Chinese Crested Dog

The Chinese Crested Dog is a smallish breed of dog, known for its unusual appearance.

They are not a robust dog, so letting them jump off even small heights (like off a couch) is inadvisable.

They come in two varieties: Hairless, and Powderpuff. Hairless are the more famous variety of Chinese crested, known for their lack of a fur coat. Instead, they have a soft, human-like skin which is unusual to the touch, but they do have tufts of fur on their paws and tail. They also have a head of long, wavy hair on their heads, which is known as a crest. Fur on the muzzle, known as a beard, is not uncommon. Their skin comes in a variety of colours, just like humans, so it ranges from a pale flesh to black.

The Powderpuffs are less unusual-looking, and they share the crest and build of the Hairless - but this is where the similarities in appearance end.

On the upside, Chinese Cresteds are affectionate, happy dogs - but some of them can develop neurotic behaviour, and the Hairless dogs can develop a nasty case of acne. Maintenance of the skin is similar to maintaining human skin - moisturising cream can keep the skin from becoming too dry, and in fair-skinned Chinese cresteds, if one lives in a warm climate where there is a lot of sun (Australia, Spain etc) one should apply sun-screen to the dog's skin.

Overall, if one is prepared to give proper maintenance, attention and care, a Chinese Crested can, barring accident or illness, live up to fifteen years of age.