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Quick Glance

  • size-icon.svg
    Size
    Small (under 11kg)
  • exercise-icon.svg
    Exercise
    20 min/day
  • hart-border-icon-b.svg
    Training
    Puppy school only
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    Size of home
    Some outdoor space
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    Time at home
    Alone with support
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    Grooming
    Low maintenance
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    Personality
    Independent + affectionate
Family Original edit

History

There are many written articles regarding the origins of the Peruvian Hairless Dog, but, “according to certain experts, this dog was introduced to Peru during the Chinese immigration, soon after the promulgation of the law abolishing the slavery of blacks by the President of Peru. On the other hand, other researchers suppose that this dog comes from the African continent through the intermediary of nomads, wo arrived in America accompanied by their hairless dogs.” 1.

In Peru, and also common with many cultures, domestic dogs served not only as companion animals, but also contributed to the daily tasks undertaken by humankind.  They watched over herds, participated in the hunt and guarded homes.

From time to time, according to legend, a hairless dog was born the colour of copper (most were normally black or slate grey), which was seen as a good omen and a sign of improving fortunes for the community. In this instance, such dogs were sacrificed by society and given as offerings to the Gods, up until the time when a local chieftain came across a young boy hiding with a copper puppy in his arms. On seeing how defenceless the boy and his dog were, the Chieftain was moved to compassion and decided to save the lives of all copper-coloured dogs, decreeing that dogs the colour of the sun would be
known as a ‘Child of the Sun God’ and reared in his palaces as privileged creatures. When an individual was permitted to approach the golden dog, they had to do so barefoot and carrying a symbolic load on their back (as a sign of submission), were not permitted to look into his eyes.

These beautiful animals were also immortalised by pottery makers and found in the tombs of the ruling elite and nobility of ancient Peru.

It has been verified that the internal and external temperature of these dogs is exactly the same as that of other breeds. In the colder regions of ancient Peru, the Peruvian Hairless Dog was used as a natural way of warming the owners bed and also used in medical practices. It was believed that contact with the dog relieved the symptoms of rheumatism or arthritis. These dogs served as a kind of living hot water bottle.

Appearance

General appearance is of an elegant and slim dog, whose aspect expresses speed, strength and harmony without ever appearing coarse.

The skin should be smooth and elastic all over the body but can form a few rounded almost concentric lines on the head and round the eyes and cheeks.

There are 3 sizes acceptable in the Breed – Small being from 25 to 40cms (4 – 8 kgs) Medium from 40 to 50cms (8 to 12 kgs) and Large from 50 to 65 cms (12 to 25kgs)

Their colour can vary from black, slate black, elephant black, bluish black, the whole scale of greys, dark brown going to light blonde. They can also show pinkish patches at all points of the body. A fully coated variety of the breed is also acceptable.” 3.

Temperament & Suitability

“Noble and affectionate at home with those close to him, at the same time lively and alert; he might be wary of strangers and a good watch dog.” 4. This breed can be very shy at first and needs time to trust new people and things. Approach the dog with a no-nonsense attitude and pat him, if you approach slowly with hands out, the dog assumes the worst and backs away.

Peruvian Hairless ADVERT 2
Puppy
Saxor 2

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. They also do not cause typical allergic reactions to dog-sensitive humans because they lack the normal dog dander. The skin should be washed from time to time to remove dirt and prevent clogging of pores. Baby cleaners are a good choice provided that they do not contain lanolin. Some dogs are prone to have acne or at least blackheads. The skin sometimes becomes too dry and can then be treated with moisturising cream. Again, baby lotion without lanolin is a good product choice to soften and moisturise cleansed skin. The dogs themselves seem to prefer olive, vegetable or coconut oil, possibly because of
the perfumes and other chemicals found in commercial moisturising creams.

Protection against sunlight is recommended on lightly colored dogs. Sun-block or other methods are beneficial to prevent sunburn. Protection against cold is necessary, however, sensitivity to cold may vary from dog to dog. Smaller dogs seem to be more sensitive to the cold than their larger counterparts. The rims of the ears sometimes need special attention as they can become dry and cracked.” 5.

