Source- AKC.ORG
Toy Group
General Appearance
A toy dog, fine-boned, elegant and graceful. The distinct varieties are born in the same litter. The Hairless with hair only on the head, tail and feet and the Powderpuff, completely covered with hair. The breed serves as a loving companion, playful and entertaining.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size - Ideally 11 to 13 inches. However, dogs that are slightly larger or smaller may be given full consideration. Proportion - rectangular-proportioned to allow for freedom of movement. Body length from withers to base of tail is slightly longer than the height at the withers. Substance - Fine-boned and slender but not so refined as to appear breakable or alternatively, not a robust, heavy structure.
Head
Expression - Alert and intense. Eyes - Almond-shaped, set wide apart. Dark-colored dogs have dark-colored eyes, and lighter-colored dogs may have lighter-colored eyes. Eye rims match the coloring of the dog. Ears - Uncropped large and erect, placed so that the base of the ear is level with the outside corner of the eye. Skull - The skull is arched gently over the occiput from ear to ear. Distance from occiput to stop equal to distance from stop to tip of nose. The head is wedge-shaped viewed from above and the side. Stop - Slight but distinct. Muzzle - Cheeks taper cleanly into the muzzle. Nose - Dark in dark-colored dogs; may be lighter in lighter-colored dogs. Pigment is solid. Lips - Lips are clean and tight. Bite - Scissors or level in both varieties. Missing teeth in the Powderpuff are to be faulted. The Hairless variety is not to be penalized for absence of full dentition.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck - Neck is lean and clean, slightly arched from the withers to the base of the skull and carried high. Topline - Level to slightly sloping croup. Body - Brisket extends to the elbow. Breastbone is not prominent. Ribs are well developed. The depth of the chest tapers to a moderate tuck-up at the flanks. Light in loin. Tail - Tail is slender and tapers to a curve. It is long enough to reach the hock. When dog is in motion, the tail is carried gaily and may be carried slightly forward over the back. At rest the tail is down with a slight curve upward at the end resembling a sickle. In the Hairless variety, two-thirds of the end of the tail is covered by long, flowing feathering referred to as a plume. The Powderpuff variety's tail is completely covered with hair.
Forequarters
Angulation - Layback of shoulders is 45 degrees to point of shoulder allowing for good reach. Shoulders - Clean and narrow. Elbows - Close to body. Legs - Long, slender and straight. Pasterns - Upright, fine and strong. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet - Hare foot, narrow with elongated toes. Nails are trimmed to moderate length.
Hindquarters
Angulation - Stifle moderately angulated. From hock joint to ground perpendicular. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet - Same as forequarters.
Coat
The Hairless variety has hair on certain portions of the body: the head (called a crest), the tail (called a plume) and the feet from the toes to the front pasterns and rear hock joints (called socks). The texture of all hair is soft and silky, flowing to any length. Placement of hair is not as important as overall type. Areas that have hair usually taper off slightly. Wherever the body is hairless, the skin is soft and smooth. Head Crest begins at the stop and tapers off between the base of the skull and the back of the neck. Hair on the ears and face is permitted on the Hairless and may be trimmed for neatness in both varieties. Tail Plume is described under Tail. The Powderpuff variety is completely covered with a double soft and silky coat. Close examination reveals long thin guard hairs over the short silky undercoat. The coat is straight, of moderate density and length. Excessively heavy, kinky or curly coat is to be penalized. Grooming is minimal-consisting of presenting a clean and neat appearance.
Color
Any color or combination of colors.
Gait
Lively, agile and smooth without being stilted or hackneyed. Comes and goes at a trot moving in a straight line.
Temperament
Gay and alert.
Approved June 12, 1990
Effective April 1, 1991
Source- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Crested_Dog
The Chinese Crested Dog is a smaller (10-13 lbs) breed of dog known for its unusual appearance and entertaining personality. It is a member of the toy dog group. Two types can be born in the same litter; the Hairless and the Powderpuff.
Appearance
At first glance, the "Hairless" and "Powderpuff" varieties of Chinese Crested Dogs appear to be two different breeds, but hairlessness is a dominant trait within a single breed.[1] The Hairless has soft, humanlike skin, as well as tufts of fur on its paws ("socks") and tail ("plume") and long, flowing hair on its head ("crest"). In addition to being a dominant gene, the "hairless" gene is lethal when homozygous. All living hairless Cresteds are therefore heterozygous for this trait.
