From the Editor In this second issue of , the magazine for Xolos and the people who love them, you will find some interesting articles, from basic obedience to dog allergies, the story of a remarkable Xolo who had a rough life before finding his forever home and more. Feel free to join our Facebook group “XOLOitzcuintle”, submit an article about any topic related to the breed or share pictures of your Xolos to illustrate the next issues of XOLOitzcuintle! This issue wouldn’t have been possible without the help of:
Alex Cearns, Angel Garcia, Aurea Salinas, Ase Persson, Barbara Griffin, Brenda Russell Armstrong, Carol Miller, Denisee Chavez, Elena Miroshnichenko, Jacqi Dinis, Janne Persson, John Angel, Kristina Gervinskaite, Lisbeth Kallunki, Nina Virtanen, Olga Muhina, Patty Hoover, Raymundo Flores, Sari Uusitalo, Siegfried Jacques, Stephanie Mazzarella, Susane Wernström, Terri Reindl, Thomas Aleto, Uli Ledeboer, and Yu-dong Lin. ~Giovanna Suedan~ gio.suedan@live.com All the articles are the responsability of the author and reflect their own opinion. All articles and pictures were published with the authors’ or owners’ permission.
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On the cover
Ch. Chichen Itza Ethan Provocative Man This handsome 3 year old Standard boy was bred in France by Roger Esparcieux and lives in Russia with Elena Miroshnichenko and her family.
Ch Chichen Itza Ethan Provocative Man Bred by Roger Esparcieux & J.Y. Dupont Owned by Elena Miroshnichenko © Mikhail Lukoyanov
“Dan”, the proud son of MultiCh. Coriso Caliente and MultiCh Tehuana (Hoover) is Junior World Winner 2009, Junior Champion of Russia and Champion of Russia. 3
Table of contents From the editor On the cover Table of contents Faithful friend and companion‌ The Xolo Times Touched by a Queen The mystery of the Xolo-Viringa Allergies to Dogs The obedience Xoloitzcuintle The remarkable story of Bibi Diego, Frida and the Xoloitzcuintles People of Xolos
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2 3 4 5 6 8 14 31 39 47 52 61
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Faithful friend and companion in my journey to the beyond I worship you with dancers in the west zone. In the Kingdom of Coliman you are almost a semi-god Xoloitzcuintle you're still alive, as proof is your sun.
Š Alex Cearns 5
The Intermediate Best In Show Win By Jacqi Dinis
Times New book about hairless breeds
Malintzin’s big win By Abraham Cortes
By Sergio Aguilera
Australian Ch. Besitos Naca (Imp USA) winning a Intermediate Best in Show at BDDC Show on the weekend 6th Feb 2011. This is just seven months after the breed was recognized here. We are very pleased the Xoloitzcuintle breed has been accepted by so many judges placed at group and class in group level, we look forward to continue to showcase the breed in Australia.
On February 26, 2011 within the XXXII International Book Fair of the Mining Palace, in Mexico City, the investigator Raul Valadez Azua, introduced his latest book “El Perro Pelón, su origen, su historia” which contains interesting information about the hairless dog breeds.
During the show organized by the Asociación Mexicana de Criadores Pura Sangre, our Standard female MultiCh Malintzin (Cortes) Mex. got Best of Breed and 4th place at Best in Group two days in a row, with very tough competition in the Breed and Group judgements, handled by professional handler Alberto Martinez Lobato. 6
The Güero’s first show By Ase Persson
On February 26, a Puppy show was held in Hässleholm, Sweden. Where, Warner Bros Güero, a Miniature male bred and owned by Kennel Warner Bros, made his debut in the show ring with a Best of Breed and a Honorary Price, a special award given on puppy shows in Sweden. A coated Standard, bred by Fame Factory’s was also shown, with great results! Congratulations to all exhibitors and winners!
Times Changes to the Breed Standard
New Champions in Israel
On February 16, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale Breed Standard number 234, corresponding to the Xoloitzcuintle had some changes, being the most drastic the rejection towards the Coated variety of the breed, which is now considered a disqualifying fault.
We are proud to announce, that our Izel and Tlatoani started 2011 with Israel Champion and Israel Junior Champion titles. This is another reward and appreciation to their breeder, Rafael Rolando Geminez-Valdes, since both of our Xolos come from his kennel. This lovely couple of miniature xolos, live in Israel and protests against occupation, and are proudly owned by 7 Len and Daniel Szajko.
By Len Szajko
Touched by a Queen
by John Angel
When the phone rang and I was asked to show 2 Xolos in Ontario, my heart started beating fast.
Ch. Bayshore Grecoroman Queen Maya Bred by Frank Baylis Owned by Thomas Crapopoulos
I was always fascinated with this breed but never have been fortunate to meet one. When they arrived in my house I was nervous, it was like a beast went though my door. I admired their primitiveness. I closed my eyes and felt their skin, it was a new sensation. 8
I was amazed how quick learners they are, more clean than the average dog and I realized how smart they are when something happened. I used to take them out from the back door to an enclosed fenced area to relieve themselves and play. One day, on the way out from the door, the leashes broke, not only they did not run away, they went straight through the fenced area and were waiting for me to arrive! I was amazed with this breed and I knew my life will not be the same after they went back to their home. I loved the breed but I had concerns with the temperament of the particular Xolos I had in my home, I thought all were like this.
