The Chinese Crested Dog is an uncommon dog, he never passes unnoticed and he seems gifted with a special charm that conquers whoever. This breed, all to discover, deserves definitely greater popularity. There are two different varieties with the same structure, but very different for their look: the hairless has a naked body and a hair tuft on his head, tail and legs; the powderpuff is totally covered with a soft silky coat. Both are different but inseparable sides of the same breed, and they must be both included in the breeding programs and they bear in the same litter.

The Chinese Crested, the Xoloitzcuintle and the Peruvian Inca Orchid, are the only three breeds of hairless dogs recognized by the F.C.I.. There are other breeds (like the American Hairless Terrier, the Abyssinian Sand Dog, the Argentinian Perro Pila, the Little Africanian Sighthound, the Dog of Nubia, the Dog from Egypt, the Turkish Dog, the Dog of the Antille...) but they are not recognized. All these breeds exist in two varieties: hairy and hairless, but only the coated Chinese Crested has a plentuful fur, that is the reason of the name of "powderpuff". Among the three breeds recognized by FCI, only the Chinese Crested is recognized in both his varieties, while for Peruvian Inca and Xoloitzcuintle is approved only the hairless variety. This causes problems to the breeders, that sometimes put down or give away the hairy puppies. Only the American Hairless Terrier makes an exception: his coated variety (Rat Terrier) is distinct from the hairless one, that is to say that the coated dogs are not necessarily inserted in the breeding programs of the hairless ones. The litters are composed of hairless only, without theeth problems.
The presence of the Chinese Cresteds in Italy is rare and recent. The breed was introduced about 10 years ago by Attilio Carlesso ("Allevamento dei Sette Laghi" Kennel), with the collaboration of Antonio Malagnino. Their commitment and the they devotion have been awarded with European and Worlds titles. In the rest of Europe and of the world this breed is more diffuse, even in cold countries like Norway and Sweden. The big variety of structures and colors makes difficult to find two alike dogs, therefore each crested is, let's say, a "unique piece". The Chinese Cresteds are definitely the most original and special dogs, and the enthusiasm for the first crested often leads to desire other ones.

• FCI standard: n.288/ c of the June 1987.
• FCI classification: Group 9 (dogs from company).
• General appearance: small dog, lively and graceful; with average-thin structure, smooth trunk without hair (present only on the feet, head and tail) or covered with a soft veil of hair.
• Size: height to the withers for males ranges from 28 to 33 cm, for female ranges from 23 to 30. Weight less than 5,5 Kg.
• Characteristics: two kind of structures: deer (elegant with fine structure) and cobby (with heavier structure).
• Coat and color: all the colors and the combinations of colors are allowed. Skin with fine grit, soft and warm for the hairless, a soft veil of long hair for the powderpuff.
• Grooming: the muzzle can be left naturally hairy (full face) or groomed (shaved face).
• Feeding: balanced and driven to avoid overweight. Fresh or commercial food is equally indicated.
• Character: happy, affectionate, detached with the strangers. Good relationship with children and with other dogs and pets.
• Attitudes: company, show, agility, obbedience, pet terapy.
• Diffusion: insufficient diffusion in Italy.
• Clubs:
• Club Cani da Compagnia (Italia)
  Salita Paxo, 2/A - 16035 - Rapallo (GE) - Italia
  tel. 0185-66716 - 320173 fax 0185-66716
• Club du Chihuahua du Coton de Tuléar et des Exotiques (Francia)
  178 rue du Tremblay - 78630 Orgeval - tel.: 01 39 75 23 14
  Ch­teau de Maudetour - 95420 Magny en Vexin - tel.: (1) 34 67 34 78
• Chinese Crested Club of Great Britain (Gran Bretagna)
  Secretary Mrs B Taylor - tel.: 01733 240234
  Secretary Mr A T Broadhead - tel.: 01902 721504
• The American Chinese Crested Club, Inc. (M) (U.S.A.)
  Corres. Secretary Kathleen Forth - Rt. #3 Box 157 Decatur TX 76234
  Secretary Janet Kiczek -79 South New Boston Rd., Francestown, NH 03043-0211 tel.: (603)547-2804
• The Czech Hairless Dog Club (Repubblica Ceca)
  secretary Eva Vosláøová - Botanická 31 - 602 00 Brno - Czech Republic
• Chinese Crested Club (Svezia)
  secretary Yvonne Fransson - Gotgatan 108 - 118 62 STOCKHOLM - SWEDEN
• Internet:
• http://crest-care.com/ (site of the rescue assotiation "Crested Care")
• http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/9985/ (Penny & Cookie's page - Italia)

