Peruvian Hairless Dog (Perro sin pelo del Perú) Breed Information

Original Function: small-vermin hunting

Temperament: Noble and affectionate at home with those close to him, at the same time lively and alert; he is wary. A good guard in the presence of strangers

Characteristics: This breed has, as a fundamental characteristic, the absence of hair all over the body. Another particular feature is that the dentition is nearly always incomplete.

Recommended for: Allergy sufferers, Active people, experienced

Be Aware: Extremely rare breed, even in Peru there are not many registered dogs.

Lifespan: 12 - 15 years

 

Height: There are three sizes in the Peruvian Small: from 25 to 40 cm from 4 to 8 kg Medium: from 40 to 50 cm from 8 to 12 kg Large: from 50 to 65 cm from 12 to 25 kg

Colour: The colour of the hair can vary from black in black dogs, slate black, elephant black, bluish black, the whole scale of greys, dark brown going to light blond. All those colours can be uniform or show pinkish patches at all points of the body.

Coat: To deserve the name of hairless dog, the coat (hair) must be non-existent. Vestiges of hair on the head and at the extremities of the legs and the tail are admitted and, sometimes, a few rare hairs appear on the back.

General Appearance: Going by his general conformation, it is an elegant and slim dog, whose aspect expresses speed, strength and harmony without ever appearing coarse. This breed has, as a fundamental characteristic, the absence of hair all over the body. Another particular feature is that the dentition is nearly always incomplete. Of noble and affectionate nature with those nearest to him, he is reserved towards strangers, lively, alert and a good guard.

The Peruvian Hairless Dog goes back into the history of Peru for at least 3,000 years. Pottery found from those times shows a hairless dog being part of the family and assisting his owners.
With a history this long it is important that we know what the dog was used for, he is obviously a hound. We should never lose sight of that aspect of the breed. He has the typical hound temperament; he is shy with strangers and reserved until he feels secure. This is an important part of the dog and he shouldn't’t be penalized for exhibiting it.

To add to the confusion there is a variation in the breed that shows a coat. There are several types of coats in the coated Peruvian. (Fig 5, 6)

5

6

1. Short smooth hair.
2. A quite long hair.
3. Curly hair, which is relatively long.
A hairy dog’s hair is thin, silky and shiny. There is no undercoat. A hairy dog can only receive no titles from dog shows; exemptions to this are France Germany and the Czech Republic, where it is possible to have an evaluation to your dog. In the USA and at a breed specialty these dogs are evaluated normally.

The dogs are very smart, independent, demanding, quick learners, and are loyal and good with children. They are friendly with other dogs but can be protective as well. These dogs do not like to be alone, but when trained, can do well. It is a dog that can be indoors or outdoors. They are agile and fast. Despite its assets, the primitive nature of the dog doesn't make it a good dog for beginners. It needs an owner that understands dog language.

Grooming - Weekly washing with gently body wash and moisturising. Sun block on the dogs that have lighter patches

Exercise - As a hound type the dog needs exercise. Runs on the beach or chasing balls and daily walks.

Health - Very healthy dogs with few genetic problems. One problem is Hanging Tongue, where the tongue hangs out of the mouth and becomes dry and cracked. The amount of teeth has little to do with that problem
For Diet and other general dog health information Health/Nutrition

# Information supplied by
Sally Johnson; Xioma Chinese Crested http://xioma.ourcresteds.com/

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