When you as a family consult among yourselves about choosing a puppy of a certain breed, you must pay attention to its appearance, character, and the difficulty of caring for it. Today we want to draw your attention to representatives of the “Chinese crested dog” breed. The name consists of two components: “Chinese” indicates the country where the breed probably originated, and “crested” describes a characteristic feature of appearance – bangs on the head. In this article, you will learn where Chinese Crested dogs come from, their types, features, and care specifics.
History of origin
The Chinese crested dog is one of the oldest and most exotic breeds. Breeding of the Chinese crested dog, like many other breeds, is the result of many years of selection and genetic selection. The breed has ancient origins and an interesting history that begins in ancient China, where these dogs were popular among emperors and aristocracy. They were also the sacred companions of Buddhist monks, who considered them protectors from evil spirits. Monks often wore these little dogs in the sleeves of their robes.
The first written references to Chinese crested dogs date back to the 15th century, when European sailors used them on ships to fight rats. This contributed to their spread throughout the world and increased genetic diversity of the breed. There is evidence that these dogs appeared in various port cities in Africa, Asia and South America, which contributed to their popularization outside of China.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Chinese crested dog began to attract the attention of the European aristocracy and dog breeders. Breeding work aimed at improving the standards of the breed and increasing its popularity has begun.
In the 20th century, the Chinese crested dog began to receive official recognition by canine organizations. In the 1970s, the breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club, and later by other international canine organizations. This is how the Chinese crested dog gained popularity among dog lovers around the world.
Types of Chinese crested dog
There are two types of Chinese crested dogs: hairless and powderpuff.
Hairless Chinese crested dog is best known for its unique appearance. There is no fur on most of the body. The skin is smooth and soft, very sensitive to external factors such as sun and cold, and can have a variety of colors and patterns, including pink, black, gray, fawn, etc. On the head there is a tuft of long hair forming bangs. The fur on the paws looks like socks, and the tail is decorated with a tuft of fur at the tip. The Chinese crested dog has a light, graceful body with long, slender limbs, and its movements are graceful and fluid. The gene responsible for the lack of hair is dominant and also affects the formation of an incomplete set of teeth and the problems associated with it.
The fluffy Chinese crested dog is completely covered with long and soft fur, which gives it a more traditional appearance. Like the hairless Chinese crested dog, the downy has a light and graceful body with long, slender limbs.
Common features of the two types of Chinese crested dog:
- Small size, weight from 2.5 to 5.5 kg, height at the withers from 23 to 33 cm.
- Long, narrow head shape with a prominent forehead.
- The ears are large, erect or semi-erect.
- The eyes are large, almond-shaped, dark in color.
- The main health problems are skin diseases in the naked representative of the breed and dental problems in both species.
Nature
Chinese crested dogs, regardless of species, have many positive character traits. They are sociable, like to spend time with people, easily make friends. Due to their social nature, these dogs get along well with children and can live in families with other pets. They are sensitive to the mood and emotions of their owners, so they often perform a therapeutic function.
Chinese crested dogs are extremely loyal, eager to be close to their owners and are suitable for people who lead an active lifestyle. They like various games and physical exercises, they need regular walks.
It can also be noted about the high level of intelligence and the ease of their training. They quickly learn new commands and tricks, and this helps them participate in sports competitions and training programs for dogs.
Grooming a Chinese crested dog
Regardless of whether you have a hairless or fluffy representative, proper care of the dog’s appearance is very important. Below we will consider both the specifics of care for both species, as well as common procedures that do not differ depending on the species.
Hairless Chinese crested dog has a minimal amount of hair, which makes caring for it somewhat special. Chinese crested hairless dog does not need haircuts. The focus is always on the skin: regular bathing once or twice a week and moisturizing are essential to avoid irritation and infection. Use a mild shampoo specially designed for sensitive skin, and after bathing, moisturize the skin with special dog lotions or creams to avoid dryness. Trim the fur on the head (bangs), paws and tail regularly to keep the dog looking tidy.
It should also be added that due to the lack of fur on the body, you should use sunscreen in the summer so that your pet does not get sunburned, and in the winter, take care of keeping warm by using winter clothes.
Fluffy Chinese crested dog has a long and soft coat that needs regular grooming. Daily combing is a must to avoid the formation of tangles. To simplify care, you can ask the groomer to cut the Chinese crested down short, or even remove the fur from the body. Then it will be necessary to observe the features of care, which were discussed above. If you want to keep the coat and only occasionally trim the tips to maintain a neat appearance and comfort of the dog, you cannot avoid daily combing. To keep the coat clean, we recommend bathing a fluffy dog once every 2-4 weeks using cosmetics designed for long-haired dogs.
Both species are prone to oral problems, so be sure to brush your dog’s teeth daily with a special dog toothpaste and toothbrush, use dental-labeled treats and toys, and visit a veterinary dentist annually.
Pay attention to ear and eye hygiene. Clean your ears with a special product and cotton pads to avoid infections. Control that the eyes are clean, without tear tracks.
To simplify care, you can always go to a grooming salon, where the groomer will provide high-quality washing and moisturizing of the skin, professional hair trimming, cleaning of ears, eyes and teeth, trimming of claws, advice on home care and selection of grooming products.
With proper care and regular visits to the groomer, your pet will always look and feel great. To learn more about the grooming, haircut of a Chinese Crested dog and its cost in Kyiv, go to the price or haircut of dogs in Kyiv page.
