The Chatterdale is a designer dog, an intentional cross between the spunky Chihuahua from Mexico and a tough little Terrier from the Fells in England known as the Patterdale Terrier. The Patterdale is a descendant of the Fell Terrier, a tough and enduring Terrier bred to hunt fox in the region it was named for. The first references to a Patterdale dog go back to the 1930’s, when a Border Terrier breeder by the name of Joe Bowman began to selectively breed his terriers. This breed was then further refined in the 1950’s and 60’s with contributions from Cyril Breay, Frank Buck, Tommy Dobson and Brian Nuttall. Although this breed of dog was recognized by the UKC in England in 1995, it has not yet been recognized by the American Kennel Club. The modern Chihuahua’s full history is unknown, but DNA testing of the breed indicate that there are genetic ties to the ancient Techichi dog, a small wild dog that was native to Mexico and kept for companions and religious sacrifices by the indigenous Aztec people. What is clear is, that some of the earliest dogs that could be identified as Chihuahuas were found in Mexico in the mid 1800’s, although at that time this tiny breed didn’t have an official name. Merchants in Mexico, largely from the state of Chihuahua, began selling these portable and companionable animals to visitors from other countries. In 1904, the first Chihuahuas were recognized by the American Kennel Club and just thirty were registered by 1913. Today they are listed the 30th most popular breed in the United States with well over 40,000 Chihuahuas registered with the AKC in 2012, and also enjoy great popularity in many other countries around the world, including the UK, the Philippines, and Australia.