Cresteds are elegant, happy, booming, intelligent, clean, unscented, very affectionate with their masters and detached with strangers.
They obtain good results in agility and obbedience. They are not fidgety, aggressive or barking. Both the hairless and the powderpuff don't shed, or however much less than other breeds; who suffers for asthma or allergies can usually live with a crested. The lack of hair, besides, has the advantage of a better hygiene and a low exposure to parasitesc like fleas and mints. That they don't like the solitude, so it is better not to leave them alone, or give them a friend (another crested, or another dog, or also a cat). Cresteds like living at home, but they also love to run outside. In summer the hairless tans in the sun (so it is necessary the application of a solar cream with high protection), in winter he loves be to the warmth and, to go outside, he wears an overcoat (his skin doesn't love the wool, except cashmere). During all the year the powderpuff needs daily brushings, a bath every 7-10 days, and regular treatments with specific commodities that maintain his hair soft and bright.
For the hairless it is advisable a weekly bath with a delicate shampoo, and then the application of moisturizing cream. To maintain his elegant appearance, it could be sometimes necessary to shave the little superfluous hair. Both for the hairless and the powderpuff, it is possible to choose for the "shaved face look" (eliminating the hair on the muzzle, from the base of the ear up to the external angle of the eye) or leave the natural appearance, "full face".
They have a good appetite, so it is better to check their feeding to protect health and line: a nude obese dog is really unsightly. Like for other dogs, it is better to avoid: chocolate, raw white of the egg, onion, potatoes, small bones or that could splinter.
The Chinese Crested does not fit to whoever. He is chosen by impassioned and demanding persons, with a precise taste, disposed to give him all the cares and attentions that he deserves. If a small toy dog is looked for, that requires few cares, then the Chinese Crested is not the correct dog. Also if the hairless seems to don't need cares, it is not true. The crested is not proper to be left always in garden or in a cage, he is instead perfect for who desires to have him to enjoy his company or bring him to the shows. In fact he is an excellent friend for all the family and he is happy to belong to it as a new member. The crested is very intelligent and he can gerrymander his master to obtain what he wants so, if it is wanted a dog that obeys to each command, he is not the most proper. The Chinese Cresteds are very sociable also with the children, but it must be avoided that these treat them like toys, seen they reduced size.
Because of all the particularities of this race, it is wise do searches to decide if he is proper to the own demands. In countries like the United States, in which the Chinese Cresteds are more diffuse, it happens that they are abandoned. Luckly there exist voluntary rescue associations that work to find new houses for them. It's better to reflect. The decision to have a Chinese Crested, or any other dog, like friend is an commitment for all life.

