest breeds, with statues identical to the hairless variety dating back over 3,000 years. These clay and ceramic effigies have been found in tombs of the Mayan, Colima and Aztec Indians. The Aztecs deeply revered the Xolo and believed the breed to have mystical healing abilities.  Xolos first began to turn up at Mexican dog shows in the late 1940s. While it was recognized that these were indigenous specimens of a native breed, interest in them was minimal at that time. Within a decade, however, the FCM realized that the breed would be extinct if drastic action were not taken to save it. This led to the widely publicized “Xolo Expedition of 1954”.  The expedition, led by Norman Pelham Wright, found and brought back sufficient numbers of good Xolos and it was these dogs that formed the foundation of Mexico's program to revive the breed.  A committee headed by Wright authored the first official standard for the breed. 

The Xoloitzcuintli breed was first registered in Mexico in 1955.   On May 1, 1956, the Standard for the breed was adopted and the Xolo was recognized in its native land.  It is now the designated “Official Dog of Mexico”.   With Mexico a member of the FCI, this gained the Xoloitzcuintle worldwide recognition, too.  The Xoloitzcuintli was actually first registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) from 1887 to 1959 as the “Mexican Hairless” breed, but was dropped due toinsufficient numbers of dogs being bred and registered. The photo with the “Mexican Hairless” chapter from the AKC 1935 “Toy Dogs” makes it completely clear that this breed was in NO WAY a true Xoloitzcuintli, simply a hairless Chihuahua or crossbred. 

The Xoloitzcuintli returned to the AKC show ring In 2011 as its 170th breed.