Ch. Bayshore Grecoroman Queen Maya Bred by Frank Baylis Owned by Thomas Crapopoulos 9
When the phone rang months later I was offered to show a new puppy Xolo in Canada, the puppy was 12 weeks old, aloof and a diva. She had the head of her older half brother Tenango and was very likable. So different in temperament from the ones I had showed before.
It was love at first sight. Daily training sessions and cuddling time, this puppy was the sweetest beast I ever slept with! She is the best electrical blanket I never had, so warm and affectionate. I was astounded from the sounds she made to express her emotions. Fully trained to be a housedog, fully trained to hit the rings she took the Canadian shows by storm, she became a champion at 8 months old with 7 group placements.
Ch. Bayshore Grecoroman Queen Maya Bred by Frank Baylis Owned by Thomas Crapopoulos 10
Queen Maya became part of my daily life, we flew to other places by airplane, we stayed in hotels, we hit the roads by car, she was miss congeniality, she kissed all people around even one judge during a show! She is now back to her owner but she visits often, almost every week. My home feels empty without this big puppy to make me laugh. I miss her warm feel when we used to nap. I miss the sounds she made when she was content.
Ch. Bayshore Grecoroman Queen Maya Bred by Frank Baylis Owned by Thomas Crapopoulos 11
It is inevitable for handlers to bond with the dogs they show, always a sad feeeling when they leave, however what I have left with me is the certainty that this is the breed I want to show to the world, judges; show them a great specimen of the breed, especially in places like Canada where Xolos are hand numbered.
Ch. Bayshore Grecoroman Queen Maya Bred by Frank Baylis Owned by Thomas Crapopoulos
I am currently looking for that spectacular XOLO to own this time so it will never leave and to take him/her places around the world. The adventure has just began....
“Xolos are a wonderful breed� - John Angel 12
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The mystery of the Xolo-Viringa by Carol Miller The various cultures in the area of Lambayeque, on the North Coast of Peru, cultivated a native breed of hairless dog called the “viringa”, much admired for its docile nature, and owing to its naturally high body temperature, for its curative powers. As a companion in bed, owners claimed, the warm dog cured a number of ailments, including rheumatism. The ancient cultures of Mesoamerica, with whom the pre-Columbian Peruvians traded, were equally known for their own version of the hairless dog, built on wild breeding stock developed especially in the basin of the Balsas River. The Mexica and the Purépecha, among other peoples in what are now the modern states of Michoacan, Colima, Mexico, Guerrero and Oaxaca, furthermore fed on their warm Xoloitzcuintle, not only for nourishment but rather to seal the bond with this symbol of the heavens and the cosmos.
MultiCh. M-Ligans Edward Bred by Caroline Gustavsson Owned by Susane Wernström
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Malinche (Premio Real) † Bred by Lascelles de Premio Real Owned by Brenda Russell Armstrong [1] [2]
The word is derived from the Nahuatl xolo, meaning “dog”, and referring to Xolotl, the canine deity so precious to the ancient cultures, for like Anpu, the Greek “Conductor of Souls”, inseparable from Hermes, or the jackal god Anubis, who opened the doors of the Otherworld for the Egyptian dead, Xolotl was assigned the task of transporting the body of the deceased and delivering it to the nether regions, generally laboring by darkness unless accompanied by Tlalchitonatiuh, the Nocturnal Sun.[1] In the Borgia Codex the references are even more specific. This remarkable document, the testimony of the Mexica culture, illustrates, by means of coded emblems, water as representing the Western Sea (the Pacific Ocean), where the Sun, on Xolotl’s back, plunges in its descent toward the Underworld, that secret realm of hidden knowledge and carefully guarded wisdom.[2]
Carol Miller and Guadalupe Rivera Marín, The Winged Prophet, from Hermes to Quetzalcoatl, Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1994, p. 120. 15 Op.Cit. p. 121
Xolotl was said to have headed the wave of tribes called the Chichimec from central Mexico who possessed the bow and arrow, a revolutionary weapon in its time. He and his people, according to the pictographs in the codex, conquered one by one the towns on or around the vast lake, the Meztliapan or Lake of the Moon, today known as Texcoco, that occupied a good part of the Valley of Mexico. The tribe finally settled in a place called Tenayuca. The ambitious and resourceful Xolotl and his people swarmed unchallenged by the Aztecs, at that time only a small tribe, mostly former serfs and unprepossessing mercenaries of the Toltecs, by this time decimated, whose surviving clansmen had established themselves along the southern shore of the lake. The belief was fostered that these Aztecs had originated in antiquity, on an undisclosed island, known as Aztlรกn, possibly located off the coast of presentday Nayarit, or perhaps farther north, in California.
