The Chinese Crested Dog

The Chinese Crested Dog got it's name from the Emperors of China who collected these rare dogs to decorate their palaces. Chinese merchants helped to spread this breed throughout the world by taking them on their ships. It's thought that they were handy rat killers, and not having hair they did not carry fleas!

The Chinese Crested is much older than the merchant ships of China though. Small hairless dogs roamed the African dessert for thousands of year before being "discovered". Hair growth on the Chinese Crested varies greatly but is commonly known by the full silky main of hair on the head- the crest, the tail- or plume, and the feet- or socks. Days on the African deserts get to unbearable temperatures, while nights become cold, even frigid! This hair pattern protects the dogs extremities susceptible to frostbite, but prevents the dog from overheating in the hot sun. They resemble tiny ponies in both appearance and gait.

The coated variety, called the Powderpuff, can be born in the same litter as the hairless and has a full fluffy coat. The only notable difference between the two is in dentition. Hairless dogs have primitive, or tusk teeth that do not have a full root system. Often the hairless are born with missing or malformed teeth. This is not considered a fault and is normal for the hairless variety of the breed.