Speculation, fiction and novelty abound in the history of the Chinese Crested and the other hairless breeds.
ORIGIN OF THE BREED
If there were a definite answer to where the Chinese Crested actually originated, undoubtedly many authors would be very happy. However, the Chinese Crested’s history is a matter that has been the subject of speculation and debate, with almost more fiction than fact in its background.
The breed is certainly a distinctive one, but there are other hairless breeds, and the histories of various similar breeds may have been confused. The Chinese Crested, as we know it today, appeared in China’s written history as long ago as the 13th century. Indeed, it is probable that the breed existed in that country long before then. Chinese seafarers and traders visited many places on their travels, and hairless dogs later appeared in many of their ports of call. Hairless dogs were certainly also mentioned in the chronicles of Christopher Columbus and the later Conquistadors.
It is possible that such dogs were kept on ships in order to control vermin, though, unhappily, they might also have been a source of food. Hairless dogs were undoubtedly found in both Asia and Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries. However, a similar dog was also found in Mexico and in Central and South America in the 16th century. This dog was known as the Xoloitzcuintli; it is still known by that name or, alternatively, as the Mexican Hairless, and is registered as a different breed from the Chinese Crested. While there are obvious similarities between the two breeds, there are indeed differences. Even within the breed, Xoloitzcuintli vary tremendously in size.
An important question arises, though, about whether the Chinese obtained their dogs from the Central and South American regions, or whether seafarers took along their own Chinese dogs to those lands, using them there for trade and barter. Perhaps one day the facts will be discovered but, to date, there is no conclusive evidence one way or the other.
A modern Xoloitzcuintli, also known as theMexican Hairless.
THE CHINESE CRESTED IN ART
There are several examples of the Chinese Crested’s appearance in works of art. Going back to the 15th century, a painting by Gerrard Davies titledChrist Nailed to the Cross includes a hairless dog very similar to the Chinese Crested breed we know today.
Another painting of note is one painted by Jacques Laurent Agasse (1767–1849). This depicts a male Crested, clearly of the deer type. As with some of the engravings found in 19th-century canine works, the dog shown in the painting would not find himself out of place in today’s show ring.
Illustration of a Chinese Crested in the early 19th century. The Crested was cited as “one of the most unusual in appearance” among the hairless breeds found in various parts of the world at that time.
PURE-BRED PURPOSE
Surely domestic dogs are the most versatile animal in the kingdom. From the tiny 1-pound lap dog to the 200- pound guard dog, dogs have adapted to every need and whim of their human masters. Humans have selectively bred dogs to alter physical attributes like size, color, leg length, mass and skull diameter in order to suit our own needs and fancies. Dogs serve humans not only as companions and guardians but also as hunters, exterminators, shepherds, rescuers, messengers, warriors, babysitters and more!
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
The first Chinese Cresteds in Britain, brought to that country in the 1860s, were placed in zoological collections, and no serious attempt was made to breed from them; instead, they were treated as fascinating novelties. In the bookDogs of the British Isles, published in 1867, we read that the variety of Chinese dog furnished with a crest and tufted tail was by no means common. The dog’s skin was described as spotted, and it was estimated that there were between 12 and 18 hairs on the surface of the body, thus making the tufts on the two extremities even more remarkable. It is interesting that 19th-century illustrations show the Chinese Crested with no tufts of longer hair on the feet. Indeed, most pictures of such dogs in the 1800s showed no hair in this area.
An engraving of a Chine