Ch Chernaya Zhemchuzhina iz Mariaksa Bred by Alexandra Mahotina Owned by Olga Muhina 16
MultiCh Coyolxauhqui (Gimenez-Valdes)Mex.FCI Bred by Fidel Gimenez-Valdes Owned by Sari Uusitalo ©Laura Salo
The codex illustrates a man in a canoe rowing away from the beach, accompanied by four priests, or holy men. Each carries a bundle of sacred objects on his back. In one of these hefty parcels the holy men carried the image of Huitzilopochtli, “The Left-Handed Hummingbird of the South”, until then an icon virtually unknown in the central basin of the lakes and unheard-of elsewhere. His followers believed, or were prepared to disseminate the notion, that this new deity was their invincible protector. He was the Sun that “killed” the Moon and Stars the moment he appeared with his powerful light. He was the new and revised storm god, an Aztec Zeus, a god of war worshipped in the temple of Great Tenochtitlan (now the center of presentday Mexico City). 17
Xolotl, the faithful dog, then appeared to escort Huitzilopochtli with the light of a “gifted sun”, that had penetrated the secrets of the Underworld on its journey. It could therefore reveal, and share with the cult’s followers, the esoteric arts, a code of ethics, and the miracle of verbal communication, until the people surpassed their predecessors, even the mighty Toltecs, in cultural accomplishments. Xolotl, however, in time, was relegated to an apparently insignificant role as the god of the ballgame, an entertainment usually associated with the ruling class and protector of all twins, but especially the symbolic inference of himself, Xolotl, as the twin of the great and enlightened Quetzalcoatl. [1]
[1]
Op.Cit. p. 121-122
Comte des Ténèbres de Xoconochco Bred by Sarka Brunner Owned by Siegfried Jacques
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Ch. Azuwyn’s Ix Chel Bred by Kay Lawson Owned by Terri Reindl ŠHalloway Photography
The Xoloitzcuintle, a hairless canine of medium size, is sweet, tractable and patient, with an agreeable aesthetic, adaptable to children, aggressive only when trained as a guard dog. These are actually companion dogs, traditionally given to proximity with humans. Their skeletal remains have been discovered in pre-Columbian tombs, buried together with their human masters, not only among the cultures of the Altiplano-- the high central plateau-- or the Western states, but as well among Maya settlements in the Mexican southeast. Archaeologists have unearthed physical evidence of Xoloizcuintle presence both in Calakmul, the vast and highly advanced ancient city in the interior of the state of Campeche, and in Champoton, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. 19
Harmeks Izabel Bred by Helena Kharitonova Owned by Uli Ledeboer [1] [2]
Op.Cit. p. 123 Op.Cit. p. 146
The dogs are much more than simply a companion, however. Xolotl, in the Aztec almanac known as the Tonalamatl, is represented in Lamatl IX, Ce-Cozcacuahtli, The Vulture, seated on a red throne, enveloped in a jaguar skin and thus associated with the Olmec gods of the Huastec. He is dressed in the garments of Quetzalcoatl, appearing here in his advocation, or avatar, as Ehécatl, the God of the Wind. Xolotl is represented as Quetzalcoatl’s twin and serves as his page. [1] In the mythology of Ce-Itzcuintli, the Sign of the Dog, the Xoloitzcuintle serves as keeper of the flame in a brazier, used for an offering of a ball of incense in the shape of a sphere. The offering represents the Sun, but indicates a fading, or dying sun, the sun in the world of the dead, struck through by night’s arrow. Red ochre was used to paint the heads of the Xoloitzcuintle dogs during the period corresponding to this lamatl, and was considered synonymous with Tlapallan, “the Place of the Red Earth”, later interpreted as “The Site of the Red and the Black”, meaning “place of learning and writing”. The reference describes Tula before Quetzalcoatl’s immolation and exile, and refers to the “red region” of the morning sky in the East, when Quetzalcoatl was transformed into the Morning Star. [2] 20
Xolotl symbolizes the hidden wisdom that can only be attained in crossing, like the Nocturnal Sun of the Mexicas, or Thot, the Egyptian Ibis, the sea of knowledge. Prudence and restraint, perfected in the process, can help to overcome the obstacles encountered on the earthly journey. Xolotl, in fact, in the sign of Ce-Xochitl, The Flower, not only guides the Sun on its journey through the netherregions but in fact is transformed into Huehuecoyotl, the Nocturnal Sun seen as “The Old Coyote�, a dual appearance of the rising and setting Sun surviving the mysteries of its wearying and otherwise inexplicable odyssey. [1] [1]
Op.Cit. p. 250
Adentro Ahuiliztli Bred and Owned by Nina Virtanen 21
Though generally dark gray in color, blotches of pink skin, with no pigmentation whatever, are not uncommon in the Xoloitzcuintle. Their skin is warm to the touch, and they have a natural body temperature of 104° F. Normally devoid of any fur, they are nonetheless known to retain tufts of hair on the top of their heads or the backs of their necks, and isolated hairs often occur on the paws or body. They are not hunters. So rare was meat in their native diet that their last molars are gone. They do well on a bland diet. Ch Binidxaba (Hoover) Mex. Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Angel Garcia ŠHugo Pascual
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Given the lively trade along the Pacific Coast, possibly as far north as the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) and along both coasts of Baja California, if not farther, and the constant exchange of merchandise of all types, as well as live animals, between the peoples of Mesoamerica and the North Coast of Peru, the dogs possibly evolved from a single common ancestor and were included among the trade goods. The two breeds are similar in color and in stature, the largest specimens measuring between forty and fifty centimeters in height at the shoulder (sixteen to twenty inches), with characteristics in common, such as the missing molars, occasional absence of pigmentation, and the tufts of hair on the top of the head. Modern specialists have in fact identified as many as six variations of the breed. [1] [1]
Harmeks Ballu Bred by Helena Kharitonova Owned by Kennel Naglis
Raúl Valadez, Centro de Investigaciones Antropológicas, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Research that dates from the Colonial period, as described in this book by Graciela Romandía de Cantú, (see: Doctor Francisco Hernández, Historia Natural 23have de la Nueva España (Natural History of New Spain), accounts for only four varieties of the breed but modern technology, and Dr. Valadez’ research, identified six.
