Tijuana holds its first National Xoloitzcuintle Day party on Oct. 27, free for dogs and their people

Tijuana will celebrate National Xoloitzcuintle Day for the first time on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with a free evening for dogs and their owners at Parque Canódromo Caliente starting at 6 p.m., San Diego Red and Uniradio Informa reported Tuesday. Ricardo Forastieri, who announced it and who directs Criadero Caliente, according to Uniradio, called it the first celebration of the day in the country’s history. San Diego Red lists the event until 11 p.m.; Uniradio says 10 p.m.

The program includes speed races for dogs, a dog pool, agility and obedience classes, music and talks on the history, biology and anthropology of the xoloitzcuintle, the hairless Mexican breed; San Diego Red also lists canine yoga. Entry is free, but you need to register first with a QR code posted on the Xolos’ page and, according to Uniradio, on the park’s and CMI.Dog’s pages.

Why Oct. 27

In April, Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies voted 433 to none, with four abstentions, to make Oct. 27 National Xoloitzcuintle Day, and El Imparcial reported at the time that the measure would go to the Senate; this week’s reports didn’t say whether the Senate has since approved it. The date falls in the Día de Muertos season, on a day that some regions set aside to remember animals that have died, the paper noted. Forastieri said Tijuana has bred, preserved and promoted the breed for more than 35 years, San Diego Red reported, and he called the city “la cuna de los xoloitzcuintles,” the breed’s cradle, according to Uniradio.

Before you bring your dog

• Dogs must stay on a leash, collar or harness; loose or aggressive dogs aren’t allowed.
• Size rules differ between the reports: San Diego Red says dogs over 25 kg (about 55 lb) won’t be let in, while Uniradio says dogs under 25 kg are recommended and those over 15 kg (about 33 lb) must wear a restraint collar. If your dog is big, check the registration page first.
• Xolos, other breeds and mixed-breed dogs are all welcome, Uniradio reported.
• Neither report gave a street address. The Canódromo is part of the Caliente complex on Bulevar Agua Caliente, which also holds Estadio Caliente; our stadium profile has tips on getting there.

The event is on our calendar. For the rest of the season, see our Día de Muertos planner, and for the club that took the breed’s name, the Xolos’ Mictlán-inspired black jersey.