The
Chinese crested dog is a hairless breed of dog. Like most hairless dog breeds,
the Chinese crested comes in two varieties, with and without fur, which are
born in the same litter: the Powderpuff and the Hairless.
Description
This
breed is considered small; 10–13 lb (4.5–5.9 kg).
At
first look, the Hairless and Powderpuff varieties of Chinese crested dogs
appear to be two different breeds, but hairlessness is an incomplete dominant
trait within a single breed.[2] The Hairless has soft, humanlike 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 an
incomplete dominant gene, the "hairless" gene has a prenatal lethal
effect when homozygous. Zygotes affected with double hairless genes (1 in 4)
never develop into puppies, and are reabsorbed in the womb. All hairless
Cresteds are therefore heterozygous.
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 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 premolar teeth, but this is not
considered a fault.
A
Powderpuff has a long, soft coat. Both Hairless and Powderpuff varieties can
appear in the same litter. 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. The Powderpuff Chinese crested dog is an elegant and
graceful dog who makes a loving companion, playful and entertaining. The Puff's
coat is long and silky soft. Ears are large and erect.
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, often grows a
near-full coat of hair. These hairy hairless are not a mix between Powderpuffs
and Hairless Chinese crested dogs, but are merely a result of a weaker
expression of the variable Hairless gene. The mutation responsible for the
hairless trait was identified in 2008.
Care
Both
varieties require certain amounts of grooming. The Powderpuff is entirely
covered with a double, very soft, straight coat. Although a Puff's coat does
not continuously grow, it can grow to be quite long at full length. A weekly
bath & frequent brushing will help prevent matting. For an optimal coat,
never brush when dry or dirty. A light spray of water, or grooming spray to
their coat is recommended before brushing. Many choose to shave their Puff in a
"Pony Cut" leaving long hair on bottom of legs, tail, head and crest
for an easy care coat. Puffs are very clean and have no odor. This breed has
"little to no shedding". (see Moult).
Maintenance
of the Hairless variety's skin is similar to maintaining human skin and as such
it can be susceptible to acne, dryness, and sunburn. Hypoallergenic or oil-free
moisturizing cream can keep the skin from becoming too dry when applied every
other day or after bathing. Burning can occur in regions that are subject to
strong UV radiation, especially in lighter-skinned dogs. Many owners apply baby
sunscreen to their pets before spending time in strong sun. Some Cresteds have
skin allergies to Lanolin, so be cautious when using any products that contain
it.
Unless
the dog is a "True" Hairless (one with virtually no hair growth on
non-extremities), trimming and/or shaving is often performed to remove excess
hair growth.
The
Chinese crested dog is further distinguished by its hare foot, (having more
elongated toes) as opposed to the cat foot common to most other dogs. Because of
this the quicks of Cresteds run deeper into their nails, so care must be taken
not to trim the nails too short to avoid pain and bleeding.
Powderpuffs
enjoy getting outdoors for daily exercise, although they are not a high energy
breed. They are great for apartment or city living, but being very versatile,
also love country living and long hikes.
Being
a very intelligent breed, this dog does well in obedience type sports.
Consistency is a must, however this breed can be relatively sensitive and
should have a gentle trainer. The Powderpuff is great at learning and
performing tricks.
Health
The
Powderpuff is not affected by many of the congenital diseases found in other
toy breeds. They are, however, prone to some of these conditions listed. Eye
problems such as lens luxation, glaucoma, and PRA (Progressive Retinal
Atrophy), luxating patellas, and Legg-Pethes disease. The Powderpuff should
have full dentition, not missing or crooked teeth, as is accepted in their
sibling the Hairless variety.
Cresteds
have what is called a "primitive mouth." This means that most of
their teeth are pointy, like their canines. Hairless varieties of the Cresteds
can be prone to poor dentition. Poor dentition may include missing or crowded
teeth and teeth prone to decay when not properly cared for. Most dogs of the
Puff variety have few, if any, dental defects.
Eyes
are a concern within the breed, with many[citation needed] suffering from a
painful and blinding inherited eye disease called Primary Lens Luxation. (PLL)
The Chinese Crested can also have at least two forms of progressive retinal
atrophy (PRA) which can eventually lead to blindness as well. For PLL and also
one of the forms of PRA, there exists a genetic test, to determine if a dog is
a "carrier, clear, or affected." prcd-PRA. Since the test for prcd-PRA
can only reveal the existence of affected or carrier status of this one form of
PRA, breeders and owners of the breed should still have regular eye exams by
veterinary ophthalmologists. The breed also suffers from another eye disease
called Keratoconjunctivitis sicca or dry eye syndrome (DES).
Along
with Kerry Blue Terriers, Cresteds can develop canine multiple system
degeneration (CMSD) also called progressive neuronal abiotrophy (PNA) in Kerry
Blue Terriers. This is a progressive movement disorder that begins with
cerebellar ataxia between 10 and 14 weeks of age. After 6 months of age,
affected dogs develop difficulty initiating movements and fall frequently. The
gene responsible has been mapped to canine chromosome 1.
As
with all other toy breeds, the Cresteds can be prone to patellar luxation. This
inheritable condition is caused by shallow knee joints (stifles) and results in
kneecaps that pop out of place. Its onset is often at a young age, and can
cause temporary to permanent lameness based on the severity. Breeders should
have their stock certified free of patellar luxation. Many countries' kennel
clubs maintain a centralised registry for health results.
Allergy
and autoimmune diseases have been observed in the breed. The severity of these
ailments, which can lead to the premature death of the dog, means this is
something breeders need to take seriously in order to avoid it becoming a
problem for the breed.
Healthy
dogs have the following statistics:
·
Lifespan: 12–14 years, although many have been
known to live much longer
·
Weight: 7–12 lbs/4–5 kg
·
Height: 10–13 inches/30 cm
·
Color: Any color or combination of colors
Breeding
The
Hairless allele (the wild type) is a dominant (and homozygous prenatal lethal)
trait, while the Powderpuff allele acts as a simple recessive trait in its
presence. Zygotes that receive two copies of the Hairless allele will never
develop into puppies. Thus all Chinese crested dogs carry at least one copy of
the Powderpuff allele.
The
Powderpuff trait cannot be bred out because it is carried by all Chinese
crested dogs (even the hairless ones). All Hairless Chinese crested dogs have
the ability to produce Powderpuff puppies, even when they are bred to another
Hairless. On the other hand, a Powderpuff bred to another Powderpuff can never
produce hairless puppies, since they do not carry the Hairless gene.
In popular culture
One
famous Chinese crested dog was the hairless purebred named Sam. He was the
winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest from 2003 to 2005; he passed away
before he could compete in 2006. Other Chinese cresteds, either purebreds or
mixes, have finished high in the event as well. Some Chinese crested dog have
also appeared as a characters in movies and TV shows such as,
·
Peek from Cats & Dogs and Cats & Dogs:
The Revenge of Kitty Galore
·
Fluffy from 102 Dalmatians
·
Romeo from Hotel for Dogs
·
Giuseppe from Marmaduke
·
Halston from Ugly Betty
·
Reinaldo from New York Minute
·
Krull the Warrior King from How to Lose a Guy in
10 Days
·
Lackey from Good Boy!
·
Bobby from The Young and the Restless
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