Diverse specimens may appear in the same litter, even hairless pups with other pups fully covered with thick, normal hair. Various sizes, including large, medium and toy, may also occur in the same litter, but they are still Xolo. Another, related breed, nevertheless does exist. It is known as the Tepeitzcuintle, and while it might possibly be considered a canine, a miniature version of the larger Xolo, non-related variations include what is more likely rodent or even porcine, and is known as well as the “bush piglet”, or “the rat of the countryside”. [1]
Miniature siblings bred by Kennel Naglis
[1]
24 Dr. Oscar Polaco, Joaquín Arroyo, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Specimens in various postures, attitudes and sizes, though mostly toy, were modeled and sculpted by pre-Columbian peoples and were used as burial offerings.[1] These clay ofrendas appear in the ancient shaft tombs along the Mexican Pacific, in the present-day states of Jalisco, Colima, and Nayarit, and are irrevocably identified with the culture of this region,[2] though examples appear as well in coastal Peru, and the little ceramic Viringas are included in the displays of every regional museum. Probably the greatest exhibit, however, with more than forty specimens in varying postures collected throughout his lifetime by Diego Rivera, appears in the Dolores Olmedo Museum, in a specially designed case, on many levels from floor to ceiling.
Xolos of the Dolores Olmedo Museum ©Aurea Salinas www.flickr.com/photos/aureasalinas/
[1] Cine: El Perro Xoloizcuintle, Lic. Leticia Villavicencio, TV UNAM, Casa de la Cultura San Mateo Xalpa, Delegación Xochimilco, 27 Octubre 2005. [2] El Xoloizcuintle en el Arte, World Trade Center, México, 1999.
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Because of that other exchange, commercial as well as cultural, as early as the time of the Han Dynasty (200 B.C.-200 A.D.) between Peru and Mexico, with China and Southeast Asia, [1] it is equally feasible for the Mexican dog to have been transported to East Asia, where it evolved into the so-called Chinese Crested, another hairless breed with a long, flowing tuft of hair at the top of the head. Or perhaps, and more likely, it was the other way around. The dog conceivably originated in Asia and was transported to Peru and Mexico during periods of commercial exchange. [2] Curiously, in Cuba and throughout the Caribbean both the Xoloitzcuintle and the Viringa are known as the “Chinese dog”.
Hairless Xolo & Chinese Crested Xolo: Ch Fullibus Xamara Bred and owned by Lisbeth Kallunki Chinese Crested: Chiango’s Chadley Bred and owned by Anne-Lie Söderström
[1] Heine-Geldern, Robert and Gorden F. Ekholm, The Civilizations of Ancient America, proceedings of the Twenty-ninth International Congress of Americanists, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1951. 26 [2] Carol Miller, The Other Side of Yesterday, The China-Maya Connection, Chapter 10, p. 61-75, Xlibris, 2000.
Hairless Chinese Crested Perfect n’ Bold (Tapia)Mex.FCI Bred by Elisa Tapia (Aingeal Cresteds) Owned by Denisee Chavez (EJC Kennel)
And herein the mystery. The Chinese hairless dog, from time immemorial, was considered a cure for a variety of ailments, and far earlier than its American counterpart was customarily taken by diviners and healers into the bed of an afflicted patient, to draw out his ills. Dogs were fed to persons believed to be suffering from spells, or to have been invaded by inauspicious spirits. Dogs accompanied the dead, and were paid tribute in order to guarantee a safe journey into the afterworld, which many of them guarded, therefore requiring additional appeasement in the form of offerings, expressed as tidbits of food and “spirit money”.
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When I first arrived in Mexico at the beginning of the 1950’s the Xoloitzcuintle was a rarity. Though the breed existed, and was acknowledged by the Mexican Canine Association, examples were few, and wild specimens, like my female “Painani”, had been brought out of the Balsas Basin. She was an exceptional example of her breed. When I showed her, she easily won her championship. In order to find a mate, however, I had to search among private, urban owners and I ultimately crossed her with an excellent stud that had been bred in captivity.
Carol Miller with Painani. 1962. ©Carol Miller 28
Descendants of my pups can still be seen today in the gardens of the Dolores Olmedo Museum at La Noria, in the Xochimilco district of Mexico City, where a flock of them wander in an enclosed garden in front of Doña Lola’s house, to the delight of visitors, next to two bronze sculptures of a Xoloiztcuintle, so lifelike it looks like one of the other specimens. There is no doubt: the Xolo has a magic all its own. In ancient art, in archaeology, in the mystique of the afterlife, or as a companion to the living in the modern metropolis, the pre-Columbian hairless dog has a unique history and distinction, that sets it apart from canes lupus, the presumed ancestor of other, more conventional, dogs.
Xolos of the Dolores Olmedo Museum ©Thomas Aleto www.flickr.com/photos/ilhuicamina/
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Ch Bayshore Grecoroman Queen Maya Canada’s No 1 Std. Xolo puppy 2010 *
Canada’s No 1 Std. Xolo bitch 2010 * Canada’s No 2 Std. Xolo overall * Champion with 7 group placements! Breeder: Frank Baylis Owner: Thomas Crapopoulos Handler for USA, Canada, France: John Angel 30 Design: Giovanna Suedan
Allergies to Dogs by Stephanie Mazzarella Studies indicate that at least ten percent of the World’s population is allergic to pets. As of July 2009 there are approximately 6.8 billion people living on the earth. This makes an estimated 680 million people allergic to pets. Depending on the severity of the allergy, some will live without a pet while others will suffer with their allergies. I was one of those individuals whose allergy was so severe having a dog was impossible.
