The short-haired Chihuahua that we know today was discovered in the 1850s in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, from where it got its name. American visitors to Mexico brought small dogs home with them. They began exhibiting in 1890, and a Chihuahua named Dwarf became the first of its breed to be registered with the American Kennel Club in 1904. The long-haired variety was probably created by crossing with Papillons or Pomeranians. The breed’s popularity skyrocketed in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was associated with the king of dance and leader of the Latin music orchestra, Xavier Cugat.