Jane Qualtrough Delgado
and husband Luis

Quetzal
Companion of Jane Delgado Qualtrough

Paisana
Janes new puppy
December 1999

**Jane Qualtrough Delgado**    During the course of domestication, the character of the Xoloitzcuintle has changed in order to adapt to a civilized environment. My observations are based on approximately forty years of experience of personally handling the Xoloitzcuintle breed. It was my pleasure to receive a portion of a group of Xolos brought directly from the wilds of southern Mexico by Norman Wright in the early 50's. When they arrived they were very aggressive in the protection of themselves and their surroundings. Their bite was firm in spite of the dental deficiency. Over the years, this drive to protect themselves and their surroundings has mellowed but continues to be the characteristic which makes them excellent guard and alarm dogs for their homes and masters. Xoloitzcuintle are loyal and lovable and always on the alert to protect and defend their surroundings and their loved ones. Their intelligence provides them with awareness of when their aggressive trait is needed. Otherwise, they are most lovable and friendly. Words are not available to express the remarkability of the character of the Mexican Hairless Xoloitzcuintle.

Thoughts from **Jane Qualtrough Delgado** May 11, 2001   One of my xoloizcuintles, Picho, loves to sunbathe every morning. He climbs up a large "pirul" tree and stretches out like a leopard on a branch and basks in the mexican sun for hours. I was perusing a book last night. "Presencia de la Comida Prehispanica" by Ignacio Pina Lujan and he states that in Aztec mythology, the Xolotl, the dog-god, acompanied the souls to paradise in order to help them cross the Chignahuapan river. This symbolically represents the form in which Quetzalcoatl (one of my xolo's name) - Venus crosses the night sky. Other prehispanic dogs mentioned by the spanish chronicler Sahagun are the Tlalchichi which he describes as also being hairless but with a hunched back. Another chronicler, Clavijero(1778), attributes the near extinction of these dogs to the Spaniards who killed the dogs in great quantities, salted the meat for their long and numerous ship voyages back to Spain during the colonial era (1521-1821).   * * * * * * * * * * * * Jane Qualtrough Delgado is originally from Texas. She has spent her adult life in Mexico and was an active breeder of Xolos for nearly forty years. She now lives in Mixcuic, in the southern part of Mexico State, with her husband and her two standard Xolos and numerous parrots. **Patty Hoover**