Chinese Crested Dog

For people who check facts

Chinese Crested Dog

Alternative names

Hairless

Powderpuff

Country of origin

China

Classification

FCI:	Group 9 Section 4
AKC:	Toy
ANKC:	Group 1 (Toys)
CKC:	Group 5 (Toys)
KC(UK):	Toy
NZKC:	Toy

Breed standards (external links)

FCI, AKC, ANKC, KC(UK), NZKC

Notes

Note

The Chinese Crested Dog is a smallish breed of dog known for its unusual appearance.

They are not a robust dog, so letting them jump off even small heights (like off a couch) is inadvisable.

Dark-skinned Chinese Crested

They come in two varieties: Hairless and Powderpuff. Hairless are the more famous variety of Chinese crested, known for their lack of a fur coat. Instead, they have a soft, human-like skin which is unusual to the touch, but they do have tufts of fur on their paws and tail. They also have a head of long, wavy hair on their heads, which is known as a crest. Fur on the muzzle, known as a beard, is not uncommon. Their skin comes in a variety of colours, just like humans, so it ranges from a pale flesh to black.

The Powderpuffs are less unusual-looking, and they share the crest and build of the Hairless--but this is where the similarities in appearance end.

On the upside, Chinese Cresteds are affectionate, happy dogs, but some develop neurotic behaviour, and the Hairless dogs can develop a nasty case of acne. Maintenance of the skin is similar to maintaining human skin — moisturising cream can keep the skin from becoming too dry, and in fair-skinned Chinese cresteds, if one lives in a warm climate where there is a lot of sun (Australia, Spain, etc.) one should apply sunscreen to the dog's skin.

Overall, if one is prepared to give proper maintenance, attention and care, a Chinese Crested can, barring accident or illness, live up to fifteen years.