Breed of the Week: The Chinese Crested

    The Chinese Crested is a toy breed of dog that is usually less than 13 pounds and only stands about 9-13 inches of the ground. The Chinese Crested has a life expectancy of about 15-16 years. These dogs are very slim and find boned with a thin and curved tail.  The Chinese crested can come in two coat varieties.  They can be either hairless, and only have tufts of hair on their heads, tail, and feet, or the can come in the powder puff variety and be fully covered with fur.  The fur of this breed is soft and can grow to long lengths. They can come in a variety of colors and patterns including: white, tan, brown, black, silver, spotted, and many more varieties.
    The Chinese crested is thought to have descended from African-wild dogs. Through trading between merchants and sailors these dogs made their way to cities all around the world.  Chinese sailor's preferred small breeds of dogs and would often sail with the Chinese Crested aboard in hope that these dogs would help to get rid of the rats on the ship. In the 19th century the Chinese Crested started to show up in European art and in the late 1800's they were entered in Dog shows in America.  The Chinese Crested was acknowledged by the AKC in 1991as a toy breed.
    The Chinese Crested is a very playful and curious dog.  They are a pretty active dog that loves to play with toys.  These dogs become attached to their families and love to spend a lot of time with them.  They are very friendly and do well in a family that has children as long as the kids are gentle.  The Chinese Crested is very affectionate and will show a lot of love to its family including a lot of puppy kisses.  These dogs can live in almost any environment from apartment to mansion because of their small size.  They will also do well with a wide age of owners including elderly owners because due to their small size they can burn off most of their energy playing inside.  Being that these dogs are pretty active they do need exercise in the way of playing, walks, or running around inside or outside.  When these dogs are taken outside they need a coat in the winter to keep them warm and a t-shirt in the summer to protect their skin from sunburn.
    Unless you are planning on entering your dog into dog competitions, this breed requires minimal grooming.  It is a light shedder and requires a regular bath (maybe every 1 to 2 weeks) and brushing.  The hairless type may require some lotion and sunblock to keep their skin moisturized and to protect their skin from the sun.  It is important to keep their teeth healthy as well due to the Hairless Crested being born with missing teeth.
    The Chinese Crested is a wonderful companion that will become an important member of your family.


Info from:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/chinese_crested/
http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/chinese-crested.html
http://www.justdogbreeds.com/chinese-crested.html
http://www.fetchdog.com/learn-connect/dog-breed-center/c/chinese-crested-dog-hairless/Chinese-Crested-Dog-hairless/D/lcbreedfactcenter/P/1:5:51:503:5271/I/BR00005271?#famous
http://www.jayasdesignercresteds.com/chinesecrested.html

Picture from:
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/buying/chinesecresteds.html