Origin

Whatever may be the name this breed actually belongs to Africa and they were mainly called African hairless terrier. The Aztecs in the olden days used these dogs to keep their bed warm an also used them as a mode of food. When the Chinese ships came to Africa they took the dogs to their ships to kill the rats. This name of the breed was given by the Chinese sailors and this name is used till date. AKC totally recognized this breed in 1991. The Chinese Crested has become very popular in USA and England and it have proved to be a great companion of humans.

General Description

There are two types of Chinese Crested dogs. In is totally without hair and another is full of puffy fur all around. The hairless Chinese Crested only has hair on its head, feet and tail but the hairy Chinese Crested has fluffy fur all around. These dogs are small in size and thin. They have extremely sharp features. The Chinese Crested has a small head and a sharp muzzle with a black nose on the tip. It has a thin neck and a thin body. It has straight and thin boned limbs. They have big black eyes and sharp triangular ears. Some have erect ears but others have their ears curved in the front a bit. They are found in many colours like, white, black and white, spotted, solid colours etc.

Character

This breed is very sweet, loving and gentle in nature. They are very intelligent and love to entertain people. The Chinese Crested are great climbers and diggers. This can be really said that this breed is really good mannered. They do not bark much and they also do not have the habit of nipping. It may happen that they do not mix with strangers properly but they really are great companions and love to entertain people. The Chinese Crested is very obedient to commands and have a habit of pleasing his master. This breed is very playful and love to give a hug. They are good to children and one should take goo care of this Chinese Crested as they have a chance of getting injured easily. The Chinese Crested are very calm towards other pets. They do not bark much. They love human interaction to a great extent.

Temperament

The Chinese Crested is very gentle and cheerful in nature. They are very much devoted to their family members. They are too alert and very timid. Training should be given all the times. They are very fond of human companionship and interaction. They should not be left alone for a long time otherwise they can become frustrated. The Chinese Crested is really cool to children and other pets. They are very playful and friendly but they do not like strangers much.

Training

This is a very intelligent and obedient breed so training them is not a big deal. But as they are timid they should not be trained roughly.

Health

This breed generally can be affected by skin problems and they may loose their teeth when they grow old. As they have a tendency of growing fat they should be fed less. They may live up to 10-12 years.