ABOUT THE BREED
The Chinese Crested Dog is a small dog, (8-
Appearance
At first glance, the "Hairless" and "Powderpuff" varieties of Chinese Crested Dogs appear to be two different breeds, but hairlessness is a dominant trait within a single breed. The Hairless has soft, humanlike skin, as well as tufts of fur on its paws ("socks") and tail ("plume") and long, flowing hair on its head ("crest").
The Hairless variety can vary in amount of body hair. Fur on the muzzle, known as a beard, is not uncommon. A true Hairless often does not have as much furnishings (hair on the head, tail, and paws). The difference between a very hairy Hairless and a Powderpuff is that the Hairless has single coat, often with hairless parts on the body, while the Powderpuff has a thick double coat. The skin of the Hairless comes in a variety of colors, ranging from a pale flesh to black. Hairless cresteds often lack a full set of teeth, but this is not considered a fault.
The look of the Powderpuff varies according to how it is groomed. When its fur is completely grown out on its face, it strongly resembles a terrier; however, the Powderpuff is usually shaved around the snout as a standard cut. Its fur is incredibly soft. Due to its coat type, both Powderpuff and Hairless are considered good pets for allergy sufferers.
Temperament
Chinese Cresteds tend to be affectionate, energetic and playful. They are considered
great family pets, with endearing personalities. Children must be taught not to
be rough with this breed as it is friendly, but can get injured easily. They are
generally happy lap-
Puppies should be well-
Grooming
Grooming of the Crested is work for both varieties. The Puffs have a very soft and
fine double-
Maintenance of the Hairless variety's skin is similar to maintaining human skin -
Health
The crested is not affected by many of the congenital diseases found in Toy Breeds. They are, however, prone to some of the conditions below.
Cresteds have what is called a "primitive mouth." This means that most of their teeth are pointy like their canines. Hairless varieties of the Cresteds can be prone to poor dentition. Poor dentition may include missing or crowded teeth and teeth prone to decay when not properly cared for. Most dogs of the Puff variety have few, if any, dental defects.
Eyes are a concern within the breed, having at least two forms of progressive retinal
atrophy (PRA) which can eventually lead to blindness. For one of these forms of PRA,
there exists a genetic test, prcd-
As with all other Toy Breeds, the Cresteds can be prone to patellar luxation. This inheritable condition is caused by shallow knee joints (stifles) and results in kneecaps that pop out of place. Its onset is often at a young age, and can cause temporary to permanent lameness based on the severity. Breeders should have their stock certified free of patellar luxation. Many countries' kennel clubs maintain a centralised registry for health results.
The lifespan of a Chinese Crested Dog can be quite impressive. Many well-
History
The Chinese Crested is thought to have originated in Africa It is commonly believed that Chinese trading ships stopped along Africa on their routes, and it was there that they picked up these dogs because they were excellent ratters aboard their ships. Examples of these dogs eventually made their way to Europe in the 1800s, where they were displayed as curiosities.
Breeding
The Hairless allele (the wild type) is a dominant trait, while the Powderpuff allele acts as a simple recessive trait in its presence. Embryos that receive two copies of the Hairless allele will never develop into puppies. Thus all Chinese Cresteds carry at least one copy of the Powderpuff allele.
The Powderpuff trait cannot be bred out because it is carried by all Chinese Cresteds (even the hairless ones). All Hairless Chinese Crested have the ability to produce Powderpuff puppies, even when they are bred to another Hairless.
It is believed in some breeder circles that it is necessary to include Puff to Hairless breedings in order to reduce the number of health problems (most notably deafness and poor dentition) that can occur from repeated Hairless to Hairless pairings down the generations.
Mazel Tov means good luck in Yiddish.
I chose it for my kennel name because I feel very lucky to have discovered this wonderful little breed.
I did lots of research when I decided that it was time for me to downsize my dogs from Dobermans to something more manageable in a suburban condominium in London, Ontario, Canada. I wanted a dog that was small, smart and not yappy. The Chinese Crested seemed to fit all my requirements, and in addition, these dogs, in the powder puff version, do not shed.
LITTERS AND AVAILABLE PUPPIES
We whelped a litter on September 23, 2009 from Maya, who was bred to Champion Whispering Lane See Me Boogie. The litter was so successful that this breeding was repeated. On May 8, 2011, a beautiful litter of four puppies was born: three powderpuffs and one hairless. There is one powderpuff female puppy available to a show / performance / pet home.
Our dogs are all completely health tested. They are Optigen clear by default. They are Baered for deafness, and cerfed each year for inheritable eye disease. Their patellas are sound and they are cleared for brucillosis before being bred.
If you think that you might be interested in a Mazel Tov puppy, please be in touch by email and we will be happy to send you a puppy application.
If we have nothing available, we will try to link you to another reputable Chinese Crested breeder.
Enjoy the pictures of my two wonderful females, Ch. Crestars High Above (Nazca) and Ch. Altair’s National Velvet (Maya).
Many thanks to Dawn Lisabeth of www.clickingwithk9s .com for her support and superlative handling skills with both Nazca and Maya.
If you are interested in more information about Mazel Tov puppies, please contact Sharon Richman at the email below (for security reasons, you cannot click on this address, but will have to type it yourself into your email):
All dressed up and nowhere to go
Maya, Hildy and Nazca racing along the fence in the dog park