Although not very commonly seen when compared to other Toy breeds like Pugs, Pomeranians etcetera, still, the Chinese Crested is gradually becoming a decently popular breed all around the world, including India. These small-sized canines are considered to be pretty good house pets as they are fairly adaptable, have above average tolerance to hot climatic conditions, are easy to train and have a cheerful and spirited personality. Hence, the Chinese Crested is a good option for anyone who is looking to raise a toy breed dog and want a tiny and sweet-natured companion.
The Chinese Crested is a unique looking breed. It comes in two distinct varieties: the hairless and the powderpuff. No matter which variety it is, these dogs are known to be extremely elegant and graceful and carry themselves with utmost pride. The official standards for the Chinese Crested are given as follows:
The average height of the Chinese Crested dogs is around 11-13 inches (at the shoulders). The male and female Crested pooches are very similar to each other when it comes to their overall size and stature. The average weight of these canines lies somewhere between the range of 3.5-5.5 Kilograms.
|
GENDER |
WEIGHT |
HEIGHT |
|
MALE |
3.5-5.5 kg |
11-13 inch |
|
FEMALE |
3.5-5.5 kg |
11-13 inch |
The Chinese Crested dog comes in two varieties of coat which are Hairless and Powderpuff. The Hairless dogs only have hair on the head (crest), tail (plume) and feet (socks). The skin is soft and smooth around the areas where the hair is not present. The Powderpuff dogs, on the other hand, are completely covered with a double coat. The undercoat is short while the outer coat is long and contains thin strands of hair. The texture of the coat on both kinds of crested dogs is silky and soft.
The Chinese Crested dogs have a fine-boned, compactly built body which they are known to carry with a fair amount of dignity and elegance. Their neck is lean and clean and is carried quite high. The chest area is moderately deep with well-developed ribs. The back region is sturdy and is slightly sloping in nature and their tail is slender, tapering and is fairly long. The forelegs and hind legs are reasonably long, straight, lean and well-boned.
They have a small, wedge-shaped head. Their eyes are shaped like an almond and are set fairly wide apart. Usually, the lighter colored canines have lighter color eyes and dark-coated pooches have dark colored eyes. Their ears are large and erect and are placed high on the head.
The Chinese Crested dogs have a fine jaw-region and their teeth either closes in a Scissors or a Level bite. The overall muzzle is slender and is tapering towards their nose.
The Chinese Crested dogs are highly spirited and lively canines. They love to be in the company of their close ones and enjoy playing loads of games with them. They remain happy and contented most of the times but can become a bit gloomy if they are left alone in the house for a long period of time. They are always willing to please their owners and family members and are quite responsive during the training sessions. These canines, if properly socialized and trained at the puppy stage, get along well with strangers and are warm and friendly with them. They are also good with other canines, cats and other pets. The Chinese Crested pooches are fairly gentle and careful with small kids as well. Thus, they can be a perfect choice for a house pet. Various temperament traits of these canines are listed below:
The appearance of these canines can be described in a single word: Unique. The Chinese Crested dogs are highly exotic-looking and elegant pooches who are renowned lap dogs. They are at their happiest when they are curled up with their loved ones. These canines are very devoted to their owners and family members and get closely attached to them.
The Chinese Crested dogs are a fine choice for a place that has warm or hot climatic conditions throughout the year. These dogs are highly tolerant of heat and can easily survive in high-temperature areas. But, if we talk about their tolerance to cold, then it is a very different story. These dogs simply can't thrive in an extremely cold or snowy area and thus they are not recommended to people who reside in hill-stations or any other colder regions.
Overall, this is considered to be a reasonably easy-going breed as these canines are immensely adjustable and compliant in nature. It is not that hard to train them, they adapt well to apartment life and they get along pretty well with others. Also, their grooming needs are fairly manageable and the same is the case with their exercise requirements. And finally, their happy and vivacious personality makes them a perfect fit for someone who is searching for a miniature, graceful and charming four-legged companion.
The Chinese Crested canines come in two varieties which are based on the different kinds of coat that these dogs can have. These varieties are:
These canines also are available in a lot of different colors which are as follows:
|
Adaptability |
*** |
Sensitivity Level |
***** |
|
Affection Level |
**** |
Potential for mouthiness |
**** |
|
Apartment-Friendly |
***** |
Drooling Potential |
* |
|
Barking Tendencies |
** |
Energy Level |
** |
|
Friendly towards dogs |
*** |
Health Issues |
*** |
|
Friendly towards other animals |
**** |
Intelligence |
*** |
|
Child Friendly |
**** |
Playfulness |
*** |
|
Exercise Needs |
** |
Shedding Level |
* |
|
Grooming Needs |
*** |
Social Needs |
*** |
|
Good for novice owners |
*** |
Stranger Friendly |
**** |
|
Trainability |
**** |
Watchdog Ability |
** |
|
Tolerates Heat |
**** |
Tolerates Cold |
* |
For such a small and lean canine, a large-diet is not necessary. These pooches should be given a good-quality dog food, which is filled with essential nutrients, in a limited amount. Whole foods such as lean meats are considered a good option for these dogs as it provides a decent amount of nutrition and energy to them.
Their exercising needs are not that high but still should be fulfilled on a daily basis. Short walks in a park, brief playing sessions either inside or outside the house are more than enough to satisfy their exercise needs.
These canines are not that hard to train. They are very agreeable and responsive during the training sessions and they love to please their owners. They understand their owner’s commands fairly quickly and can learn a lot of new things from them if trained patiently. But, an important thing to note is that these dogs are quite sensitive in nature and do not particularly respond well to harsh training methods. They should be trained gently and kindly and a reward-based training system is also considered a good idea for these Crested canines.
Grooming needs of both the varieties of Chinese Crested dogs are not that high and are easily manageable. Brushing their coat at least 2-3 times a week is required to remove the loose hair from their body. Bathing them and trimming of nails can be done on an occasional basis. Hairless Crested dogs are prone to skin allergies and may require skin lotions, but it should be applied to their body only after consulting it with a skilled vet. The Powderpuff dogs may require a more frequent brushing of their coat than the Hairless pooches.
Coming to their shedding potential, these canines shed their coat in an infrequent manner and that too in a very limited amount.
Health-related problems which are commonly seen in the Chinese Crested dogs are as follows:
Frequent visits to a vet’s clinic are not required for the Chinese Crested dogs because they generally tend to remain fit and fine throughout their life-span.
These canines don’t really come from China, but in fact, some researchers believe that these dogs have originated in Africa and they evolved from native Hairless Terriers.
Around the 1530s, the Chinese Sailors brought these dogs onboard when they stopped along the shores of Africa. These canines were used to hunt vermin and because of their excellent ratting abilities, they were traded to several different parts of the world. These dogs were given a lot of different names like the Chinese Ship Dog, the Chinese Royal Hairless, the Chinese Edible Dog and the Chinese Hairless but finally the name “Chinese Crested Dog†stuck.
These dogs were recognized by the AKC in the year 1991 and they are gradually becoming more and more popular in various parts of the world since then. But, their numbers in China are not that great and they are considered to be a rarity there.
