Chinese Crested

This exotic little dog's looks will certainly turn heads. He comes in two varieties, Hairless and Powderpuff. The Hairless is the more unusual looking of the two. He is not completely hairless. He has a tuft on his head, called his "crest," a "plume" on his tail, and his feet are covered with hair, called his "socks." All of this hair is soft, silky, and flowing. The skin should be soft to the touch, but may sometimes need moisturizing lotion. Outside, he needs lotion to keep him from getting sunburned.

The Powderpuff is covered completely with the soft, silky hair. It is a double coat--long, thin hairs lie over the softer undercoat--and needs brushing every day. Powderpuffs can be any color.

The Chinese Crested originated in Africa, but is associated with China. Chinese sailors probably brought the ancestors of today's dogs home. In China, they were bred for smallness. They became regulars on sailing boats, and were able rat killers.

These dogs are loving animals, alert and curious with plenty of energy.

Excerpts from the Standard

General Appearance: Fine-boned, elegant, and graceful; loving, playful.

Size, Proportion, and Substance: Height--ideally 11 to 13 inches at the withers.

Fun Facts

One of the people who contributed to the early popularity of this exotic-looking breed in the United States was the vaudeville performer Gypsy Rose Lee. She got her first Hairless from her sister in the 1950s and became a lifelong fan of the breed.

Excerpted from The Complete Dog Book For Kids © 1996, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.