¶Table of Contents
¶Quick Facts
- The Chinese Crested Dog is a small companion dog with two coat varieties: hairless and powder puff. Both can be born in the same litter.
- The ideal height at the withers is 28–33 cm for males and 23–30 cm for females. The current breed standard does not specify an official weight.
- The hairless variety has a crest on its head, so-called socks on its feet and a plume on its tail. The powder puff has a long, soft coat over its entire body.
- The breed ideal is a cheerful dog that should never be vicious. Even so, there are clear individual differences in sociability, curiosity, vocal behaviour and confidence.
- Skin or coat care, tooth brushing and protection suited to the weather need to be part of everyday life from the outset.
- When choosing a puppy, eye examination results, PLL status, dental status and the health and temperament of close relatives matter more than general promises about the breed.
¶Appearance & Coat
The Chinese Crested Dog is small, active and graceful without necessarily being fragile. The breed includes both the elegant deer type and the somewhat heavier cobby type. The body should be moderately long to long, with a level back and long, flowing, free movement. All colours and colour combinations are permitted.
The ideal height at the withers is 28–33 cm for males and 23–30 cm for females. The current breed standard gives no weight, so the figure of 5.4 kg as an upper limit should not be treated as the modern ideal. Assess an adult dog by its proportions, muscle and body condition instead.
In the hairless variety, the body should be largely bare, with long hair on the head, feet and tail. The amount of body hair nevertheless varies between individuals. Ask to see the puppy before it has been trimmed, and ask the breeder to demonstrate how that particular dog's skin and furnishings should be cared for. The skin should be fine, soft and warm to the touch.
The powder puff has a thin undercoat covered by a veil of long, soft hair. The coat should be flowing rather than heavy or woolly. Part the coat and comb all the way down to the skin. Pay particular attention to early tangles wherever hair is dense or subject to friction. A weekly routine for bathing and checking the coat can be a starting point, but its condition should determine how often it needs detangling, washing and thorough drying.
Hairless skin needs to be checked for chafing, redness, spots and dryness. Young dogs can develop blackheads and spots during periods of hormonal change, although the extent varies greatly. Provide shade and suitable clothing when sun, wind, wet weather or cold make it necessary. A powder puff may also need weather protection because its fine coat provides relatively little warmth and is not particularly water-resistant. If the skin remains inflamed or itchy, or develops sores that do not heal, a vet should assess the cause and help with the choice of products.
Neither the hairless variety nor the powder puff is allergy-free. Dog allergens are found in substances including skin cells, sebum, saliva and urine, and levels also vary between dogs of the same breed. A small amount of loose hair is therefore no guarantee for a family affected by allergies.
¶Temperament & Personality
The Chinese Crested Dog should be cheerful and not vicious, but the breed encompasses many different personalities. In data from Sweden's BPH behavioural assessment, the dogs assessed appeared relatively confident, moderately curious and not generally vocal or aggressive. The same data show considerable variation in how dogs greet unfamiliar people, play and respond to unexpected events.
That is more useful than labels such as “Velcro dog” or “one-person dog”. One individual may seek a great deal of physical contact, while another may be more independent. Some greet visitors immediately; others prefer to observe first. Ask the breeder how the parents and close relatives cope with handling, new people, noise, settling and brief separations. Look for a puppy that can explore at its own pace and recover after something unexpected.
The breed can be alert and may bark when something happens, but that does not mean every dog is very vocal. In a home where noise carries easily, it is sensible to reward calm behaviour around doors, windows and sounds in communal areas from an early age. Find out whether the dog can also settle when nothing is happening. The ability to rest matters just as much as playfulness.
With children, the interaction matters more than the breed label. The dog's small size calls for extra care if children want to pick it up or carry it, but there is no general rule that the breed is suitable only for older children. Young children and dogs should always be supervised by an adult, and the dog needs a quiet place where it will not be disturbed.
¶Training & Exercise
The Chinese Crested Dog needs daily movement and mental activity, but there is no well-founded time formula that suits every dog. A good day might include walks with time to sniff, play, a short skills session and calm recovery. An active individual may enjoy longer outings, agility, rally obedience, heelwork to music or tracking, while another may prefer less demanding activities.
Adjust duration and intensity to the dog's age, fitness, the weather, its movement and how well it recovers. A hairless dog that tenses up in the cold is not having a worthwhile walk simply because a target duration has been reached. Choose protection and surroundings to suit the conditions, and add indoor training when needed.
