Chinese crested dogs are in the small/toy breed category weighing only 10-13 pounds.

This breed comes in two variations known as hairless and powderpuff, which have full, thick coats. Being a recessive gene, both variations can be born in the same litter.

The Chinese crested dogs come in many different colors such as black, pink, white, red, and more! Some owners notice their coat or skin changing color as the seasons grow warmer.

Even though Chinese crested dogs are considered hairless, they have more hair outside of the tufts on their head, feet, and tail. The remaining hair is sparse and thin like human hair that should be kept shaved down to maintain healthy skin.

Chinese crested dogs have what is called a “primitive mouth”, which means all their teeth are pointy. This can lead to dental problems as they age.

A unique quality of this breed is their elongated hind feet that resemble a hare’s.

Despite its name, Chinese crested dogs are not originally from China; there are early 19th century texts referencing an African hairless terrier that better describes the Chinese crested. Their name likely comes from their heavy use on Chinese ships catching rats preventing the spread of the Black Death. Once the originally large Chinese crested dog reached China, they started being bred to be smaller.

Because of the Chinese crested dog’s size, they don’t need a large diet. Because of this, the diet that do have must be high in lean meat and other proteins to supply enough energy and nutrition.

Chinese crested dogs usually give birth to 1 to 4 puppies. Breeding a hairless female with a hairless male will result in at least one powderpuff dog as they both carry the recessive trait. However, if you breed two powderpuff dogs, none will be hairless.

Baths every two weeks are also recommended for skin care as well as shirts or sweaters for the sun or cold. When keeping a Chinese crested dog warm in the winter, they can be allergic to a lot of common sweater material such as wool and lanolin.

Grooming even for the powderpuff variety can be a trick since their undercoat is shorter than the overlay coat that can become matted easily.

Chinese crested dogs are notorious for giving off a lot of heat. They were used in Africa as heating pads or bed-warmers to assist people with chronic pain.