The Ancient, Hairless Dogs of Mesoamerica
A short history of the Colima or Xolo dog of Mesoamerica.
Dogs in the Americas
At first contact, one of the key differences between the civilizations of the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas) was their domestic animals. While the people of the Old World built their societies on animals like the horse, cow, chicken, pig, and sheep, the Americas had relatively few beasts of burden. Horses, for example, had gone extinct in North and South America many thousands of years ago and only returned with the Spanish.
This quirk of history would have a long-lasting impact on the development of and relationships between the Old and New Worlds. But the peoples of North and South America were not entirely friendless, either. When humans entered the Americas some 15,000 to 30,000 years ago, they brought with them early domesticated dogs. And so, just as their human masters spread, built, and flourished, the dog also became an important part of many pre-Columbian American civilizations.
Like Old World dogs, New World dogs diversified into distinct breeds. In the Pacific Northwest, for example, there are stories of a now-extinct “woolly” dog whose fur could be used as a textile. On the Great Plains, pack dogs pulled sledges across the prairie. In the Southwest United States, Mexico, and Central America, the dominant breed was instead a hairless, almost silent breed now known as the Colima dog.
Colima Dogs
Based on art left behind over thousands of years, the Colima dog was a short, barkless, and hairless breed. Their name is based on archaeological sites near Colima, Mexico, which have produced the famous red-clay ceramics depicting them.
Colima dogs fulfilled many roles in their society and may have been further specialized into breeds to meet those jobs. While some were raised to be eaten, and may have been plumper as a result, others served as companion animals, household guardians, and hunters. Dogs held a special place in Mesoamerican societies and were often seen as sacred gifts to humanity. They were frequently viewed as spiritual guides, especially through the afterlife, as well as beloved pets. Numerous graves containing dogs buried with their masters demonstrate their spiritual importance.
When the conquistador party of Hernan Cortez and Bernal Diaz del Castillo journeyed to the heart of the Aztec Empire, the great city Tenochtitlan, they found markets bustling with animals like ducks, turkeys, and dogs. They enjoyed dog themselves during a lavish feast—and this seems to be when dogs were most commonly eaten. Rather than a staple meat, they were more likely served as a delicacy for important events, in keeping with their semi-divine status. Most dogs in Mesoamerica led full lives as pets and guardians for their humans and would not be considered as “on the menu.”
Modern Descendants of the Colima Dog
For several centuries, it was widely believed that the New World dog had been wiped out and replaced by European breeds. And, to an extent, this is true. Even the dog breeds native to Mexico today are mostly of European ancestry. But recent genetic evidence has shown that breeds like the Xoloitzquintli, Chinese Crested Dog (a misnomer), and Chihuahua possess DNA separate from Old World dogs. This is the legacy of the Colima dog today: a faithful companion that withstood the trials of history, waiting just below the surface to be found again.
References
Gorman, James. “Some Surprising Dog Breeds Have Ancient American Heritage.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Apr. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/science/dogs-dna-ancestry.html.
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