A family of Xolos

[charisstoma]

A family of Xolos, one of the most ancient dog breeds in the world, originally from what is now Mexico. For Native Americans, they were guardians of the night and the underworld, protectors against evil spirits, companions of wizards and witches, and guides of mortals during difficult times and across the land of the dead.

The Xoloitzcuintli dog breed — sometimes called the Mexican Hairless or just Xolo — may well have descended from the first dogs to set paw on the North American continent.

https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/xoloitzuintli#/slide/1

The dog we now know as the Xoloitzcuintli takes their name from the Aztec deity Xolotl, the god of fire and the escort of the dead to the underworld, and “itzcuintli,” the Aztec word for dog. These dogs of Xolotl were said to have healing powers, especially effective in cases of asthma, rheumatism and insomnia. In life, they frightened away evil spirits and intruders, and they were believed to serve as guides for the dead as they made their way from this world to the next.