The Xoloitzcuintle, also known as the Mexican Hairless Dog, is a distinctive hairless dog whose name means the dog of the Aztec god Xolotl.
The breed comes in three sizes miniature, intermediate and standard and is typically hairless, although a rarer coated variety also exists. Typically, they have tough, smooth and hairless skin and come in a range of colours, including black, grey, bronze and liver, and can be tricolour or merle.
History
The Xoloitzcuintle’s name means dog of the god Xolotl who was an Aztec god. At burial sites in ancient West Mexico, ceramic sculptures of a hairless breed of dog have been found, as have remains of these dogs buried with alongside their owners. Sadly, there are also accounts from the sixteenth century of this breed being served as part of Aztec banquets. The breed first appeared in dog shows in America in the 1880s but remained rarely seen until the 1980s.
