The Chinese Crested Dog is a lively little toy breed, with a super affectionate personality and playful nature.
They come in two distinct varieties, a hairless variety and a coated variety, both of which can come from the same litter. The hairless variety is distinguished by a smooth body and a distinctive crest of hair on its head, a plume of hair on its tail and socks of hair on its lower legs. The coated variety, called the powder puff is covered in a soft silky coat. The Chinese Crested may be small but is full of personality and is both loving and lively. As long as they have human companionship, this breed will do well in almost all situations, and make good companions for old and young alike. The hairless variety requires regular bathing to maintain healthy skin and care should be taken in the sun to prevent sunburn.
History
Originating in China, they are believed to date back to at least the 13th century, when it is thought that hairless dogs from Africa were brought to China and bred with She Tzu and Pekingese. They were used on Chinese trading ships as expert exterminators of rats.
