Chinese Crested Hairless dog??? Update Got a Crested Pics pg3!

[danischi24]

Could someone who has one of these please fill me in on personality etc? I've done tons of research on them but I want first hand advice on them. I want a dog for showing & agility etc. & I've looked at every breed I could find. We have a champion border collie but I don't think that's the breed for me.
I do NOT want anything timid or nervous-one Italian Greyhound was enough for life

! I need an intelligent dog with interesting looks that will be good with my silkies though they will probably have minimum contact with each other. Please give me the rundown....

 

[mekasmom]

I have had several and bred them. The hairless dogs are very, very sweet. They haven't got a mean bone in their body. I have NEVER seen a hairless one that was completely housebroken. I have heard people claim they were, but in all truth they still have "accidents". They especially like to poop in shoes. The hairless hairless ones loose teeth as they age. My 2yo has already lost 3teeth and has one more loose. The hairy hairless ones seem to do a lot better with their teeth. And of course powderpuffs have no dentition issues. They do bark a lot, and many howl in a woooooo sound, but not all howl. And they are sweet and funny. In all honesty, I prefer a cross rather than a purebred crested, but I have had both. The purebreds go about 10-15lbs. Even the pink (hairless) ones tend to darken up with age, so they look kind of dusty brown. And they lighten in winter, darken in summer.

In purebreds there is a genetic disease that has become a problem in the breed that causes ataxia and death. The AKC has sent out information on it once. It is not common. Kerry Blues also have the same issue.

About the housebreaking, there are some small breeds that are very difficult to housebreak completely so that there are never accidents. Shih tzus, beagles, pekes, etc are notorious for housebreaking issues too. Chinese Cresteds are just like those, so it may have more to do with them being a toy breed rather than being hairless. But from experience and from hearing many people talk, I can tell you that housebreaking is an issue with the hairless ones.

They are not nervous, timid dogs. They are very sweet to everyone canine and human.

 

[astylishgirl]

Look at my BYC page. My dog Paisley is a "hairy" hairless. She is not a powder puff, but she has a lot of hair. To be completely hairless in the right places, we shave her. Normally, I don't do that because she is so cute the way she is. She looks very elegant when we do shave her.

She is the most loving, sweet dog anyone could ever want. She loves being our little farm dog and walks to the barn with me to feed. She is an inside dog though. If you shave them or have the kind that doesn't have much hair, you have to keep sweaters on them in winter. Especially outside. We don't dress Paisley as much as we used to.

She is pretty housebroken, but will sometimes go on my daughters clothes when they leave them on the ground in a pile. I look at it as her teaching the girls to pick up their clothes! She does this when we are gone to work all day. If we are home, she never does as we let her out. She asks to go out.

She is my first and I didn't go looking for this type of dog. I just wanted a small dog and she was advertised in our local craigslist like service. I bought her the day after I saw her ad and have been so happy. Even my rugged husband loves her.

I know someone else who had one who was also a great dog. That dog was housebroken completely.

Oh and Paisley is extremely smart. I swear she understand english. All you have to do is tell her something and she does it. Very obedient and unbelievably sweet. She is a little timid though not nervous. The other Cresteds that I have known are not timid a bit. Paisley was raised in a house with small children and they sort of bullied her in their attempts to play. That is why she was being sold in the first place.

Everyone who meets Paisley loves her. I used to bring her to my school and my students would walk her for me. Any other questions... just ask. My daughters friends made her a myspace and a facebook. Its a hoot.

She doesn't bark much and has never howled.

 

[Emzyyy]

I saw some at Yappy Days here where everyone gets together with their dogs and this lady had like four and she had them sitting on the table and when she started singing they all would start howling and it sound like they were singing along. I always thought they were adorable my friends think they are ugly. Their good for people w/ allergies.

 

[danischi24]

Sigh-I went through this house breaking thing with my Italian Greyhound-he became an outside dog when I got sick of having carpet cleaners in every 2 weeks. Now I have a better setup with tiles throughout & I think I will crate train my Crested so there wont be issues when we are not home. Anything else I should know?

 

[Ferngully]

Yes, they need sunscreen in the sun if you get a hairless. And oh, they have to sleep with you.

Ateast our P.P. Scooby does anyway. I think they do understand english very well. Scooby can say "momma" "I want out" "I love you" VERY clearly, when he wants though. Usually only if I ignore him when we have important company and he is behind a baby gate. Which they clear no trouble.

 

[danischi24]

Yes, I know about the sunscreen & clothing for winter. Anyone got any other tips?

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

I would recommend an American Hairless Terrier as they have less medical issues. And they're softer to the touch and don't get warts like some Crested's do.

They really feel like warm suede.

They are hardy little guys, great for agility, and love to please. Check out http://www.ahts.net/ to learn more about them. There is an AHT group on Yahoo groups as well. Good luck!

 

[mekasmom]

They do have warts. I forgot to mention that. It's part of their charm. And they sometimes have moles. They get a lot of little scars if they play with each other or other dogs because they scratch easy.
Another unique thing about them is that they need baths more frequently than fuzzy dogs. They tend to smell like old feet if you don't keep them clean. I just use baby oil on mine, she rarely goes out in the sun. When I take her out to play, it is for limited periods of time. She does sunburn, and bugs bother her a lot. They didn't seem to bother her dad or grandpa/grandma. The main thing about them is the dentition issues in hairless/hairless ones. They run like the wind off leash, so be prepared for that. They look like little foxes jumping through the grass.
I like the personality very much, but housebreaking is an issue. I let ours sleep with us too. My husband says it is like pulling off duct tape because she sleeps right next to you and sticks. I have had several, so I can honestly tell you that even with any issues they have, they are sweet, wonderful dogs. I do prefer the mix over the purebred since they housebreak better.

Someone mentioned the hairless terrier. Those are a recessive hairless dog rather than dominant gene. That does help in cutting down on other health issues related to the defect.

 

[danischi24]

Quote:
EWWW! Now I've GOTTA have one!

Thanks so much for the info on the American Hairless Terrier. I had never heard of this breed & now I'm hooked though they aren't registered with the FCI which means I probably can't show it in this country (Israel).