Chinese Crested - Dog Breed Profile

Author: Dooziedog.com

Key Facts:

Size: Small

Height: 23 - 33 cm (9 - 13 inches)

Weight: 3.2 - 5.4 kg (7 - 12 lb)

Life Span: 12 years

Grooming: Unusual

Exercise: Medium

Feeding: Medium

Temperament: Cheerful & friendly

Country of Origin: China/Africa

AKC Group: Toy

Other Names: Hairless, Powderpuff

Temperament:

Chinese Crested dogs are active, affectionate, intelligent and quiet. Chinese Cresteds love human companionship and make good household watchdogs. They make ideal pets for apartment living and for the elderly. Chinese Cresteds generally get along with children, provided they have their own space. Other pets and dogs rarely cause any difficultes with this breed, although they can be rather wary of strangers.

Grooming:

The Chinese Crested hairless variety need their skin taken care of to prevent it from becoming dry or sunburnt. Owners of showdogs regularly wash the skin with exfoliating creams made for humans. This removes dead skin cells and keeps the skin smooth and soft. Ordinary suntan lotions can also be used to prevent sunburn. The Chinese Crested 'Powder Puff' variety should be brushed regularly and washed more frequently. Usually the hair is trimmed around the face to form downward-facing points, which is the typical style of this breed.

Exercise:

The Chinese Crested adapts to family activities in terms of it's exercise needs.

History:

The origin of this breed is lost in obscurity. Hairless breeds have existed in America and Asia for a very long time. The most similar breed to the Chinese Crested is the Mexican Hairless, and more distant cousins are the Turkish Naked Dog, the African Sand dog and the Abyssinian dog all of whom share the same absence of hair. It appears that the hairlessness may be linked to dentition as these breeds often lack a full set of 12 teeth.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Graceful, friendly and cunning.

Color: Any color or combination of colors.

Coat: Hairless - Fine grained smooth skin which is warm to the touch. A crest of hair on the skull, tufted feet and plumed tail. Powder puffs - A soft veil of long hair growing through the undercoat covering the whole body.

Tail: Tapers to a curve and may be carried slightly forward over the back. Hairless - last two thrids of the tail is covered with long, flowing hair. Powderpuff - completely covered with hair.

Ears: Normally erect, but may be dropped in powder puffs. Rounded tips and can be with or without a fringe.

Body: Two types (1) The deer type which is racy and finer boned, and (2) The compact type with heavier bones. The long neck carries the head high and the strong, lean body is set on long lean legs. The hindquaters are well-angulated and the hindlegs are set well apart.

Additional Comments:

The skin of the Chinese Crested Dog is warm to touch as their body temperature is 2.2 degrees warmer than the human body temperature.

An advantage of the Chinese Crested is that there are no loose hairs to mess up the carpet.

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/chinese_crested/