Chinese Crested Dog Info and Care
It is believed that Chinese mariners sailed with this breed - thought to have evolved from African hairless dogs - on board. During the time of the Chinese plagues, hairless dogs were stowed aboard ships to hunt vermin. By the mid-nineteenth century, Cresteds began appearing in European art, and entries of the breed in American dog shows began in the late 1800's.
The Chinese crested is a fine-boned, elegant dog that craves human companionship. Some people refer to them as "Velcro dogs" because they are always stuck to you! They are playful, funny, entertaining dogs. They can be sensitive, and should not be treated harshly. They are fast and athletic, and some compete in agility. They come in two varieties. The hairless has soft, silky hair on it's head, tail, and feet. The hairless variety can be a true hairless - hair on the head, feet, and tail with little to no body hair, or a hairy hairless - hair on the head, feet, and tail with varying degrees of hair on the body. Some very hairy hairless dogs almost look fully coated. The powderpuff is entirely covered with a double soft coat of medium length. Both types can come from the same litter. The Chinese crested should ideally be 11" - 13" tall at the shoulder, and they are usually between 6 lbs and 15 lbs, depending on lineage. They come in every color.
Powderpuff dogs are usually left with long hair, with the face and ears shaved. If you are not showing your dog, you can be creative, and groom them any way you want. Some are shaved into a "pony cut" for a lower maintenance option. The coat of the powderpuff should be brushed every other day to prevent matting. Use a gentle dog shampoo and a leave-in conditioner for dogs - I use Pet Head. If you plan to show, there are many better (and more expensive) products out there to choose from. I bathe my powderpuffs once every two weeks.
Hairless dogs are groomed by shaving the hair around the face, sometimes shaving the ears, and shaving any unwanted body hair. A beard trimmer works great for grooming hairless dogs. I wash my hairless dogs with Grandpa's Pine Tar soap. It is good for preventing and treating breakouts. I use Pet Head leave-in conditioner very sparingly on their hair. I bathe my hairless dogs weekly. I use warm, organic coconut oil on their skin. It is very gentle, great for acne (believe it or not!), and it is actually good for them if they lick it off. If your dog has a breakout of acne (common during puberty), you can clean him every other day with a 50/50 mixture of the regular brown Listerine and Witch Hazel. Sponge it onto his skin with a cotton ball, allow to dry, and apply coconut oil with a cotton ball. If your dog ever has a skin infection, I recommend Vetericyn, applied 2-3 times daily until healed.
Both the hairless and the powderpuff are considered good dogs for allergy sufferers. My daughters and I have dog allergies, and we tolerate this breed very well. They shed very little, and seem to have less dander than other breeds. I have found that they will bring pollen back into the house on their hair, so if you have other allergies, keep that in mind. You might want to bath your dogs more often if they spend a lot of time outdoors and you have allergies.
Light colored hairless Chinese cresteds will sunburn. If they are going to be outside for longer than a few minutes, send them out in a t-shirt, or apply sunscreen.
I recommend deworming puppies at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. Then again at 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old. I recommend worming adult dogs over a year old every three months.
Puppies should be vaccinated at 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks. Vaccinate for rabies after your dog is over 16 weeks.
I recommend a grain-free diet for Chinese cresteds. We feed our dogs and puppies Taste of the Wild High Prairie. I'm sure there are some other good choices out there, but this is what has worked best for us.
Hairless Chinese crested are prone to tooth loss. Keep the teeth clean by brushing, or by providing dental chews.
We have litter box trained all of our adult dogs. All puppies will be started on litter box training. I think this is best, especially for hairless dogs. They don't appreciate having to go potty in the rain or snow. Chinese cresteds have small bladders, and always having access to their potty area is a big plus! We use altered Rubbermaid tubs as a litter box. The litter is compressed pine equine bedding, which can be bought very cheaply at most farm supply stores. We sprinkle Sweet PDZ over the litter to help absorb odors.