Intermediate puppy Bred by Stephanie Mazzarella
People with dog allergies can suffer from rashes, stuffy/runny nose, inflamed itching eyes, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and asthma attacks every time they go near a dog. For some people a lick can cause symptoms ranging from hives and swelling to anaphylactic shock. 31
Understanding Dog Allergies People with pet allergies react to the proteins called allergens which are found in the dog’s saliva and urine, and are secreted by oil glands in the skin that is shed as dander. These proteins adhere to the fur when the dog licks itself or gets urine on its fur. Dander and other allergens like pollen, mold and dust mites also collect in the fur. The majority of people with dog allergies are also allergic to these other allergens. This makes the hairless Xoloitzcuintle a great choice for people with pet allergies.
Miniature puppy Bred by Stephanie Mazzarella
In a desperate attempt to own a dog, some people will buy a dog listed as hypoallergenic only to discover they are allergic to the dog. There are no hypoallergenic dogs since all dogs have dander and allergens found in their saliva and urine. I spent countless hours around the various hypoallergenic dog breeds in hopes of owning a dog, only to have my allergies prevail. I am grateful to have found the Xoloitzcuintle breed. For over twenty years my home has been filled with the love and joy of Xolos. 32
My prospective customers with pet allergies must complete two basic dog allergy tests.
•Testing Locally: If possible, the person should visit with the Xolo. The dog is bathed two weeks prior to the visit. During this two week period, the dog is taken outside on a leash to potty thereby minimizing the time spent outside and the pollen carried on the dog’s skin. (This must be taken into consideration since many people with pet allergies are also allergic to pollen.) During the visit the person is instructed to take deep breaths while touching their face and nose on the dog’s back, chest and neck. After touching the dog with their hands they are instructed to rub their eyes. Then the dog is allowed to lick around the person’s eyes, which is the most sensitive area. This will test for both dander and saliva allergies.
Intermediate and Miniature puppies Bred by Stephanie Mazzarella
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•Testing from a Distance: If the person cannot visit with the Xolo, then these basic allergy tests are performed.
•Dander: The person sends a T-shirt. Once the T-shirt is received the dog is bathed. Then the dog sleeps with the T-shirt for two weeks. During this two week period, the dog is taken outside on a leash to potty. At the end of the two weeks the T-shirt is placed in a Freezer Ziploc bag and sent back. Some people with mild pet allergies may take a few days before the level of allergens are sufficient to cause an allergic reaction, therefore the person is instructed to wear the T-shirt for two full days. They should periodically rub the T-shirt on their face while taking deep breaths.
•Saliva: Four Q-tips are rolled around the inside of the Xolo’s mouth to get them very wet with saliva. The Q-tips are placed in a small Freezer Ziploc bag and returned along with the T-shirt. The person is instructed to rub two Q-tips each day around the outside of their eyes. If the Q-tips are dry upon arrival, they should lightly moisten them with water prior to using them. This test has proven very affective.
Chabella (Mazzarella) Mex.FCI & Colina (Mazzarella) Mex.FCI Both bred and owned by Stephanie Mazzarella 34
Arte de Mundo Sculptress, photographer, and creator of works of singular anatomy and stunning movement. Working without sketches or models she creates from the depths of her memory, her touch, her instinct and skill, figures of men, women, children and animals that are personal, yet universal, references to a mythology also of her own making, deities from her private pantheon intimately associated with the source cultures of the world. She has authored or translated over thirty published books, written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and the narrative material for documentary films. The critics classify her work as “uniquely figurative�
Carol Miller carolmillerg@hotmail.com carol_miller33@yahoo.com
Design: Giovanna Suedan
The legend of the butterfly Xolo
[1]
In the times of the forth sun, God Xolotl gave life to the first Xoloitzcuintle, a semi-god, the only one that knew how to cross the 9 levels in order to get to the Mictlan, the underworld.
Mia †Owned by Giovanna Suedan
When someone die, a Xolo was sacrificed, tied to the deceased with a red ribbon (so he wouldn’t get lost) and buried together. The Xolo would guide the soul of the human through the 9 levels, but, in the last level, there was a big river, the Apanohuaya, and the only way to go through it was with the help of the Xolo. If in life the deceased didn’t treated properly an animal, then the Xolo refused to help the soul and left it in that dimension for an eternity. 36 [1] Based in an oral legend
MultiCh Warner Bros Belize Bred and Owned by Janne & Ase Persson
When they finally arrived to the Mictlan, the lord of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli, gave the Xolo the choice of staying there forever or returning to the Earth. Some chose to stay and wait to their beloved ones there, while others wanted to return to Earth to be with their human. Those who chose to return had to cross the Apanohuaya again, but since they have already cross it once, the water of the river stained their skin, marking with white the parts of the Xolo that had more contact with the water, like the legs, belly and tail, but sometimes, when the Xolo splashed a lot, the water can also stain their face. After coming back from the Mictlan, the Xolo was born again, this time as a “butterfly� Xolo. 37
IMA
-Xoloitzcuintle-
Proudly bred by Donna Cawley United Kingdom www.xoloitzcuintle.co.uk
We are proud to announce the birth of Tecuani Juan Dorado owned by Gina Rymer & Chichen Itza Dune De Dior For IMA first litter Design: Giovanna Suedan
The Obedience Xoloitzcuintle An Adventure in Training The Basic Exercises: Teaching the “Sit” By: Barbara Griffin Gwinn-Dell Xoloitzcuintle
Obedience training is important for a happy well balanced companion. It sets the base for other types of training and builds a stronger relationship with your Xolo. For those who want to compete, obedience and rally competition are fun! I heavily campaigned my Golden Retrievers for years and then I fell in love with Irish Wolfhounds and began putting obedience titles on them. I have trained and competed with a variety of breeds and each breed brings its own unique challenges, as does each individual dog. Because of its extreme intelligence, the Xolo can be a controller so obedience training is important. Whether looking at a competition dog or just wanting a household pet, obedience is important.
