Chinese Crested Dog - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Chinese Crested dog is ancient and very old dog breed and no one can be really sure about its ancestry and origin. But the most accepted theory suggest, that these dogs actually do not have their roots in China and that they are descendants of large hairless african dog called African Hairless Terrier and that they were brought to China, where their size was reduced by selective breeding. So the breed we know today, was truly developed by Chinese, but its origin is probably somewhere else.​

2) Ratters
In the past, Chinese Crested dogs accompanied Chinese sailors on trading vessels around the world. They were used on the ships as skilled ratters. It is believed, that thanks this traveling, Chinese Crested dogs appeared in ports of Egypt, South Africa or Turkey, where local variations of this breed were cultivated.

3) Coat
The Chinese Crested dog is an exotic looking dog that actually comes in two coat types. The more popular is probably the hairless type. This type actually does have some silky hair on the head, feet and tail. The second type does have a full coat and it is called Powderpuff. The Powderfpuff type has a pretty thick doublecoat. Interesting fact is, that both types can be born in the same litter and even two hairless Chinese Crested dogs can have powderpuff offspring.

4) Companions
The Chinese Crested dog is known for its happy nature. These little dogs just love human companionship and they are very affectionate. These dogs typically love children, but because they are very small and fragile, the kid should be old enough to know how to treat dogs with respect. The Chinese Crested can also live with other dogs or pets in the family, especially if they are raised together from the puppyhood. These dogs are quite playful, clownish and it seems they are always positive.

5) Sam
Probably the most popular Chinese Crested dog is Sam, a threetime champion of the World Ugliest Dog contest. Sam was blind and toothless, but he was internationally famous and kinda celebrity. Sam is not the only popular Chinese Crested dog, because this breed also appeared in many movies and TV shows such as Hotel for Dogs, 102 Dalmatians or Marmaduke.

6) Size
The Chinese Crested dog is a small breed with average height between 11-13 inch, which is 28-33 cm and weight is usually between 10-13 pounds, which is 4-6 kgs. There are no big size differences between males and females.

7) Color
This dog breed can be in almost any color or color combination. Usual colors include mahogany, blue, levander or copper. The coat can be either spotted or solid. The hairless type can have skin in pink or black color.

8) Missing teeth
It is quite common for the hairless variety of Chinese Crested dog to miss some or even all the teeth. It is not sign of some ilness or for example bad breeding, this just goes along with the breed and there is a genetic link between dominant hairlessness gene and missing teeth.

9) Maintenance
The ammount of grooming really depends of how much hair your Chinese Crested has. If its the powderpuff fully coated dog, than almost daily brushing is needed, because the coat can become matted quite easily. On the other hand, some Chinese Crested dogs will require skin moisturization to keep the skin in good condition, but it is not always needed. These dogs are known for being very clean and they do not shed much. The hariless type is also prone to cold weather and they typically wear sweater when its cold outside. Other than that, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, teeth and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
This is relatively healthy dog breed, in relatin to other toy breeds. The average lifespan is around 13-15 years. Of course, just like all the dog breeds, even the Chinese Crested can suffer from some health issues and those include dental problems, skin problems, progressive retinal atrophy or legg calve perthes disease.