 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Jaya's Designer Cresteds |
| Copyright 2007 Designed by Jaya Ortiz and Carmen Ortiz-Sandoval |
| Chinese Cresteds |
Although there is an anecdotal history of hairless dogs in many seaports (apart from the hairlessness, it is unclear
how closely these dogs resemble the modern Chinese Crested), European visitors in the 1700s remarked in
particular on hairless dogs in Chinese port cities, as well as dogs owned by Chinese sailors plying the African trade
route. Paintings of the breed (and later, photographs) reached Europe in the 1800s.
Early Chinese Cresteds may have been valued as ratters (rat catchers), both on ships and in agricultural
communities, though such traits are rarely evident in the breed today. The breed has also been called the Chinese
Edible Dog, the Chinese Hairless Dog, the Chinese Ship Dog, the Chinese Royal Dog.
The Chinese Crested was officially recognised by the FCI in 1987,in the UK Kennel Club in 1981 and by the
American Kennel Club in 1991. The American burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee (1911-1970) owned a number
of Chinese Cresteds, and helped create a popular awareness of the unusual breed.
Appearance
The Chinese Crested Dog is a smaller (10-13 lbs) breed of dog known for its unusual appearance and
entertaining personality. It is a member of the toy dog group. Two types can be born in the same litter; the
Hairless and the Powderpuff. At first glance, the "Hairless" and "Powderpuff" varieties of Chinese Crested
Dogs appear to be two different breeds, but hairlessness is a dominant trait within a single breed. The
Hairless has soft, human like skin, as well as tufts of fur on its paws ("socks") and tail ("plume") and long,
flowing hair on its head ("crest"). In addition to being a dominant gene, the "hairless" gene is lethal when
homozygous. All living hairless Cresteds are therefore heterozygous for this trait.
The Hairless variety can vary in amount of body hair. Fur on the muzzle, known as a beard, is not
uncommon. A true Hairless often does not have as much furnishings (hair on the head, tail, and paws). The
difference between a very hairy Hairless and a Powderpuff is that the Hairless has a single coat, often with
hairless parts on the body, while the Powderpuff has a thick double coat. The skin of the Hairless comes in
a variety of colors, ranging from a pale flesh to black. Hairless cresteds often lack a full set of teeth, but this
is not considered a fault.
The look of the Powderpuff varies according to how it is groomed. When its fur is completely grown out on
its face, it strongly resembles a terrier; however, the Powderpuff is usually shaved around the snout as a
standard cut. Its fur is incredibly soft. Due to its coat type, both Powderpuff and Hairless are considered
good pets for allergy sufferers.
The amount of body hair on the hairless variety varies quite extensively, from the true hairless which has
very little or no body hair and furnishings, to what is called a hairy hairless, which if left ungroomed can grow
a nearly full coat of hair. These hairy hairless are not a mix between powederpuffs and hairless Chinese
Cresteds though, but is merely a result of the varying expression of the hairless gene, which the powderpuff
does not have at all.