Gwinn-Dell’s Don Quixote Owned by Barbara Griffin
Quixote is CGC ThD NAC O-NAC S-NAC NCC O-NCC S-NCC O-CC OAC O-OAC RS-N NJC O-NJC S-NJC OJC O-OJC S-OJC NJS-N NGC O-NGC S-NGC GS-N TN-N O-TN-N S-TN-N 39 TN-O O-TN-O S-TN-O WV-N O-WV-N S-WV-N TG-N O-TG-N S-TG-N TG-O O-TG-O AG-N OGC CL3-R CL3-F CL3-H CL3-S PS1 PJ1 TBAD TG-1 TIAD S-TG-N RN NAJ NA OAJ EJC S-TN-O WV-O AJX OA MXJ
Compliance is not in their DNA, yet Xolos can compete with the best. As a primitive breed, the Xolo presents its own way of being convinced that it wants to work for you. Success depends upon one’s expectations and one's methods. Xolos can put in a respectable, happy and awe inspiring performance! If the trainer settles for just a qualifying score, then that’s all he’ll get. I set high goals and expect the best out of my dogs. Sessions need to be short and positive. This is not a breed that responds to drilling, nor does a Xolo respond to force and a heavy hand. I use lots of food and lots of praise. I also set firm boundaries. My pattern is TELL HIM the command, then SHOW HIM what I want him to do, HELP HIM to accomplish the exercise, and REWARD (PRAISE/FEED, and PLAY). You need to make it a game. Keep in mind that one gets much more with positive than negative! Xolos are not bred to get excited about working to please you, but you can teach them to enjoy obedience and put in a good and impressive performance.
Ch Baalche (Hoover) Mex.FCI ThD RN XCD AXJ Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Barbara Griffin ©Tien Tran 40
Early Training
MultiBIS A1 XCUSA Ch UCICB Quetzal (Hoover) Mex.FCI CGC ThD CL1-R CL1-F TNN NF NAJ Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Barbara Griffin
Ideally, training begins as soon as the puppy is born. Puppies are handled and petted and cuddled, letting them know that the human touch is a good thing. I begin “stacking” puppies almost from the time they are born, partly to get an idea of conformation strengths and weaknesses; partly to begin teaching the puppy that it’s okay to be handled. By the time puppies are 8 weeks, they are used to being stacked and having feet, mouths, and all other parts touched. I reward with treats when puppies are able to take them. Thus such handling becomes "a good thing."41
I also begin gently placing the puppy into a sitting position and into a down position, using the appropriate word and lots of praise and treats. Again, everything is positive; I do not use force. This way when the puppy is ready for formal training he already knows the commands so now it’s just a manner of polishing his skills. Many pups do not come with this background though. I still use these same methods with lots of touching and handling an older puppy or grown dog so the pup or dog learns that this is a good thing. My Xolos love to be stroked and massaged. They are all used to being handled and touched.
Besito’s Valentin Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Barbara Griffin
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Teaching the Sit To teach a Xolo to sit, using my left hand to guide, I spread my thumb and fingers, begin to run them on either side of the spine and give a slight squeeze in front of the hip bones while holding a treat above his head.
Treat above Baalche’s head
Slight squeeze
Baalche reaches up for his treat, which rocks him back into the desired position 43
Model: Ch.Baalche (Hoover) Mex. FCI, bred by Patty Hoover and owned by Barbara Griffin
He gets his praise and treat immediately as or just after he sits. I never push down on his rear when first teaching him to sit. This causes him to brace himself and can also injure a youngster. I use this same method on older dogs. Following the food above his head and getting the reward work much better for a Xolo than physical methods. Food and positive are the keys. When a Xolo begins his formal obedience training I want him to learn to do an automatic sit when I stop when I tell him to "heel." This is where the light squeeze comes in. I give a light pop up with the lead. My right hand goes close to his neck as I stop, as my left hand gives him the light squeeze in front of his hips. With a Xolo, I rely heavily on the food. I have the food ready for his reward as soon as he lowers his rear into the correct position. The base I have set by teaching him the sit first helps insure success.
Besito’s Quichica (Hoover) Mex.FCI NF NAJ Bred by Patty Hoover Owned by Barbara Griffin
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The light squeeze “folds� him and helps him to learn to sit in a non-threatening manner. My emphasis is on using the food, as one cannot physically force a Xolo into a sit without a huge fight. The hand merely steadies and guides. The squeeze helps to fold. You do NOT want to get into a physical fight with a Xolo. He is not going to comply and will hate the exercise. If he resists the hand and squeeze, turn the exercise into a food game at first. Hold the food above him moving your hand over his head as he stretches to get it.
Tarasco focuses on the treat
He stretches to get the treat
Which rocks him into the desired position 45
Model: Tarasco (Hoover) Mex. FCI, bred by Patty Hoover and owned by Barbara Griffin
Kennel Naglis Our goal is to breed high quality, healthy, well socialized Miniature & Standard Xoloitzcuintles.
Our kennel has Russian and Mexican bloodlines from well known kennels such as Harmeks, Tecuani and Caliente.