The origin of the hairless chinese dogs goes up again to the night of the times and loses itself in the legends and in the myths. In fact, it is not sure if the different breeds of hairless dogs in the different continents descend all from one same log or if the hot climate is the cause of the genetic mutation, things not proven. However, it is commonly considered that the nude dogs are aboriginal from Africa, that they ware diffuse in the world by the man during his trips and that they selected them basing on minor characteristics. This would explain the motive for which nude dogs could locate in regions so distant each other. There is no new about the arrival of these dogs in China, but it is known that they were fostered from the people that formed the imperial dynasty of Han. According to of the stories, it looks as if, in the programs of selection of the Chinese Cresteds, they inserted different breeds, but the Xoloitzcuintle was always re-inserted at least each three generations to maintain the hairlessness gene. Some of the inserted breeds would be: Abyssinian Sand Dogs (hairless), Basenji, Pharaoh Hounds, Ibizan Hounds, Tibetan Terriers and Maltese. This would explain the big variety of colors and coat types of today's cresteds. In concomitance of the cultural revolution and of the decadence of the Chinese nobility, these dogs disappeared from China, but they arrived in the United States, where they had success thanks to their attractive and elegant appearance. Because of these subjects, of which Debora Wood (Crest Haven Kennels) maintained the characteristics, the breed survived. In the Sixties, subject from her kennel were imported in England by Ruth Harris, constituting the base of the actual breeding.

The pups are precocious, vivacious, and their development is rapid: since the age of 6 months they achieve their adult size. The fecundity is in average of 3 or 4 puppies for litter also if recently, in Argentina, there has been a litter of even 13 pups (9 HL and 4 PP). It is important to know that the temperature of the hairless is the same of all the other breeds. If his skin seems hotter than the one of another kind of dog, it is probably because the contact is direct. Like every other dog he must be vaccinated, however much caution is recommended with the leptospirosis vaccine, because in many cases it caused anaphylactic shocks. On the whole, it is a relatively strong breed and without important problems. The most frequent problems in this breed concern eyes, limbs, teeth and skin. Several problems of the eyes seem to be hereditary, therefore dogs that suffer of them must be excluded from the breeding programs. It is always recommended to check regularly by an ophtalmologyst, at least before breeding the dog, and communicate the results of the controls to the CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation). The "Legg Calve Perthes" is a typical problem of toy breeds, and consists in lack of sprinkling of the head of the femur that degenerates, causing a strong pain to the dog. It requires an surgical operation and it seems to be hereditary, therefore affected dogs should be excluded from the breeding. Another typical problem of toy breeds is the "patella luxation". It can be prevented letting the dog develop a good muscular system, without straining it with long walks when he is still growing. For these and other problems, it is recommended to do a control by the orthopedic, and submit the results of the visit to the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation Animals) for recording. The hair and the teeth have the same embryologic origin, so the lack of hair is connected to the lack, even total, of the premolars and of other teeth. To remedy, powderpuff must be included in the breeding program. It is recommended to check and regularly clean teeth and gums. The amount of hair varies from subject to subject and, in a same litter, over the powderpuff, it is possible find hairless with few crest and no hair on the rest of the body (true hairless), or hairless with plentiful crests and also down on the rest of the body (hairy hairless), and also intermediary situations. There are different types of skin and texture, according to the bloodlines. Some dogs could present blackheads or pimples that can be treated with proper products. Also in this case, it is better to avoid to breed dogs with serious problems. It's important to specify that the hairlessness is not at all the result of genetic manipulation of the man, or of repeated crossbreeds among dogs with few hair: it is genetic mutation absolutely spontaneous, obviously maintained by the man that selected this breed like many other. In a same litter, there bear both hairless and powderpuff, bar in the case of two powderpuff parents: in this case, in fact, the pups are surely all powderpuff. The two varieties must be both included in the breeding programs, because the hairless is the result of a dominant mutation. Repeated crossbreeds between hairless, never inserting the powderpuff gene in the line, cause the lack of teeth and crest, and a weak bony structure. It is commonly thought that the genetic laws that rule the hairlessness are more complex than how stated by Mendel, with the "lethal gene" theory, but it remains the fact that the hairless must bring both the hairless gene (dominant) and the powderpuff gene (recessive), because the hairless gene alone is lethal. Other pathologies that can happen are: closed ear ducts, immunite deficiency, epilepsy, allergies.

