Chinese Crested Powder Puff and Chinese Crested Hairless dogs

The Chinese Crested dog is a unique specie that is alert, adorable as well mild mannered. They are one of most recognizable of dogs with their distinctive markings. It is unknown where they originally came from, they have been sited in Africa thousands of years ago and also in their ancestral home Mexico, they were sited in China on freight ships but, no one has any documentation of their origins. These dogs come in two varieties, the powder puff and the hairless, and both varieties are found in the same litter. At a quick glance both the Chinese Crested hairless and the Chinese Crested powder puff appear to be from different breeds but this is due to a genetic mutation that was finally discover in 2008.

In general appearance the crested dogs are smaller in stature, and both are elegant. They both have different characteristics ranging from hair to dental differences. Let’s start with the Chinese Crested powder puff, is completely covered with a double coat of thick soft hair. They come in an array of colors and need to be groomed often to keep the hair from getting matted. The Chinese Crested powder puff is sometimes mistaken for a terrier though one grooming style of the powder puff is being shaved around the mouth. During the summer months it is much better to have the dog shaved in order to keep it cool, due to the known intense heat, the dog can get over heated and fatigue..

The powder puff can survive being indoors a lot if they get to play and run around, apartment dwelling does well wit this breed. In my knowledge they absolutely love running around outside and getting the outdoors fresh air. I would not suggest them for small children as they do not like to be handle a lot or be roughed  around, older children is okay. They get very attached to their owners and some dogs are known to be aloof with strangers almost ignoring them. It is hard to tell the future disposition of a Chinese Crested in its early stage.

Now, on to the hairless, its body is smooth and hairless, with hair only on its tail, feet and on its head. It almost has a pony like detailed body and seems to prances as it runs. Its legs are long almost double jointed and have well angulated shoulders. There are two varieties of the hairless kind, the ‘hairy hairless’ and the ‘hairless’. The ‘hairy hairless’ had a thin coat of hairy and a bit more also it the head tail and paws. In the same litter can be both powder puff and hairless as I had stated about the mutation of the genes earlier. The hairless Chinese Crested dog is hairless with small amount of hair at the tip of the tail called the plume, on its head, called the crest and on its paws, the socks.  The skin is soft and almost human like and requires frequent application of lotion or oil to keep it subtle. Sunscreen is required when going out in the sun and a coat must be worn at winter time for added warmth. The great advantages to owning a  Chinese Crested hairless dog are no worries about dog odor in your home as these dogs behaves like cat and clean themselves often, they do not get pesky fleas and if you are allergic these dog’s dander will keep you from sneezing.

One draw back is the this breed can be plague cavities and bad breath so vigilant dental hygiene must take place. Knowing the Chinese Crested dog is important before adding one to your family.