We have been members of Lithuanian Cynological Society since 1995 and of FĂŠdĂŠration Cynologique Internationale since 2008 (FCI No- 50/08). The xolos in the pictures are our beauties from Kennel Harmeks Design: Giovanna Suedan
Kristina Gervinskaite & Alberta Gervinskiene Lithuania www.naglis.tik.lt
The remarkable story of Bibi By Yu-dong Lin & Jacqi Dinis Bibi's story has an unknown beginning, but his owner can share his remarkable story from when he was rescued and adopted.
Bibi Owned by Yu-dong Lin
Bibi was found wet and shivering, abandoned in a parking lot of a supermarket in France - very possibly because of his total blindness. He was sent to a shelter, which he obviously didn't like as he escaped and ran away. Bibi was then caught again and this time ended up at a killing station (the term given to a place where dogs can stay for only a very few days before they are put down.) Bibi's owner tells me that even today these places are still very common in many countries, but since they live in a country where killing animals without serious medical indication is forbidden by law they were very shocked to learn that this is possible at all in a western civilized countries. Its very sad and many people refuse to call those places 'shelter' because they are in fact the opposite of sheltering! 47
Bibi's owner came across a desperate call to save this blind hairless dog on a German website that is dedicated to rescuing hairless dogs. Immediately falling in love and with desperation in knowing that this blind hairless dog was at this killing station where all dogs live in an outside kennel in a pack and have to fight over food in one of the coldest months in winter (December!). After a couple of emails, phone calls and a visit from the local shelter (to check if my house was fitting for dogs) Bibi's owner drove from Austria to France to collect him. It was obvious this was a match made in heaven, from the first moment and glance he was a stunning dog and so sweet. It wasn't long before Bibi jumped straight into the car without hesitation. A wonderful carer for Bibi from the rescue organisation who bailed him out of the shelter was very sad when Bibi left because he is such a sweet and loving dog, she was sad with happiness that he had found a forever home.
Bibi Owned by Yu-dong Lin
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Shortly after arriving in Austria Bibi was taken to see an eye specialist vet who diagnosed him with PRA, a genetic disease.
Bibi had a mate at his new house, a dog called Schatzi an intermediate Xolo from a German breeder. At first they had a bit of a hard time accepting each other but in a matter of no time they soon they became friends.
Schatzi (Bugatti vom Martin’s Tal) and Bibi with their owner Yu-dong Lin Schatzi was bred by Almut Martin
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As most blind dogs do, Bibi copes very well with his blindness, his owner states he is such a wonderful dog. He is very attached to his owner and thinks that he is a tiny little lapdog but in reality he's standard size and a healthy 22kg. Bibi was a very lean 17kg when he was rescued, but luckily he loves food so much and would eat anything if he was allowed. I am told he has hidden talents for a blind dog as you would never believe what a talented and fast food thief a blind dog can be. Bibi Owned by Yu-dong Lin
"People think that Bibi is so lucky to have me but I think it's really the other way around. I'm the lucky one with both wonderful Xolos.� - Yu-dong Lin 50
Le Coeur des Ténèbres Top quality Chinese Crested & Miniature Xoloitzcuintle Signatory of the chart of quality of the Club français du chihuahua du coton de tulear et des exotiques. Siegfried Jacques France www.chien-chinois.com
Design: Giovanna Suedan
Diego, Frida and the Xoloitzcuintles By: Raymundo Flores Melo
Diego and Frida, the toad and the dove, the enjoyment of exist and the pain of existence. Characters who, over the time have become an emblem of an era in the history of Mexico, from that stage that occurs after the Mexican Revolution, when the construction of several state institutions that still exist, when workers and peaseants conglomerates are built, base and sustention of what would be the goverments of the Revolution, those government – yet – with social and popular orientation.
Frida Kahlo, 1952 Col. Dolores Olmedo Patiño Museum ©Héctor García
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The walls of the Secretariat of Public Education, the National Palace and other federal buildings, the Bellas Artes Palace, would serve Rivera to expresse the ideals of the new ruling class: the Nationalism. This new way of thinking that wants to build a different country and therefore sets its eyes in the past, that past that little or nothing has to do with what is outside, with what come from somewhere else; and like this starts the rescue of images, costums, traditions, of all that that serves to underpin and give strength to what is projected.
Diego Rivera at the “Casa Azul� Coyoacan, Mexico City
Starts an historical review, a reassessment of the Indian and the indian. Faces, features, archaological remains, language, dance, authochthonous flora and fauna are seen by artists and researchers of the time to seize and materialize it in walls, fabrics, paper and other supports, the face of this new Mexico, the revolutionary and nationalist Mexico. 53
Thus we have that, alongside characters from different historical times, the dog is present, that canine friend, companion who has followed the footsteps of the man since he crossed the Bering strait. But its not just any dog the one painted in the works of muralist Rivera, is a Xoloitzcuintle dog extracted from the area known as Balsas River basin… A dog without hair, a dog unlike any other, an animal full of symbolism, mystery and, as it was said and it’s say, of healing properties. The Xoloitzcuintle is depicted trying to mimic, most of the time, the prehispanic figure of the Colima dogs. The Xolo is embodied in the National Palace as: “La civilización Totonaca” (1950), “El mercado de Tlatelolco” (1944-45), "Las industrias del maguey y del amate" (1951), "El desembarco de los españoles en Veracruz" (1951), as well as in the mural called "Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central" (1947-48) and "El agitador" (1926) found in the Autonomous University of Chapingo. Covering that way, with their prescence, the pre-Hispanic era, the colonial Mexico, the XX century, and the confluence of the agrarian and labor movement in the country of the first half of the twentieth century.
