 Description:
The Chinese Crested is a small dog, no taller
than 13 inches and weighing no more than 15
pounds. They're charming, lively, alert, intelligent
and can be trained to perform tricks. The
Chinese Crested's unique appearance is definitely
an eye-catcher and conversation starter.
The exact origins of the breed are not known,
however, they were favored by the Chinese
and traced back to the African Hairless dog.
Chinese Cresteds were routinely traded at
ports in the Central and South Americas as
well as in Asia and Africa as early as the
1500s. They were excellent ratters and commonly
used by merchants and sailors.
There are two types of Chinese Crested: The
Hairless and the Powderpuff. The Hairless
variety has tufts of long hair on the head,
tail and feet. The Powderpuff variety has
a doublecoat of soft and silky hair.
The Chinese Crested breed became popular in
the United States in the early 1900s. They
are the AKC's 132 dog and were first registered
in 1991.
Height:
The height of Chinese Crested dogs is between
28 - 33 cm (11-13 ins) at withers and for
bitches between 23 - 30 cm (9-12 ins) at withers
Weight: The weight of a Chinese Crested
can vary considerably, but should not be over
5.4 kg (12 lbs).
Coat Type: The Hairless variety of
the Chinese Crested has soft and silky hair
on its head, tail and feet which can be lengthy.
Grooming for this variety is more concentrated
on protecting the skin where there is no hair.
The Powder Puff variety has double coat of
long, soft hair. Frequent brushing is recommended
due to matting. The Chinese Crested is a very
light shedder.
Color: The Chinese Crested can be of
any color or combination of colors.
Temperament: Chinese Cresteds are happy,
alert, playful and loving. This charming breed
becomes very attached to its owner. They're
very sweet and they do very well with children.
Chinese Cresteds are curious, clean, quiet
and when playing, they belt out a distinctive
howl. Chinese Cresteds do not require much
exercise and they do well in apartment living.
Health Problems: The Chinese Crested
is not affected by many of the congenital
diseases found in toy breeds. Health concerns
include: tooth decay, skin irritations, hypothermia
and patellar luxation (knee problems). Another
health concern for this breed include two
forms of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).
Chinese Cresteds can live up to 15 years or
longer.
Special Interest:
• Gypsy
Rose Lee had a Chinese Crested in the 1950s.
She was a breeder and help publicize the breed.
• Chinese Cresteds were also known
as "Chinese Edible Dog" - they were
at one time eaten by ancient Aztecs!
•The Chinese Crested breed, either in
purebred form or as a hybrid with chihuahua,
has won all eight of the previous World's
Ugliest Dog Contests.
Classifications:
AKC: Toy Group
ANKC: Group 1 - Toy
CKC: Southern
FCI: Group 9 Companion & Toy Dogs; Section
4 Hairless Dogs
KC: Toy
UKC: Companion Dog Group |