Reward-based training works well for teaching everyday skills. Start with recall, walking on a lead, settling in one place, leaving objects and stopping an activity when asked. Also practise cooperative handling of the mouth, feet, skin, coat and ears. This makes tooth brushing, bathing, clipping and veterinary visits less stressful.
Socialisation does not mean that the puppy has to greet everyone. Instead, let it encounter different people, dogs, surfaces, sounds and environments at a distance where it can still eat, think and choose whether to make contact. If it becomes frightened, make the situation easier and give it time to recover. This builds greater confidence than forcing an encounter.
¶Health
There are no breed-specific health tests that must be completed before a Chinese Crested Dog litter can be registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, SKK. The breed club does, however, issue clear breeding recommendations. The distinction matters when assessing a litter: guidance can be highly relevant without being mandatory.
The breed club states that both parents should have an eye examination no earlier than 18 months of age, with a certificate no more than one year old at the time of mating. It also states that both should have a known DNA status for primary lens luxation, PLL. In addition, it recommends a known DNA status for prcd-PRA and a known patellar status established from 12 months of age. A patellar examination is therefore an important point to check, but it is not a specific registration requirement for the breed. Veterinary auscultation of the heart before breeding is described as desirable, rather than as a formal requirement or recommendation in the club's “must” and “should” categories.
Ask to see the result itself, its date and the dog's identity. A DNA test applies only to the mutation analysed and does not replace a clinical eye examination. A healthy carrier of a simple recessive condition does not automatically have to be excluded from breeding, but should be mated to a genetically clear dog so that affected puppies are not born. A genetically affected dog must not be used for breeding.
Eye conditions highlighted in the breed include PLL, different forms of PRA or retinopathy, and dry eye. Ask about examination results and symptoms in older relatives as well. The breed club's health review also discusses heart conditions that tend to appear later in life and indications of back problems. These findings justify questions about older relatives and early heart murmurs or back symptoms; they do not mean that every dog will become ill.
Hairlessness and dentition are linked through a variant of the FOXI3 gene, which affects the development of both hair and teeth. Hairless dogs may therefore lack some permanent teeth or have unusually shaped, forward-pointing teeth. Powder puffs do not have this specific genetic effect and should normally have a complete scissor bite. Congenitally missing teeth are not the same as periodontal disease, but both varieties need daily tooth brushing to limit plaque and gum disease. Monitor the change from puppy to adult teeth, and ask a vet to assess retained deciduous teeth, pain, bad breath or difficulty chewing.
In a large UK study, median life expectancy was 13.4 years among 928 Chinese Crested Dogs. The confidence interval for the median was 13.0–13.8 years. This result describes the study population, not how long an individual dog will live.
¶History & Origins
The breed's early history is uncertain. China is listed as the country of origin and Great Britain holds responsibility for the breed standard, but it is not possible to trace an unbroken line from ancient Chinese hairless dogs to today's breed. Stories about dogs aboard trading ships, rat-catching and life during the Han dynasty should therefore be treated as theories rather than established facts.
The documented modern milestones are clearer. Chinese Crested Dogs were shown in the United States between 1885 and 1926, after which they were scarcely seen for nearly 50 years. Organised breeding in Britain was re-established with imports from the United States between 1965 and 1968. The first dogs arrived in Sweden in 1972, the first Swedish litter was born that year, and the dogs were registered with SKK in 1973. The Chinese Crested Club of Sweden was founded in 1990.
¶Living with the Breed
The type of home does not by itself determine whether a Chinese Crested Dog will thrive. Both a flat and a house can work if the dog receives activity, rest and gradual training to be left alone. Assess the home in terms of noise, access to suitable places for walks and how easily the dog can get away from draughts, strong sunlight and commotion. A small body does not mean small needs.
A young puppy should not be left alone. Once it feels secure at home, training can begin with the puppy relaxing while you move behind a gate or leave the room very briefly. Increase the time only while the dog remains calm. An adult dog that has been trained gradually can often cope alone for a few hours, but individuals vary greatly. A camera can help reveal pacing, panting, barking or an inability to settle.
Cats and other dogs can live successfully with the breed, but low prey drive or trouble-free coexistence cannot be promised on the basis of breed alone. Make introductions gradually, prevent chasing, and give the cat a secure escape route and separate resources. Adapt play to the dogs' sizes and communication styles. Small pets should be kept safely apart unless you can control the situation with confidence.
