Chinese Crested Dog

Like all hairless dogs, the Chinese Crested Dog has ancient and somewhat unclear origins. However, this original dog was already known in the 12th century BC. It bore different names depending on where it lived. Many hypotheses therefore exist concerning its country of origin. Although named the Chinese dog, its ancestor would originate from Indochina, the current region of Vietnam and Cambodia. These regions being highly irrigated, the coat of the Crested dog lightened to dry more quickly. This allows the Crested dog to avoid skin diseases associated with wet fur. Man then developed varieties with less and less fur, until obtaining the varieties we know today. The Chinese Crested is a toy dog for Westerners, but this is not the case in its country of origin. There it is used to hunt rats and vermin during the transportation of food for commerce. This transport is often by boat. At sale, it is customary for the dog to be sold with the merchandise. This fact explains its dispersal through different countries. As evidenced by the painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Portrait of Henry IV of Saxony and Catherine of Mecklenburg, dated from the 16th century (Dresden Museum), which features a small dog matching the characteristics of a Chinese Crested.

Size: The ideal size for males is 28 to 33 cm and for females, 23 to 30.5 cm. Plus or minus 2 cm are admitted. Constitution: On average 3 to 5 kg. Coat: Hairless or Crested with powder. General appearance: small active and graceful dog; fine to medium bone structure. The body is either smooth and hairless except on the head, feet and tail, or entirely covered with a veil formed by fine silky down. In this breed, there are dogs of two different types: a refined type with fine bone structure, called "deer type," and a type with heavier bone and constitution, called "cobby type." Behavior / Character: playful, never mean.