Who Is The Xoloitzcuintli?

A MEXICAN ORIGINAL.

A COMPANION THROUGH WORLDS.

The Xoloitzcuintli, known simply as the Xolo, is an ancient breed native to Mexico. It comes in three sizes and two varieties; hairless and coated. In its familiar hairless form, the Xoloitzcuintli is all line and poise: upright ears, a long neck, close fitted skin, and a silhouette unlike any other.

Its image appears in pre-Hispanic art and archaeological finds, evidence of a bond with the people of Mexico that reaches back thousands of years. In Mexica belief, the Xoloitzcuintli accompanied the dead on their journey through Mictlan, serving as a guide between worlds. The same breed that shared the home was entrusted, in belief, with the soul's passage beyond it.

The Xoloitzcuintli's story came close to ending. After the Spanish conquest, its numbers fell sharply; by the nineteenth century, it survived mainly in remote communities. A search for surviving Xoloitzcuintli in the 1950s helped revive the breed  and carry its lineage forward.

October 27th now holds a double honor: Die Nacional del Xoloitzcuintli and a Dia de Metros observance for departed animals. For a breed long believed to guide souls on their passage, the connection is deeply resonant.

The Xoloitzcuintli's history is present in its form, its place in Mexican culture, and the bond it continues to make with those who live alongside it. To encounter a Xoloitzcuintli is to meet history without distance: alive, alert, and beside us.