Dogs in Mesoamerica

Various sorts of dogs are known to have existed in prehispanic Mesoamerica, as shown by archaeological and iconographical sources, and the testimonies of the 16th-century Spaniards. In the Central Mexican area, there were three races: the medium-sized furred dog (itzcuintli), the medium-sized hairless dog (xoloitzcuintli), and the short-legged, (tlalchichi) based in Colima and now extinct. Apart from other, more obvious functions, dogs were also used for food (10% of all consumed meat in Teotihuacan) and ritual sacrifice.

The ancient Mayas, a group of people who lived throughout southern Mexico and Central America, used domesticated dogs on a daily basis as a food source, hunting aide, and an element in religious and spiritual rituals.

Remains of dogs have been found in sites dating from the Preclassic through the Postclassic periods of Mesoamerica dating as early as 1200 BCE. These remains have appeared in middens, spread over yard surfaces, and near areas of sacrificial offerings. Since the deposits of dogs were discovered along with other plant and animal remains, it is difficult to decipher dog parts from those of other small mammals. In Colha, Belize, dog foot bones and teeth were found more than any other body part.

Despite the fact that the amount of dog use varied throughout time and place, people of the coastal regions of the Maya area placed more importance on dogs due to their constant availability as a source of protein and their ability to rapidly reproduce. Breeding and raising domesticated dogs required low energy use. Fish and other hunted animals were not as reliable as dogs as a food resource, and it required more energy and time to capture these animals for consumption. Overall, it is difficult to generalize how the Maya used dogs because of the comparison of dog deposits to other fauna and how the amount of dog deposits differs among sites from various periods. Because of this variation, it is not certain if the function of dogs altered from a food source to that of a religious symbol over time. Besides becoming a meal, dogs were also used as hunting and traveling companions and were scavengers in the home.

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