It is believed that Chinese mariners sailed with this breed - thought to have evolved from African hairless dogs - on board. During the time of the Chinese plagues, hairless dogs were stowed aboard ships to hunt vermin. By the mid-nineteenth century, Cresteds began appearing in European art, and entries of the breed in American dog shows began in the late 1800's.
The Chinese crested is a fine-boned, elegant dog that craves human companionship. Some people refer to them as "Velcro dogs" because they are always stuck to you! They are playful, funny, entertaining dogs. They can be sensitive, and should not be treated harshly. They are fast and athletic, and some compete in agility. They come in two varieties. The hairless has soft, silky hair on it's head, tail, and feet. The hairless variety can be a true hairless - hair on the head, feet, and tail with little to no body hair, or a hairy hairless - hair on the head, feet, and tail with varying degrees of hair on the body. Some very hairy hairless dogs almost look fully coated. The powderpuff is entirely covered with a double soft coat of medium length. Both types can come from the same litter. The Chinese crested should ideally be 11" - 13" tall at the shoulder, and they are usually between 6 lbs and 15 lbs, depending on lineage. They come in every color.
Powderpuff dogs are usually left with long hair, with the face and ears shaved. If you are not showing your dog, you can be creative, and groom them any way you want. Some are shaved into a "pony cut" for a lower maintenance option. The coat of the powderpuff should be brushed every other day to prevent matting. Use a gentle dog shampoo and a leave-in conditioner for dogs - I use Pet Head. If you plan to show, there are many better (and more expensive) products out there to choose from. I bathe my powderpuffs once every two weeks.
Hairless dogs are groomed by shaving the hair around the face, sometimes shaving the ears, and shaving any unwanted body hair. A beard trimmer works great for grooming hairless dogs. I wash my hairless dogs with Grandpa's Pine Tar soap. It is good for preventing and treating breakouts. I use Pet Head leave-in conditioner very sparingly on their hair. I bathe my hairless dogs weekly. I use warm, organic coconut oil on their skin. It is very gentle, great for acne (believe it or not!), and it is actually good for them if they lick it off. If your dog has a breakout of acne (common during puberty), you can clean him every other day with a 50/50 mixture of the regular brown Listerine and Witch Hazel. Sponge it onto his skin with a cotton ball, allow to dry, and apply coconut oil with a cotton ball. If your dog ever has a skin infection, I recommend Vetericyn, applied 2-3 times daily until healed.
Both the hairless and the powderpuff are considered good dogs for allergy sufferers. My daughters and I have dog allergies, and we tolerate this breed very well. They shed very little, and seem to have less dander than other breeds. I have found that they will bring pollen back into the house on their hair, so if you have other allergies, keep that in mind. You might want to bath your dogs more often if they spend a lot of time outdoors and you have allergies.
Light colored hairless Chinese cresteds will sunburn. If they are going to be outside for longer than a few minutes, send them out in a t-shirt, or apply sunscreen.
I recommend deworming puppies at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. Then again at 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old. I recommend worming adult dogs over a year old every three months.
Puppies should be vaccinated at 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks. Vaccinate for rabies after your dog is over 16 weeks.
I recommend a grain-free diet for Chinese cresteds. We feed our dogs and puppies Taste of the Wild High Prairie. I'm sure there are some other good choices out there, but this is what has worked best for us.
Hairless Chinese crested are prone to tooth loss. Keep the teeth clean by brushing, or by providing dental chews.
We have litter box trained all of our adult dogs. All puppies will be started on litter box training. I think this is best, especially for hairless dogs. They don't appreciate having to go potty in the rain or snow. Chinese cresteds have small bladders, and always having access to their potty area is a big plus! We use altered Rubbermaid tubs as a litter box. The litter is compressed pine equine bedding, which can be bought very cheaply at most farm supply stores. We sprinkle Sweet PDZ over the litter to help absorb odors.