This is that hairless dog that I was incorrecly led to believe had a medical problem at another zoo. Even though domesticated, it seems to be the thing to do to display them in zoos - they're here, and also at Chapultapec Eco Park, and I saw a photo in the gallery for the zoo near Cancun.
Oh, and they drew a huge crowd here, it was hard for me to get close enough to get any kind of photo.
They are the dogs of the Gods! All great Mayan kings were buried with these dog (the dogs may have been buried live? i'm not sure but I think i remember reading that) Apparently they are very rare now and fetch massive amounts of money for a pup!
Even Mexicans have trouble with the pronounciation, that is why we call them Xolos to save much trouble. These dogs were kept by the prehispanic civilizations ,the Aztecs and Mayans amongst others, and held a great importance for them. These dogs were believed by the Aztecs to serve the purpose of corageously guiding a deceased person through the treacherous journey underworld of Mictlan to eternal life (This is why they were often sacrificed at the time of the owners death) The Aztecs believed that this breed of dog was sacred (although they were often eaten too) , given to them by the god Xolotl (The god of lightening and compared to most of their gods from their religeous pantheon, Xolotl was the most compassionate wishing to ease the suffering and torture of the perilous journey) Ive read several articles here online that have suggested the reason they are hairless is due to selective breeding in neo tropical surroundings. They are still kept to this day in Mexico , however they are a very expensive breed of dog to buy, and are usually a mark of wealth and social standing here , similar i imagine to the reputation breeds like the afghan , french poodle and great danes hold in europe for the elite and financially fortunate. A friend of mine who teaches at the Texcoco university of agronomy kept a pair for many years , i found them to be very different in their behaviour to other domestic dog breeds , for a start they are very sad and mournful looking canines ... you might even say they have this aloofness and solitary instinct and unlike most dogs their loyalty and affection was restricted soley to their owner. I feel a connection to this animal as a link to the Prehispanics and it is certainly still an animal surrounded with much mysticism in Mexico.
The descendants of the Aztecs still have respect for the faithful canine companion of their ancestors , ive also found they are very popular animals in the chapultepec zoo.
