Origin of the Breed
As with many breeds there is some dispute over the origins of the Chinese Crested Dog. However, it is almost certain that despite its name, the Chinese Crested Dog did not originate in China. Until very recently the two most popular theories had the Chinese Crested originating in either Africa or South America. On both continents there are similar primitive type dogs. In South and Central America in particular there are a couple of hairless breeds that share very similar morphology to the Chinese Crested, and it is not inconceivable that the Crested and these other hairless breeds share a similar ancestry.
Recent genetic research has isolated the mutation responsible for the hairless characteristics in all three identified hairless breeds (the Crested, the Peruvian Inca Dog, and the Xoloitzcuintli from Mexico) and the mutation is identical in all three. This leads researchers to conclude that these breeds must share a common origin. As there are artifacts in Mexico that date back 4,000 years that depict hairless dogs looking remarkably like modern Xolos it would be hard to argue that Mexico is not the wellspring for the hairless family of dogs including the Crested.
It is still unclear as to how the Crested variety of these hairless breeds managed to leave its Central American ancestral lands. It is believed they were used aboard merchant ships as ratters, and it is conceivable that once acquired by traders along the Mexican coast, they would have been traded at any and all subsequent sea ports, obscuring their true Mexican origins. Apparently, and here is where the Chinese connection comes in, they were not uncommon on board Chinese merchant trading vessels, but were first identified in their modern form in Europe and attributed to Chinese origin in the late 18th Century - although by then specimens of the breed could be found world-wide.
This ship's ratter theory of their original purpose certainly seems plausible. As hairless dogs they would offer no place to hide for hungry rat borne fleas. The fleas would have trouble taking hold and be easy to see and remove - and, as a vermin free hairless dog offers warm comfort under the blankets on cold nights - they would have been a much sought after living "hot water bottle" that never needs to be refilled on cold cross ocean voyages. In a pinch they could also be eaten - and there are contemporary stories that indicate that indeed they were. It is believed that these ship dogs were larger than our current toy version of the breed.
Recognition
Although first exhibited in the west in 1885 at Westminster, the breed did not gain official recognition in North America until the 1990's. The modern journey of the Chinese Crested from an obscure hairless working dog, into the pampered show dogs of today really begins with the efforts of three women, Ida Garret (early fancier - who introduced Debra Woods to the dogs), Debra Woods and Gypsy Rose Lee. Yes, that Gypsy Rose Lee - the famous mid-20th century burlesque performer. She was a life-long Crested breeder, and with Debra Woods (the creator and manager of the American Crested stud book from the 1930's to her death in 1969) - built the foundation of the modern breed. Most Cresteds today can trace their lineage back to Debra Woods' (Crest Haven) and Gypsy Rose Lee's breeding programs.
The long journey toward official status ended when the Chinese Crested Dog gained full recognition from the American Kennel Club in 1991. Canadian Kennel Club recognition followed in 1992.
Crested Varieties
It is important to note that although the distinctive breed attribute is hairlessness, there is a fully coated variety to the Chinese Crested, called the powderpuff, or "puff". The two varieties appear in the same litters, and compete against each other in the same classes in the show ring. The Chinese Crested is the only hairless breed that comes in a long coated version - although all have coated variants.
Two hairless parents can produce both powderpuff and hairless puppies. The same is true of a powderpuff to hairless breeding, but two powderpuffs bred together will only produce coated offspring. Until relatively recently, most breeders saw the powderpuff as an unfortunate result of hairless breeding attempts - and it was therefore not used much in their programs. That has changed considerably in recent years and puffs are now considered an essential part of any breeding program, and many would argue that the breed has improved dramatically in the last 10-15 years as a result.
Also until recently breed fanciers tended to describe the breed as falling into two "types" - the "deer" type - characterized by a longer slimmer body and less substance, and the "cobby" type - characterized by a stouter more substantial form. Today these distinctions seem to be receding, both in breed descriptions, and in reality. It is often disputed whether these distinctions ever really existed as true breed characteristics, or whether it was just a handy way to explain away the very unpredictable world of Chinese Crested breeding. Unfortunately, the distinction still appears in the Canadian breed standard among others - perpetuating an outdated vision of the breed.
Health Issues
The Chinese Crested breed has many of the health issues that are common to other toy breeds such as legg-perthies, luxating patellas, liver shunts, and fading puppy syndrome. Additionally, some of the most serious areas of concern are eye problems including PRA (both early onset and late onset), lens luxation, cataracts, glaucoma, and many other conditions. We are fortunate to have identified the marker for prcd-PRA, and now have available a blood test for it. Unfortunately, in the Chinese Crested breed, the other form ofPRA is more common than prcd-PRA, however, we do not have a test for it yet.
Living with a Chinese Crested
The Chinese Crested is an active and entertaining little dog. Cresteds are generally not destructive and are not big chewers. They are happiest when surrounded by people, and do not appreciate isolation. Cresteds prefer to be with their people and on their laps whenever possible, a trait not always appreciated by those who prefer a less clingy dog. The crested may not be the breed for everyone, as they do expect a lot of personal attention.