In the FCI classification, the Chinese Crested belongs to the 4 section (hairless dogs) of the group 9 (toy dogs). In Great Britain and in the United States, hairless and powderpuff are judged in the same class. The FCI doesn't ask unanimity to its affiliate countries, therefore in some countries (Italy, Sweden...) they are judged in the same class, while in other (Czech Republic, Ungheria, Poland...) they are judged separately. Actually, it is difficulty judge an hairless and a powderpuff together, without doing comparisons, but basing the judgment on the correspondence of the dog to the standard. An interesting proposal is of adding in the pedigree the indication HL or PP ("hairless" or "powderpuff") for each dog, to give important information to breeders for their breeding programs (it already exists in Sweden, Norway, Czech Rep., Slovakia, Germany...). In some countries it is possible to find "tiny cresteds" breedings, whose size is inferior to the minimum stated by the FCI standard, always maintaining the grace and elegance typical of the breed.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: A small, active and graceful dog; medium to fine boned, smooth hairless body, with hair on feet, head and tail only. Or covered with a soft veil of hair.

CHARACTERISTICS: Two distinct types of this breed; deer type, racy and fine boned, and cobby type, heavier in body and bone.

TEMPERAMENT: Happy, never vicious.

HEAD AND SKULL: lightly rounded and elongated skull. Cheeks cleanly chiseled, lean and flat,, tapering into muzzle. Stop slightly pronounced but not too extreme. Head smooth, without excess wrinkles. distance from base of skull to stop equal to distance from stop to tip of the nose. Muzzle tapering slightly but never pointed, lean without flaws. Nose a prominent feature, narrow in keeping muzzle. Any color nose acceptable. Head presenting graceful appearance, with alert expression. Lips tight and thin. Ideally, crest beginning at stop, tapering off down neck. Crest itself may flow to any length, a long and flowing crest is preferred, but sparse acceptable.

EYES: So dark as to appear black; little or no white showing; medium size; set wide apart.

EARS: Set low: highest point of base of ear level with outside corner of eye. Large and erect, with or without fringe, except in the Powder puffs where drop ears are permissible.

MOUTH: Jaws strong, with perfect, regular scissors bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square into jaws.

NECK: Lean, free from throatiness, long and sloping gracefully into strong shoulders. When moving, carried high and slightly arched.

FOREQUARTERS: Shoulders clean, narrow and well laid back. Legs long and slender, set well under the body. Elbows held close to body. Pasterns fine, strong, nearly vertical. Toes turned neither in nor out.

BODY: Medium to long. Supple. Chest rather broad and deep, not barrel ribbed. Breast bone not prominent. Brisket extending to elbows- moderate tuck-up.

HINDQUARTERS: Rump well rounded and muscular, loins taut, stifles fine and long, sweeping smoothly into the well let-down hock. Angulation of the rear limb must be such as to produce a level back. Hind-legs set wide apart.

FEET: Extreme hare foot, narrow and very long, with unique elongation of the small bones between joints, especially in the forefeet, which almost appear to possess an extra joint. Nails any colour, moderately long. Socks ideally confined to toes, but not extending above top of pastern. Feet turning neither in nor out.

TAIL: Set high, carried up or out when in motion. Long and tapering, fairly straight, not curled or twisted to either side, falling naturally when at rest. Plume long and flowing, confined to the lower two-thirds of the tail. Sparse plume acceptable.

GATT/MOVEMENT: long, flowing and elegant with good rech and planty of drive.

COAT: No large patches of hair anywhere on the body. Skin fine-grained, smooth warm to touch. In Powderpuffs coat consists of an undercoat with soft veil of long hair, veil coat a feature.

COLOUR: Any colour combination of colours.

SIZE: Ideal height in dogs 28-33 cm. (11-13 inches) at withers. Bitches 23-30 cm. (9-12 inches) at withers. Weight varies considerably, but should not be over 5 1/2 kg (12 lbs).

FAULTS: Any departure from the forgoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness of the fault should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Standard FCI n.288/c
Approved by the General Assembly on the 23th and 24th June 1987 in Jerusalem.

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