Chinese Crested Dog

PowderPuff

The Chinese Crested Dog is an extraordinary little companion dog. His joy of life, liveliness and beautiful longevity offer his owners a long and pleasant cohabitation, which makes him a very popular and much in demand dog.

Height 23 to 33 cm
Weight 3 to 5 kg
Life expectancy 13 to 15 years
Hair Loss Low
Excercise Need Low
Home country China

Quick Overview of the Chinese Crested Dog

Temperament

  • Obedient and cheerful
  • Active and lively
  • Easy to live with
  • Very affectionate

Appearance

  • Bare skin
  • All possible colors
  • Wrinkle-free smooth head
  • Large ears, with or without fringe

Health

  • No particular pathology
  • Rarely ill
  • Good longevity

Temperament of the Chinese Crested Dog

Obedient, cheerful, active, lively, easy-going and very affectionate, the Chinese Crested Dog is the dog par excellence for the family. He loves children and cuddles. A totally tireless player, he participates in all games and asks for more.

He is quite sociable with everyone, humans and animals alike and without any aggressiveness.

His education is easy and without issues, as is his socialization which is a real child's game.

This adorable little companion dog is one of the easiest dogs on the planet. His curious and peculiar physique may repel some, but his excellent character and affectionate temperament charme many others.

Even the longhaired variety prefers, by far, the contact of the home and the pleasure of being around people in the household.

The Chinese Crested Dog must live with his family at all times. He is only happy in contact with others.

chien chinois à crête personnalité

Breed Appearance

Chinese Crested Dog

The Chinese Crested Dog is what is called a "bare skinned dog". His original physique,  practically hairless, for the variety without hair, is very unique to him.

Height

Between 28 and 33 cm (11.02 to 12.99 inches) for the male
Between 23 and 30 cm (9.06 to 11.81 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 3 and 5 kg (6.61 to 11.02 pounds) for the male
Between 3 and 5 kg (6.61 to 11.02 pounds) for the female

Color

All existing colors are allowed for his dress.

Hair

For the bare-skinned variety, the hair is present only on the tail, the bottom of the legs and in a pretty puff on the head. The hairy variety has a very soft, long coat and a layer of undercoat, which is why he is called "Powder-Puff".

Morphology

His smooth, wrinkle-free head with well chiselled cheeks has a pronounced but light stop, that is by no means excessive. The eyes of the Chinese Crested Dog are very dark and almost black. His large ears, with or without fringe, are upright for the bare-skinned variety, while for the long-haired variety, they are generally hanging.

His nose usually matches the coat colors and can have almost any color. His long tapering tail is neither twisted nor curled. It is carried upright for the bare-skinned variety and has a nice drooping panache for the long-haired variety.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 9, section 4 and is #288

Characteristics of the Chinese Crested Dog

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

Find out if the Chinese Crested Dog is your ideal dog breed with our quiz.

That will take you less than 3 minutes!

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Chinese Crested Dog puppy: between and
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder

Tips About this breed

The Chinese Crested Dog can live anywhere as long as he is indoors, especially the bare-skinned variety. His unique hairless coat does not allow him to live in the cold or the sun. His skin must be protected at all times.

The education of this small specimen is one of the easiest and has no particular conditions except for a little firmness accompanied by a lot of gentleness. The Chinese Crested Dog is naturally sociable, never aggressive, using any pretext to receive hugs and affection.

Health of the Chinese Crested Dog

No particular pathology affects the race. Despite appearances, he is very robust and enjoys excellent health as he is rarely sick.

GROOMING

No special maintenance is required for both varieties. However, the skin of the bare-skinned variety must be watched and protected because it is more fragile in cold weather and in the sun.

History of this breed

The origins of the Chinese Crested Dog are rather nebulous and fuzzy. The Chinese Crested Dog is believed to have had different names depending on where he lived in the past.

This very original dog, already present in the 12th century according to some, would thus have carried, among others, the name of "dog of Giza" or "dog of the Pyramids". His country of origin is uncertain, possibly Central America, South America, Turkey, Egypt or South Africa.

All these countries have claimed the origin of the Chinese Crested Dog. A painting, dating from the 16th century by Lucas Cranach the Elder, on display in the Dresden Museum, depicts a small dog resembling the Chinese Crested Dog in all respects. This representation could confirm his remote and very old existence.

Although he is now called the Chinese Dog, his ancestor probably originated in Vietnam. As he is, nowadays, more known in the West than in the East, all assumptions are valid and none are really confirmed.

The story goes that his original physique would have conquered the hearts of many, and during the stopovers of cargo ships, where dogs were used to hunt vermin, small dogs would have regularly served as a bargaining chip for Chinese sailors.

This would explain his large presence in Europe and his great popularity throughout the West.

He officially appeared in Europe in the 19th century, in France in 1973 and in the United States in 1991. The Chinese Crested Dog is said to have previously served as a vermin hunter, and today he has risen to the status of companion dog par excellence.

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