The right home needs to be ready for the differences between the two coat varieties, daily dental care and a dog that needs both closeness and the ability to feel secure on its own. Meet adult relatives if possible, see the puppy untrimmed and check documented health results. These checks say far more than promises that all Chinese Crested Dogs are quiet, allergy-friendly or automatically easy family pets.
¶Characteristics
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Breed Type | Purebred |
| Aggressiveness | 1/5 |
| Child Friendly | 5/5 |
| Energy | 3/5 |
| Hair Shedding | 1/5 |
| Health | 4/5 |
| Intelligence | 3/5 |
| Grooming Needs | 2/5 |
| Learning Ability | 3/5 |
| Barking Level | 3/5 |
| Height | 23 – 33 cm |
| Weight | 4 – 6 kg |
| Life Expectancy | 12 – 14 years |
¶Frequently Asked Questions
Are Chinese Crested dogs really hairless, and what is the difference between Hairless and Powderpuff?
The Hairless variety has smooth, largely bare skin with tufts of longer hair on the head, tail, and feet, while the Powderpuff has a full, soft double coat. Both varieties can be born in the same litter and share the same temperament and size. Care needs differ, with Hairless dogs needing more skin protection and Powderpuffs needing regular coat maintenance.
What kind of skin care does a hairless Chinese Crested need?
Hairless dogs are prone to dryness, sunburn, and clogged pores, so their skin needs gentle cleansing and moisturizing. Many owners use a mild, dog-safe cleanser a few times a week and a light, non-greasy moisturizer. Sunblock formulated for pets is important outdoors, and harsh human skin products should be avoided.
Do Chinese Crested dogs get cold easily and how should I protect them?
The Hairless variety is particularly sensitive to cold, wind, and sudden temperature changes due to its exposed skin. They usually need sweaters or jackets in cool weather and should not be left outside for long in low temperatures. Indoors, a warm, draft-free resting spot helps keep them comfortable.
What is the typical temperament of a Chinese Crested with family members and strangers?
They are usually affectionate, people-oriented, and quite bonded to their primary caregivers, often described as clingy or Velcro-like. With strangers, they can be reserved or shy, especially if not well socialized early. Consistent positive experiences with new people and environments help them remain confident and stable.
How much exercise does a Chinese Crested actually need?
Despite their delicate look, they are lively, athletic little dogs that enjoy daily walks and active play. Around 30 to 45 minutes of combined walking and play each day is usually enough for most adults. Mental stimulation through training and puzzle toys is also important, as they can be surprisingly clever and easily bored.
Are Chinese Crested dogs good for people with allergies?
Many people with mild dog allergies find the Hairless variety easier to live with because it sheds very little hair. However, no dog is truly hypoallergenic and they still produce dander and saliva proteins that can trigger reactions. Spending time with the breed before committing is the best way to assess your personal tolerance.
What health problems are most common in Chinese Crested dogs?
They are known for dental issues such as missing or poorly formed teeth, particularly in Hairless dogs, and often need early and regular dental care. Eye diseases, luxating patella, and certain skin problems can also occur. Responsible breeders screen for hereditary issues and discuss potential long-term care needs with buyers.
Why do some Chinese Crested puppies have bad teeth or lose them early?
The gene associated with the Hairless coat is linked to abnormal tooth development, leading to missing, small, or weak teeth. This can result in early tooth loss and a greater need for professional dental care. Regular brushing, appropriate chews, and veterinary dental checks are especially important for this breed.
How much grooming does a Powderpuff Chinese Crested require compared to a Hairless one?
Powderpuffs have a fine, soft, double coat that mats easily and typically need thorough brushing several times a week and periodic trimming. Hairless dogs do not need coat brushing but require ongoing skin care, nail trimming, and careful management of body hair that may grow in patches. In practice, both varieties can be high maintenance, just in different ways.
Is a Chinese Crested a good choice for apartment living and first-time dog owners?
Their small size, moderate exercise needs, and relatively quiet nature can work very well in an apartment, provided they get daily walks and companionship. They thrive with owners who are home often, as they do not like long periods of isolation. First-time owners can do well with this breed if they are prepared for the grooming or skin care demands and commit to early socialization.¶Comparisons with other breeds
Compare Chinese Crested Dog with other breeds and see the differences in temperament, activity level, and care to make a confident choice. Show all comparisons