Health

“The gene that causes hairlessness also results in the breed often having fewer teeth than other breeds, mostly lacking molarsand premolars. All are born with full sets of puppy teeth, but these are not fully replaced by adult teeth, as they naturally fall out, leaving them with varying levels of adult dentition.
Like all breeds there are some health problems, which can include IBD, seizures, stroke and skin lesions. They are verysensitive to toxins and care should be taken in use of insecticides. Insecticides are absorbed through the skin and body fat keeps these toxins from entering the liver too quickly. Since these dogs have very low body fat, toxins are absorbed too quickly and cause severe damage to the nervous system and GI tract.” 6.

Words: Joy Lanham

References

Ref: 1 to 6 - Source: DOGS AUSTRALIA Breed Standard for Peruvian Hairless Dog
Wikipedia.org

Image supplied by Joy Lanham

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Peruvian Hairless Dog you may have think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Peruvian Hairless dog and its needs and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

 

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 29 Jan 2014)

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Breed Standard - Peruvian Hairless Dog (Small, Medium, Large)

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Going by his general conformation, it is an elegant and slim dog, whose aspect expresses speed, strength and harmony without ever appearing coarse. There are two varieties, the hairless whose main feature is the absence of hair all over the body and the coated variety, that is entirely coated.Another particular feature is that the dentition in the hairless variety is nearly always incomplete associated with the congenital alopecia.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:The ratio between the height at the withers and the length of the body is 1 : 1; the females can be slightly longer than the males.

Characteristics

This breed has, as a fundamental characteristic, the absence of hair all over the body. Another particular feature is that the dentition is nearly always incomplete. Noble and affectionate at home with those close to him, at the same time lively and alert; he is wary and a good guard in the presence of strangers.

Temperament

Noble and affectionate at home with those close to him, at the same time lively and alert; he might be wary of strangers and is a good watch dog.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull The head is of lupoid [wolf] like conformationCRANIAL REGION:Skull: Mesocephalic. Orthoid, i.e. the upper axes of the skull and muzzle are parallel; a slight divergence is accepted. Seen from above, the skull is broad and the head tapers toward the nose. The superciliary arches are moderately developed. The occipital protuberance is barely marked.Stop: Slightly marked (approximately 140°).Nose: Good pigmentation, the colour of the nose must be in harmony with the different colours of the skin; in the different shades in the hairless variety and with the colour of the hair in the coated variety.Muzzle: Seen in profile, the nasal bridge is straight.Lips: They must be as tight as possible and close to the gums.Cheeks: Developed without exaggeration.
Eyes Alert and intelligent expression. The eyes must be of average dimensions, slightly almond shaped, neither deep-set nor prominent, normally and regularly placed, i.e. neither too close together nor too wide apart. The colour can vary from black, going through all shades of brown to yellow, in harmony with the skin colour in the naked variety and with the coat in the variety with hair.  In any case, both eyes must be of the same colour. The colour of the eyelids may go from black to pink in subjects with light coloured face.  The light pink colours are admitted but not sought after.
Ears The ears must be pricked when the dog is attentive, whereas at rest, they are laid towards the back. The ears are of medium length; broad at the base, tapering progressively towards the tip, ending almost pointed. The ear set starts on the upper part of the skull to end laterally and obliquely. In erect position, the axes of the ears form a variable angle from 50° to near 90°.
Mouth Jaws/Teeth: The incisors should fit in scissor bite.  In the hairless variety the absence of one or more teeth is accepted. In the coated variety the dentition must be complete with teeth normally developed and in a normal position. The jaw is not strongly developed.
Neck The upper line is curved (convex). The length is approximately the same length as the head. The shape is near to a truncated cone shape, supple, with good musculature. The skin on the neck is fine, smooth and elastic. Really close to the subcutaneous tissues. No dewlap.
Forequarters Well united with the body. Seen from the front, they are perfectly vertical and the elbows are not turned out. The angle at the shoulders joint varies from between 100 degrees and 120 degrees. Seen in profile, the angle formed by the pastern and the vertical will form 15 degrees to 20 degrees.
Body BODY:Mesomorphic.Topline: Level, although certain subjects show a dorsal-lumbar convexity, which disappears at croup, level.Withers: Barely accentuated.Back: Straight, with well-developed back muscles often forming all along the back a muscular bi-convexity, which extends to the lumbar region.Loin: Strong and well-muscled. Its length reaches approximately 1/5 of the height at the withers.Croup: The superior profile is slightly convex, slanting approximately 40° to the horizontal.  Solid and well-muscled giving a good push.Chest: Seen from the front, the chest must have good amplitude, but without excess; reaching almost to the elbow. The ribs must be slightly sprung, never flat. The chest, measured behind the elbows, must exceed the height at the withers with approximately 18%.Underline and belly: The lower profile presents an elegant and well-marked line which goes from the lower part of the chest and rising to the belly which must be well tucked up, but without excess.
Hindquarters The muscles are rounded and elastic. The curve of the buttocks is well marked. The coxal-femoral angle varies between 120° and 130°. The femoral-tibial angle must be of 140°.   Seen from behind the hindquarters must be upright.
Feet Forefeet:  Are semi-long and look like hare-feet. The pads are strong and heat-resistant. The inter-digital membranes are well developed. The black dogs have preferably black nails and the lighter coloured dogs light nails.Hind feet: Same as forefeet.
Tail The tail is set on low. Of good thickness at its root, it tapers towards its tip. When excited, the dog can carry the tail raised in a round curve above the backline, but never as curved as being rolled up. At rest, it hangs with a slight upward hook at the tip. Sometimes carried tucked in towards the abdomen. In length it almost reaches the hock. The tail must not be docked.
Gait/Movement Due to the angulations defined at the description of the limbs, some of these dogs move with shorter steps but faster and at the same time quite soft and flexible. The limbs, seen from front or behind must move in a single line (i.e. single tracking).
Coat Hairless variety: Without hair, only very few hairs on the head and at the extremities of the legs and the tail are admitted, and sometimes sparse hair on the back. These hairs can be any colour or combination of colours.Coated variety: Smooth, short and tight coat. The hair can be any colour or combination of colours.SKIN: The skin must be smooth and elastic all over the body, but can form a few rounded almost concentric lines on the head and round the eyes and the cheeks in the hairless variety. It has been verified that the internal and external temperature of the hairless dogs is exactly the same as that of other breeds (coated or not). The absence of hair leads to an immediate and direct emanation of heat, different from the coated subjects, where the heat filters through the coat by natural ventilation.
Colour The colour of the skin in the hairless variety can vary from black, slate black, elephant black, bluish black, the whole scale of greys (diluted black), all nuances of genetic blue, dark brown going to light blond. All colours can be either uniform or show pinkish or white patches on all parts of the body. White or pink spots must not cover more than 1/3 of the body. Solid colours are preferred.
Size There are three sizes in the males and females -Small from 25 to 40 cm (9 ¾ to 15 ¾ inches)Medium from 40 to 50 cm (15 ¾ to 19 ¾ inches)Large from 50 to 65 cm (19 ¾ to 25 ¾ inches)The weight is in the size of the males and females -Small from 4 to 8 kg (8.8 to 17.6 lbs)Medium from 8 to 12 kg (17.6 to 26.4 lbs)Large from 12 to 25 kg (26.4 to 55.1 lbs)

