Peruvian Hairless Dog

The origins of this very ancient breed are hotly debated. The Peruvian Hairless Dog may have been brought to Peru by Chinese immigrants or by groups migrating from Asia to the Americas via the Bering Strait. Others believe he comes from Africa. Nevertheless, there is irrefutable evidence—including representations of the dog on pottery—that the breed has inhabited Peru for many centuries and existed even before the Incas. The Peruvian Hairless Dog was once the favorite pet of Incan royalty. He is now rare in his native country. The breed comes in three sizes with fairly similar body structure.

Lively, alert, and fast, this calm, intelligent, affectionate dog is a good pet. He is distrusting of strangers and therefore makes a good watchdog.

An indoor dog, he cannot tolerate bright sunlight and cold temperatures. His skin must be rubbed with a moisturizer.

Head:Lupoid in structure. Broad skull. Stop not very pronounced. Straight nosebridge. Tight-lipped. Dentition almost always incomplete (missing one or all premolars and molars). Nose matches coat color.
Ears:Medium in length, nearly pointed at the tips. Erect in action. Lying back against the head at rest.
Eyes:Medium-sized, slightly almond-shaped. Ranging from black to brown to yellow, depending on coat color.
Body:Medium-sized. Domed topline. Withers not very pronounced. Chest of good width. Ribs slightly well-sprung. Straight back. Rounded, solid croup.
Tail:Set on low. Fairly thick at the base, tapering toward the tip. In action, raised in a curve above the topline but not curled. At rest, hanging down with a slight upward hook at the tip.
Hair:Vestiges of hair allowed on the head, lower legs, and tip of the tail. Sparse hair on the back also allowed.
Coat:Hair is black in the black variety. In other varieties, hair is slate black, elephant grey, bluish-grey, any other shade of grey, or dark brown to light blond. All colors solid or with pinkish spots anywhere on the body.
Size:Large: 50 to 60 cm. Medium: 40 to 50 cm. Small: 25 to 40 cm.
Weight:Large: 12 to 23 kg. Medium: 8 to 12 kg. Small: 4 to 8 kg.
Group:Spitz and primitive types