Description

The Chinese Crested is small and graceful, with a sleek, unwrinkled face. Their dark eyes are almond shaped and set wide apart. Their ears are upright and low set. The Chinese Crested’s graceful, slender neck leads down to a level back, and a high set tapered tail. The chest is round and fairly deep, and the belly is slightly tucked up. Like the rest of the dog, the legs are long and slender, ending in rabbit-like feet. 

Origin: China

Look

The Chinese Crested is best known for its bald body, save for those beautiful puffs of fur on the head, tail, and feet; but what many people don’t realise is that fluffy Chinese Crested dogs exist too! The Hairless variety is mostly bald. Hairless Crested dogs have hair on the head, with a little crest of fur over the neck; fluffy socks on their feet; and a fuzzy plume on the tail. The fluffy dogs are called Powder Puffs, and have a full coat of long, soft hair. The Chinese Crested can be any colour, with all types of different markings. 

Some have called the Chinese Crested a hypoallergenic dog, and it is true that they can be good pets for people with allergies. This breed sheds less than most dogs, so depending on your specific allergy, this could be a good dog for you. The Chinese Crested should have regular grooming sessions to trim their fur and a bath every one to two weeks. 

Health

The Chinese Crested is generally a healthy dog breed; however they are prone to a few health conditions: 

• • Canine multiple system degeneration (CMSD) 
  • Dental problems
  • Glaucoma
  • Kerato-conjunctivitis Sicca (KCS)
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
  • Lens luxation 
  • Patellar Luxation
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
  • Skin issues, such as comedones and being prone to sunburn
  • Teeth issues (the Hairless dogs tend to missing teeth)
  • May be sensitive to certain medicines  

At Newdoggy.com we promote reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. Newdoggy.com’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

The Chinese Crested is an intelligent breed. While they can be stubborn, if you respect their sensitive nature and gently persist, your Chinese Crested is sure to reward your efforts. This breed will surprise you with its versatility: Chinese Crested dogs have been successful as therapy dogs, and often compete in sports such as canine agility and lure coursing. 

They can be quite vocal, so it is worth teaching your Chinese Crested the commands “Speak” and “Quiet” to avoid excessive barking.  

Temperament

The Chinese Crested is a sociable dog. They make wonderful lap dogs, and bond closely to their immediate family. Both clever and stubborn, this breed is often unfairly dismissed as being stupid. They are in fact very sensitive, smart dogs, and do best with a gentle, firm person. The downside of this is that the Chinese Crested may suffer from separation anxiety if left alone. 

While they can be reserved with strangers, if you socialise your dog, they will not be aggressive or anxious with new people in the future.

Living with

This breed is small and sensitive, but also very loving. They do well with children, and make good family pets. The Chinese Crested hates to be alone; even if you do training to avoid separation anxiety, you still shouldn’t leave this dog home alone all day. 

The Chinese Crested’s friendly nature extends to children, and towards other dogs. They might be able to get along with cats if socialised with them, but since Chinese Crested dogs were often used for catching rats in the past, they should not be trusted with small pets. 

The Chinese Crested loves heat, and will be happy living in a hot environment; just keep your Crested in the shade to avoid sunburn. Although some owners use sunblock to avoid sunburn, this can cause skin problems, so avoiding strong sunlight is better. On the other hand, the Chinese Crested does not tolerate the cold well; it’s worth investing in a warm dog coat, and even boots to protect their paws.  

Due to their small size, Chinese Crested dogs will be content living in an apartment, so long as they get proper exercise. A couple of walks every day, and perhaps a trip to the dog park, should be plenty of exercise.