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.FAULTS:• Semi-erect ears, one or both.• Pincer bite.• Absence of PM1 in the coated variety.• White or pink spots covering more than 1/3 of the body in the hairless variety.• Presence of dewclaws.DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.• Over or undershot bite.• Deviated jaw (i.e. wry mouth).• More than one teeth missing in the coated variety.• Hanging or cropped ears.• Tongue normally hanging outside of the mouth (paralyzed).• Eyes of different colour (heterochromatic).• Tail-less, short tail or docked tail.• Presence of hair in the hairless variety on parts of the body not indicated in the standard.• Total or partial de-pigmented nose.• Height more than 65 cms and less than 25 cms.• Albinism.

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding

History

According to certain experts, this dog was introduced in Peru during the Chinese immigration, soon after the promulgation of the law abolishing the slavery of blacks by the President of Peru, Don Ramon Castilla. On the other hand, other searchers suppose that this dog comes from the African continent through the intermediary of nomads who arrived in America accompanied by their hairless dogs. Another possible explanation is that the presence of this dog would be due to the migration of men and their dogs from Asia to America through the Bering Strait. However, next to all these suppositions, there are certain proofs such as the representations which appear on ceramics of different pre-Inca civilisations (Vicus, Mochica, Chancay, Chancay under Tiahuanacoid influence, Chimu); in many cases the hairless dog has replaced the Puma, the snake or the falcon, this in particular and in a more evident way in the Chancay culture. As we can gather from the reproductions, the hairless dog appears during the pre-Inca archaeological periods, i.e. between the years 300BC and the years 1400 AC.

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