Peruvian Hairless Dog

Several hypotheses explain the presence of this hairless dog in Peru. The breed could have been introduced during Chinese immigration that occurred after the promulgation of the law that abolished the slavery of blacks by president Ramón Castilla in the nineteenth century. A second hypothesis would be that the breed was brought by African nomads who arrived in America accompanied by hairless dogs. The third hypothesis links the existence of the hairless dog to the migration of men from Asia to America via the Bering Strait. There is however archaeological evidence of the presence of a dog resembling the Peruvian hairless dog on ceramics of pre-Inca civilizations (Vicús, Moche, Chancay) between the fourth century BC and the sixteenth century. The representation of the hairless dog replaced that of the puma, snake or falcon, particularly in Chancay culture. Recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed the presence of the coated dog alongside the hairless dogs.

The breed standard describes the Peruvian hairless dog as having a noble and affectionate character with its close ones; it is reserved toward strangers, lively, alert and a good guard dog.

The Peruvian hairless dog is an elegant and slender dog. The body ratio is 1:1, which means the body in profile (excluding head) fits in a square. The hairless dog must have bare skin, with tolerance for a few hair remnants on the tail, limbs extremities and the top of the skull. The hair must in no case be long. All colors are accepted except albinism and a percentage of spots higher than 20% of the total coat of the dog. The coated variety must have short and fine hair, soft like silk. All coat colors are accepted except the merle color. Three different sizes are accepted by the standard:

For soft and healthy skin, the Peruvian has need of good nutrition. The skin dries out, it needs to be hydrated at least once a week. Natural products should be preferred. Products based on coconut oil, shea butter, hemp oil, goat's milk, donkey's milk, beeswax, Manuka honey. Bathing when necessary, Aleppo soap, Marseille soap, goat's milk soap, donkey's milk soap. Scrubbing from time to time to remove dead skin, when bathing wash the dog and gently rub it with a kessa glove.