Having been around for 3,000 – 3,500 years, the Mexican hairless Xoloitzcuintli (Xolo, Aztec god of fire / itzcuintli, Aztec for “dog”) is possibly the oldest breed in the Americas. Highly prized, even worshipped by the Aztecs, they were almost extinct by the mid-1950s. Today, the Xolo (for short) is recognized by the AKC and comes in toy, mini, and standard. All sizes compete together for conformation. The preferred color is uniform dark, but there are many colors, and there is a coated version.