When a person comes to the door, be prepared for the Crested alarm bark, which is quite shrill and can be annoying. Once a person enters the house, most Cresteds are very friendly and will bounce right into the new lap. Some Cresteds are not impressed with strangers and will continue to bark or ignore the interloper. If, however, the new person happens to have food, well all bets are off, and immediate bonding usually ensues. In general, Cresteds are not a "yappy" breed.
Cresteds benefit from regular exercise in a fenced yard, but can get by with regular walks. Most get their exercise from their indoor "gym," leaping fearlessly from furniture to furniture. While the hairless variety may require a coat in the winter, the powderpuffs absolutely love the snow.
In general, the breed is quite hardy and with appropriate exercise, is not as fragile as many other toy breeds. Because they are intelligent, agile and have great noses, Cresteds do well in canine sports such as obedience, agility, tracking. In fact, as the standard emphasizes reach and drive - unusual for a toy breed - the crested is quite a runner, and enjoys a good sighthound- like sprint around the backyard, often in tandem with his/her housemates. If allowed by the arbiters of the sport, they would make excellent lure coursing participants.
The Crested does have a stubborn streak, though, which can make training a challenge. Positive training methods are a must for these intelligent little dogs. Most will simply shut down in the face of harsh or forceful training methods. Appealing to their sense of fun and engaging them in a positive way will make training sessions a joyful time for both handler and dog as Cresteds generally do want to please. Clicker training is made to order for this breed!
Housebreaking can be a challenge with Cresteds like many toy breeds, however, with consistency, it can be accomplished.
Cresteds do require early socialization and benefit from going to new places, and meeting new people and other animals. Some lines have a tendency to be shy in which case socialization – and plenty of it – becomes a must. Puppy classes can be beneficial to young Cresteds, providing care is taken that they are not overwhelmed by larger more rambunctious puppies. Often this shyness is inadvertently fostered by some owners’ tendency to baby their puppy. New owners need to remember that Cresteds are simply large dogs in cute, often hairless, bodies and do much better if they are treated as such.
Each crested has a unique personality and entertains in a different way. Whether it is walking around on its back legs or howling on command, the are all characters.
Grooming the Hairless (and the not-so-Hairless!)
The skin care for the hairless variety is not very complicated. Good skin, like good coats, is inherited. As puppies, a hairless may have excess oil and a few pimples, much like teenage acne. All that is needed is to keep the skin clean is the occasional bath. Many people bathe their hairless dogs every week, while others only bathe their dogs every few months. Cresteds with poor skin, however, will require a great deal more care and the owners may be faced with the ongoing challenge of dealing with pimply skin on their dogs.
In the summer you may have heard that the hairless variety require sunscreen. If a dog is light skinned, it will need to build its tan slowly or it will need sunscreen. The dark skinned hairless do not require any sunscreen. Common sense tells us that any dog will over heat and burn if left outside for hours at a time. Like humans, hairless Cresteds do tan in the summer. Often the change in body colour from the winter months to the summer months is quite dramatic.
Contrary to the popular image of hairless dogs as smooth skinned wonders, there is a great variance of hair covering in crested dogs that express the hairless gene. In the crested breed there is a commonly drawn distinction between the "true" and "hairy" hairless, and there is a big difference between the two. These terms basically refer to the degree of hairlessness. A "true" hairless is not really totally hairless - it has hair (often sparse) on its head (crest), feet (socks) and tail only; while the hairy hairless, have excess body hair that could range from a strip down its back, to what a casual observer may see as a thin but full coat. These hairy hairless often have very full furnishings - i.e. crests, socks and tails - a much desired trait in the show ring.
The grooming requirements for these hairless dogs will vary greatly if one intends to keep the dogs in their preferred hairless condition. For most true hairless grooming could consist of as little as a very occasional brushing of their sparse hair and a bath. However, for the moderate to very hairy hairless the owner will need to learn to groom the dog, as these Cresteds will require a lifetime of regular grooming if they are to maintain their neat hairless appearance. Prospective buyers of hairless puppies for whom this may be an issue would be well advised to ask the breeder exactly how much body hair the puppy may have and how much grooming is involved.
Grooming the Powderpuff
The powderpuff coat is a double coat with a downy undercoat and veiled silky top coat. A good powderpuff coat is not high maintenance. A weekly or bi-weekly bath and a blow out is all that’s needed, if the little knots are combed out every few days. However, a poor coat – one that is cottony in texture for example – may require more frequent (often daily) and thorough combing to keep it mat free.
For basic grooming you will need a good pin brush, and a greyhound comb. The brush is used when you blow-dry a wet coat, and for daily care, the greyhound comb is used along with a conditioning spray for knots and mats. It is best to never brush or comb a dry coat.