Diego Rivera and his Xoloitzcuintles, 1995. Col. Dolores Olmedos Patiño ©Guillermo Zamora 54
In this area, we can not fail to mention the mural painted on the facade of the houe of Dolores Olmedo in Acapulco, Guerrero, called Exekatlkalli or House of the Wind (1956) where the xoloitzcuintle appears with his divine twin Quetzalcoatl, allegory related with the creation of the man according the Nahua mythology. Diego Rivera made over more than a year this beautiful mural with tiles, shells and stones. On the other hand there is a litograph and a watercolor that show the daily life of the rural Mexico of the time: “El niño del taco” (1932), infant with indigenous features in front of a Xoloitzcuintle lying down looking attentively how he eats, and the “Mercado de petates” (1950) occupies – the little xolo - one of the inferior corners.
“El niño del taco” (1932) Col. Dolores Olmedo Patiño
In this way we have the Xoloitzcuintle as companion of the mexican throughout the historical development of its homeland, a country that is built by adding a variety of elements of the different cultures present in the terrory. 55
Thinking in Frida Kahlo is to see the Casa Azul in Coyoacan with its habitants and visiting friends, it’s seeing Matilde Calderon, mother of the painter, feeding the Xoloitzcuinles, is looking to the own painter sitting next to Diego Rivera, in the stairs of the house, living with these animals that come and go across the patio and corridos, between plants, pots and gods of the past carved in rock
Matilde Calderon – Frida Kahlo’s mother – feeding the dogs of the Casa Azul, in Coyoacan. June 30, 1932
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In Frida Kahlo’s work, the Xolo also occupies an important place, a space so relevant that it is part of “ “El Abrazo de Amor de el Universo, la Tierra (México), Yo, Diego y el Señor Xólotl” (1949), but at the same time everyday, intimate and warm as we can appreciate it in “Autorretrato con changuito” (1945), in “Escuintle y yo” (1938) or in the "Danza al Sol“, which is one of the lustrations of her journal “Alas rotas”, as well as in several pictures from which are highlighted the ones done by Lola Álvarez Bravo and Héctor García.
“Escuintle y yo” (1938) Col. Dolores Olmedo Patiño
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So intimate as seeing Frida taking a camera and take a plate to the “Chaparra” and afterwards –once the image was printed – writing on the back of it: “Little brother: She is a little bit sad because she was sleeping and I woke her up to portray but says she dream that Diego would come soon, what do you say? I send you lots of kisses and also the Chaparra”[1]. It is very possible that the couple Rivera-Kahlo obtain their Xoloitzcuintle dogs from a person that for a long time explored areas of the states of Guerrero and Michoacan, which after would serve as guide of the first expedition done in search of this type of dogs: the American Guillermo Spratling [2]. [1] Ortiz
“La Chaparra” The image above was taken by Frida Kahlo in August 1930
Monasterio, Pablo (edit). Frida Kahlo. Sus fotos. México, RM, 2010, pp. 386-387 58 Azua, Raúl y Mestre Arrioja., Gabriel Xoloitzcuintle del Enigma al siglo XXI. México, UNAM-IIA/FXCC/ARTENACIÓN, 2008, PP. 67-72
[2] Valdez
If Diego Rivera makes it trascend in the national scope, Frida Kahlo makes it familiar and become part of the daily live of the individual. With these two characters of art, the Xoloitzcuintle occupies a place in the Mexican culture and gives its first steps to be known, appreciated and admired throughout the world.
Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Col. Martha Zamora
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~ Kennel Warner Bros ~ We are proud to announce the upcoming Miniature litter of
Ch. Comte des Ténèbres de Xoconochco & MultiCh JWW’08 WW’10 Warner Bros Belize Owned by Kennel “Le Coeur des Ténèbres” www.chien-chinois.com FRANCE
Owned by Kennel “Warner Bros” www.kennelwarnerbros.se SWEDEN
Design: Giovanna Suedan
People of Xolos Patricia Leibold Hoover Patty, as she prefers to be called, is a Xolo breeder who lives in eastern Washington state in the northwest part of the US. She purchased her first Xolo in 1988, and over the years she has worked very hard to educate the public about the breed that she loves. Her Xolos have been shown in Canada, the US Rare Breed Clubs, Mexico and other FCI countries.
Patty Hoover with her miniature female Ch. Rosa de Tlalpan (Hoover) Mex.FCI ŠXCUSA
In the early 90’s she began visiting Mexico often to show her Xolos and to search for breeding stock. A young Mexican man, named Gabriel, who was just learning to speak English helped her find most of her early breeding stock. Patty did not feel capable of speaking enough Spanish so this was a good situation for them both. 61
Her best memories are of the people she met long ago, like Sr. Jaloma and his wife, Socorro, Lascie and others. Then there were so few people who even knew about the breed. As her Spanish improved a bit she was able to search out Xolo breeders and exchange ideas with them, and sometimes buy a Xolo to add to her kennel. She treasures the good friendships of manyXolo people that have come into her life as a result of the work with the Xolo. Breeding Xolos and findind the right homes for each one has been her daily work for many years.
Ch. Besito’s Tzi Tzi Mex.FCI Bred and Owned by Patty Hoover ©XCUSA
”It is my hope that breeders will work hard to bring each Xolo to its best potential, whether it be coated or hairless, as a show dog or as a companion.”
- Patty Hoover 62