The Hairless variety can vary in amount of body hair. Fur on the muzzle, known as a beard, is not uncommon. A true Hairless often does not have as much furnishings (hair on the head, tail, and paws); however, many of the dogs seen in the show ring are actually a "moderate" or "hairy" hairless that is shaved down. The difference between a very hairy Hairless and a Powderpuff is that the Hairless has a single coat, often with hairless parts on the body, while the Powderpuff has a thick double coat. The skin of the Hairless comes in a variety of colors, ranging from a pale flesh to black, and is often mottled. Hairless cresteds often lack a full set of teeth, but this is not considered a fault.[2]
The Powderpuff shares the build of the Hairless variant, but in addition has a full coat of long hair. The look of the Powderpuff varies according to how it is groomed. When its fur is completely grown out on its face, it strongly resembles a terrier; however, the Powderpuff is usually shaved around the snout as a standard cut. Its fur is incredibly soft. Due to its coat type, both Powderpuff and Hairless are considered good pets for allergy sufferers.
The Chinese Crested also is distinguished by its "hare foot," which has longer toes than the "cat foot" common to most other dogs. The "quick," or vein, runs deeper into the nails, so care must be taken not to trim the nails too short.
Temperament
Chinese Cresteds are affectionate, energetic and playful. They are known to be great family pets, and have endearing personalities. They are known to be great with respectful children. Some are known "singers," while others are known to "smile." They are generally happy lap dogs with candid personalities. In addition, Chinese Cresteds tend to be a "one-person" dog, spotting one particular member of the family as their "owner". Often, this person is the one who gives the dog the most safe and secure feeling, and the dog would clearly show its affection towards him/her above others in the family.
Health
The Hairless variety can be susceptible to acne and sunburn. Maintenance of the skin is similar to maintaining human skin—moisturising cream can keep the skin from becoming too dry, and in fair-skinned Cresteds, if one lives in a warm climate where there is a lot of sun (Australia, Spain, and so on) one should apply sunscreen to the dog's skin. They are prone to poor dentition, such as missing, crowding, and decaying teeth. In addition to these issues, the Chinese Crested dog is also prone to diseases common in toy breeds, but if one is prepared to give proper maintenance, attention, and care, a Chinese Crested can, barring accident or illness, live up to fifteen years.
History
Though possibly associated with China since the 13th century, some believe the Hairless mutation originated in Africa, and others believe it may be a cross of the Chihuahua and Mexican Hairless Dog, which it resembles. It is sometimes said that this breed (among others, such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback) belongs to a different species from most dogs, namely Canis africanus; but it is not firmly established either that such a species exists or that the Chinese Crested originated in Africa. It is also possible that this dog originated from two breeds of dogs, one coming from Africa, one from China.
Although there is an anecdotal history of hairless dogs in many seaports (apart from the hairlessness, it is unclear how closely these dogs resemble the modern Chinese Crested), European visitors in the 1700s remarked in particular on hairless dogs in Chinese port cities, as well as dogs owned by Chinese sailors plying the African trade route. Paintings of the breed (and later, photographs) reached Europe in the 1800s.[3]
Early Chinese Cresteds may have been valued as ratters (ratcatchers), both on ships and in agricultural communities, though such traits are rarely evident in the breed today. The breed has also been called the Chinese Edible Dog, the Chinese Hairless Dog, the Chinese Ship Dog and the Chinese Royal Dog.
The Chinese Crested was officially recognised by the FCI in 1987,in the UK Kennel Club in 1981 and by the American Kennel Club in 1991. The USA parent club is the American Chinese Crested Club.
Famous Chinese Crested dogs
- Peek in the 2001 comedy film Cats & Dogs
- Sam, the three-time winner of the Sonoma-Marin Fair's World's Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma, California, became a minor Internet celebrity.
- Krull in the 2003 film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- Renaldo in 2004 film New York Minute
- The Lackey from the 2003 film Good Boy!
- Fluffy, Cruella De Vil's dog from the 2000 film 102 Dalmations
The American burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee (1911-1970) owned a number of Chinese Cresteds, and helped create a popular awareness of the unusual breed.
Miscellaneous
The Hairless allele (the wild type) is a dominant (and homozygous lethal) trait, while the Powderpuff allele acts as a simple recessive trait in its presence. Embryos that receive two copies of the Hairless allele will never develop into puppies. Thus all Chinese crested carry at least one copy of the Powderpuff allele.
The Powderpuff trait cannot be bred out because it is carried by all Chinese Cresteds (even the hairless ones). All Hairless Chinese Crested have the ability to produce Powderpuff puppies, even when they are bred to another Hairless.