DNA Study Finds Chihuahuas Aren't Dogs
“It was a surprise to find that some breeds such as the Ibizan hound and the Pharaoh hound, along with several others that dog aficionados have long believed dated back thousands of years, are actually much more modern animals ? re-creations that were probably produced by breeders,” said geneticist Leonid Kruglyak, who helped conduct the research. “However, it was more of a surprise to find that some breeds are not even dogs.”
Among other findings, the analysis determined that the Chihuahua is actually a type of large rodent, selectively bred for centuries to resemble a canine.
“Once we had these groups pretty well mapped out, the canine mimics were easy to pick out,” added Kruglyak. “And actually, it was kind of intuitive in hindsight.”
The study found that several diminutive breeds had been independently created around the world from a variety of other animals, including the Lhasa apso (Tibetan snow rabbit), Pekingese (Chinese water rat), Shih Tzu (stoat), and Yorkshire Terrier (pigeon).