Chinese Crested Dogs: The Perfect Lap Dogs

If you are trying to decide on the best dog breed for a pet, you may want to consider a Chinese Crested dog. Available as both a Hairless and coated dog, they are smart, playful, and perfect for either apartment dwellers or rural families. Here we discuss an overview of the breed

The Chinese Crested dog is believed to be descended from the African Hairless dog, and developed by selective breeding with the African Hairless.

The Chinese have a long standing reputation for breeding small sized dogs. There are recorded accounts of dogs of this type appearing in seaports in Africa, Asia, Central and South America as early as the 1300s. Chinese seamen bartered the dogs for goods and services.

The breed began appearing in American dog shows in the late 1800s, and was first registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in the 1900s. The popularity of the breed was boosted when the famous performer Gypsy Rose Lee became a well-known breeder of Chinese Cresteds.

Discover for yourself some fast facts and breed characteristics of this toy breed.

• Origin: Unknown but believed to be ancestor of African Hairless and developed by the Chinese
• Group: AKC Toy; first registration was in 1991 of Maya of Rivercrest (AKC number D 413100)
• Use: Companion animals, bed warmers, ratters, and food
• Lifespan: 10 to 12 years
• Height/weight: 11 to 13 inches tall; 10 to 14 pounds
• Color/Coat: Any color is acceptable; spotted or white markings are accepted; Hairless type has hair on the head (crest,) feet, and tail; Powderpuff type is covered with hair and has a double coat (undercoat and top coat).
• Personality: Loving and devoted
• Eyes: Wide set almond shaped eyes that can be either light or dark colored
• Grooming: Hairless – minimal; Powderpuff – medium, with minimal shedding
• Need for attention: High; they are extremely loyal and crave human companionship
• Known Health Problems/heritable diseases: Skin problems, allergies, sun sensitivity, dental problems, liver shunts, Legg-Perthes disease, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
• Intelligence: High, very trainable; early socialization and obedience training is recommended
• Social Skills: Because of their diminutive size, this breed interacts best with older children and other pets that are of comparable or smaller size. They may be wary of strangers.
• National Breed Association: American Chinese Crested Club (ACCC)

Now that we know more about the Chinese Crested, let's examine some physical characteristics of the breed

The Chinese Crested presents a balanced appearance that is neither fragile nor muscular; the body is fine-boned.

The body is longer than tall, with a wedge-shaped head, large erect ears, and wide set almond-shaped eyes.

The tail is curved; the Hairless type ends in a plume, while the Powderpuff type is entirely covered with soft hair.

Hairless types may have some missing teeth, however, missing teeth is considered a fault in the Powderpuff types.

These are inside dogs and need protection from weather extremes. Sunburn is a summertime risk, and coats and sweaters are required for wintertime. They are playful and energetic, and easily trained to the leash or to play fetch.

If you are looking for a loving toy sized dog with minimal health problems and grooming needs, Chinese Cresteds may be just the breed for you. As an additional bonus, because they have little or no hair, they are considered to be a non-shedding small dog that is perfect for allergy sufferers. A good place to start your research is at the website of the America Chinese Crested Club, or the AKC.

However, if you are still undecided, you may want to read "The Most Popular Dog Breeds in the U.S." before making a selection.

American Kennel Club, Chinese Crested Standard, April 1, 1991

American Chinese Crested Club

The Complete Dog Book, Official Publication of the American Kennel Club, 18^th edition

The Original Dog Bible, edited by Kristin Mehus-Roe