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The Peruvian Hairless Dog is a breed of dog with its origins in Peruvian pre-Inca cultures. It is one of several breeds of hairless dog.
History: This is an ancient breed. Although it is often
perceived to be an Incan dog because it is known to have been
kept during the Inca-imperium, they were also kept as pets in
pre-Inca cultures from the Peruvian coastal zone. Ceramic
hairless dogs from the Chimú, Moche, and Vicus culture are
well known.
The main area of the Inca imperium (the mountains) is too
cold for the natural existence of the dogs. The Spanish
conquest of Peru nearly caused the extinction of the breed.
The dogs survived in rural areas, where the people believed in
their magical forces. In recent years, the Fédération
Cynologique Internationale (FCI) accepted the breed and
adopted an official breed standard. Before that time, in the
United States, some enthusiasts created another type of
Peruvian hairless dog, the Peruvian Inca Orchid, which has
never been officially recognized by a major all-breed kennel
club.
Appearance: According to the FCI breed standard, the
most important aspect of its appearance is its hairlessness.
The dog may have short hair on top of its head, on its feet,
and on the tip of its tail. In Peru, breeders tend to prefer
completely hairless dogs. The full-coated variety is not
recognized as a valid breed variation for show dogs. The color
of skin can be chocolate-brown, elephant grey, copper, or
mottled. Albinism is not allowed. The eye color is linked to
the skin color. It's always brown, but dogs with light colors
can have clearer eyes than darker-skinned dogs.
Peruvian Hairless Dogs vary in size:
Miniature, 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 inches)
Medium (or medio), 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 inches)
Large (or grande), 50 to 65 cm (20 to 26 inches)
The smallest weighs from 4 kg (9 lb) and the largest up to
25 kg (55 lb). Some kennel clubs consider the three to be
separate breeds. The dogs should be slim and elegant, with the
impression of force and harmony, without being coarse.
The ears should be candleflame shaped and erect with the
possibility to lay flat. Proportions of height (at withers) to
length (withers to base of tail) are 1:1.
Temperament: The dogs are very smart, independent,
demanding, quick learners, and are loyal and good with
children. They are friendly with other dogs but can be
protective as well. These dogs do not like to be alone, but
when trained, can do well. It is a dog that can be indoors or
outdoors. They are agile and fast. Despite its assets, the
primitive nature of the dog doesn't make it a good dog for
beginners. It needs an owner that understands dog language.
Care: The lack of hair leads to a reputation for
being clean, for being easy to wash with a sponge, and for a
natural lack of fleas or other parasites. Despite this, the
dog needs as much care as other dogs, but in another way. The
skin should be taken care of frequently. Almost all of this
breed tend to have acne or at least blackheads. The skin often
becomes too dry and can be treated with some kind of
moisturing cream.
Protection against sunlight may be necessary, depending on
the season and the color of the dog's skin. The dark-colored
dogs get used to direct sunlight and need to be looked after
only in spring when sunlight gets stronger. The light-colored
dogs (copper) and spotted ones have to be protected always, in
summer. They tend to quickly sunburn.
Protection against cold is necessary when it gets colder.
However, sensitivity to cold may vary from dog to dog, with
smaller dogs more sensitive to cold than the bigger ones. The
ears need special attention. The rims of the ears can dry out
and chap easily.
Genetics and health: The genes that cause
hairlessness also result in the breed often having fewer teeth
than other breeds, mostly lacking molars and premolars.
One theory is that hairlessness is dominant-lethal, which
means that homozygotic hairlessness doesn't exist. This
results in a birthrate of 2:1, hairless : coated.
However, some breeders don't show this result, having a
birthrate between 2:1 and 8:1.
AKC-type breed standards are not compatible with the
genetics of hairlessness in dogs, but FCI rules are. Some
breeders think that interbreeding with coated (Peruvian) dogs
is required to maintain functional teeth and nervous system
health in subsequent generations. They say that breeding of
hairless with hairless (and common but unacknowledged culling
of hairy pups from litters to maintain a "pure"
image) leads to short-lived dogs with serious health problems.
However, other breeders think the opposite and are doing well,
too. Other than skin-care issues, there are no known health
issues to this breed.
Miscellaneous: It is a persistent myth that the body
temperature of hairless dogs is higher than other dogs; they
may feel warmer due to the lack of hair. Letting the dog
"hug" you is supposed to help with stomach pain and
other disorders, according to Peruvian folklore. Other myths
are the dog is a vegetarian or that it cannot bark. It is very
likely that some of these myths have helped the breed to
survive in Peru.
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