SPOTLIGHT ON THE CHINESE CRESTED by Arlene Butterklee
C hinese Cresteds are a unique and old breed of dog that dates back to the 1400s, as shown by their depiction in various paintings and drawings during that era. No one knows exactly where the first Chi- nese Crested dog, or the first hairless dog for that matter, came from, some speculate Africa, others Asia, and still others Mexico, but what is know for sure is that the hairless Crested resulted from a genetic mutation or
dogs was accepted, not even on the face. They were completely natural with soft baby skin that felt like por- celain. They were not allowed to be hairy Hairless groomed to appear hairless. The “Powderpuff variety” was the opposite, fluffy as can be. The Powderpuff was the completely cov- ered counterpart, having the same structure, but with untrimmed hair. The hair was soft and silky, but never kinky or curly. Minimal grooming for cleanliness was desired. Second, the Chinese Crested was a rectan- gular long backed breed that was a toy size. Over 14" was considered too large. Third, they had to have hare feet, and elongated toes, so they could curl their paws and hold objects as if they had hands. Fourth, the head had to be a pleasing wedge. Shortness in muzzle and broad back skulls were not favored, even if they were consid- ered cute. The temperament of the breed was described as “Terrier-like but never noisy or aggressive.” The standard also allowed differences between the Hairless and Powderpuff varieties. For example, ears had to be erect in the Hairless, but Powderpuffs were allowed to have dropped ears. The Powderpuff had to have complete dentition while the Hairless were of- ten missing teeth. It was believed that the hairless Cresteds were kept as the treasured pets of Chinese emperors and that they had healing powers. If you had an ache or pain, simply place a Hair- less on the pain and the higher body temperature of the Crested would eliminate the pain. Contrary to this belief, Cresteds have a normal dog body temperature. It is only because they have no insulation that their body heat radiates out of them, giv- ing them a portable heating pad ef- fect. It was also believed that the dogs were used as ratters on ships because their prehensile paws allowed them to hold the grip of their prey and their Terrier-like behavior helped them shake the rat to death. But whatever
mistake. Other genetic mutations oc- curred within populations of animals, but the hairless Chinese Crested resulted from a mutation in a long coated breed. The Chinese Cresteds’ hairless trait was propagated, and eventually the Chinese Crested be- came the dog it is today. By 1979 and 1980 there were a few established breeders of Chinese Cresteds: Hazel Willard (Phaedri- an), Jenny Tall (RiverCrest), Wally Swett/Ken Oberg (Mordor), Dick Dickerson (Dickerson), and Ginette Perez (GiPez). During the 1980s, an early group of fanciers under Dick Dickerson’s guidance founded a club specifically dedicated to the Chinese Crested breed, the American Chinese Crested Club. The goal of the club was to promote the Chinese Crested breed, educate society about them, and to obtain full purebred status with the American Kennel Club. In 1986, the AKC accepted the stan- dard that the club submitted and the Chinese Crested entered the miscel- laneous class. The AKC required the breed club to modify certain aspects of the breed standard in order for the breed to become fully recognized. Specifically, Powderpuffs had to have erect ears, as the Hairless did. There were also different styles of Chinese Crested, the refined and delicate type, resembling a little fawn (known as the deer type), and a lower to the ground, stockier body type (known as the cobby type), which were com- bined into one body style that we know today. On April 1, 1991, the Chi- nese Crested achieved full purebred status and was eligible to compete in the Toy group. With respect to breeding to the stan- dard, the original Chinese Crested breed standard had a few key points that made Chinese Cresteds a special and unique breed. First and foremost, “the Hairless variety” meant that the Chinese Crested was a real hair- less dog, with hair only on the head, feet and tail. No trimming of hairless
60 • T op N otch T oys , F ebruary 2020
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