Some rams have four fully developed horns, a trait shared with few other breeds in the world.

[6] The common Diné word for the breed, Dibé dits’ozí, means "long fleeced sheep."

[9][10] By the 17th century, Churros were popular with the Spanish settlers in the upper Rio Grande Valley.

[11] The Navajo bred sheep to adapt to a pastoral lifestyle in a harsh desert environment.

[9] In the 1930s, the US government implemented the Navajo Livestock Reduction, intended to reduce the amount of sheep and horses on Diné lands.

Many Diné who had traditionally lived off of the land and agriculture turned to wage work.

[11] The Navajo Sheep Project, headed by Lyle McNeal, was the first organization to start a breeding program.

[7] Diné weavers have used Churro wool to make rugs, wall hangings, and other products since the late 1600s.

[10] Carding wool, spinning yarn, and weaving are traditionally women's work among the Diné.

As such, flocks of sheep traditionally belonged to women and were passed from a mother to her children.

[10] The specific Churro breed, as opposed to sheep in general, is an important part of Diné cultural identity.

"Churros are small sheep with long, thin tails, horizontal ears,[1] and a double coat.

[12] The sheep are hardy with light bones, narrow bodies, and long legs.