Chinese crested dog; what is the mix? A general description of the Chinese Corydalis, versions of its appearance and possible ancestors, popularity, recognition, and characteristics of the species, its appearance in films and competitions, and the current status of the species. The Chinese crested Hound, or Chinese crested Hound, is one of the unique breeds in the world. It originated in China and was not seen in the West until the 1800s. These dogs have two types of coats. Some with long hair are known as blowouts. Other “hairless” specimens are dogs with hairless bodies and a special comb on the top of the head and neck, tip of the tail, and legs.
Although they are physically different (in terms of fur), both breeds are regularly born in the same litter. It is believed that it can not eliminate fluffy individuals as they carry the gene responsible for hair loss.
White-faced Chinese Crested dogs look extraordinary and are regularly ranked among the world’s ugliest dogs. They are also known by other names: Chinese Husky, Chinese Ship Dog, Chinese Junk Dog, Turkish Hairless Dog, Chinese Hairless Dog, Chinese Hairless, and World’s Ugliest Dog.
What is a Chinese crested dog mix?
Little is known about the pedigree of the Chinese Crossbreed, as created the breed long before organized dog breeding records emerged. In addition, Chinese breeders have traditionally recorded less information about dog breeding in writing than their European counterparts. At the same time, many facts that are informed and popular today regarding this species’s pedigree are entirely speculative.
It is known that Chinese dogs were used on ships in China at one time. It is believed that captains and crews kept these small dogs on board primarily to kill rats and communicate during long sea voyages. Some sources claim that the breed’s history dates back to 1200. Over the centuries, after the Mongol colonization, the Chinese capital became highly resistant to outside contact and influence.
However, this changed due to the beginning of European studies. By the end of the 1800s, America, Japan, and several European countries had established regular trade and political relations with China. Westerners were very impressed with the appearance of the Chinese cross dog, which was very different from the known standard breeds. Since this breed is found in China, it became known as the Chinese Anxiety Dog.
Most experts agree that the species did not originate in China. There are several reasons for this mistrust. The main story is that these dogs differ significantly from famous Chinese or Tibetan breeds such as the Shar Pei, Pekingese, and Tibetan Spaniel. It’s not just the hairless feature that makes this breed stand out. It also has significant structural differences.
However, in retrospect, it is known that there have been many hairless dog breeds in the tropics since ancient times. The inhabitants of these countries seem to have had contact with Chinese merchant ships. Of the dogs native to these regions, nearly all are similar to the Chinese racing dog, not only in their structure but also in their shedding of hair. Of course, the most substantial reason for the assumption that the Chinese Crested is not native to China is that the breed was never known on the mainland. Instead, it was related to merchant ships from these places. The boats’ crews were not only in contact with other nations but were the first of the few Chinese to do so for the first time.
Ancient China was considered one of the first economic powers in the world to have merchant ships that regularly stopped around Southeast Asia. These islands now make up Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Islamic countries, and the coast of Africa. Even though the actual historical versions lean towards Spanish galleons and European explorers, the largest wooden ships ever built and sailed were Chinese. In recent years, growing evidence suggests that the Chinese most likely discovered Australia and the Americas even before the Europeans in the early 1400s.
It is even believed that the Chinese dog is a descendant of the hairless canines that were common in East Africa, which were then known to Europeans as African hairless dogs, African hairless terrorists, or Abyssinian sand birds. Before the Renaissance as a “Chinese product,” English, Dutch, and Portuguese explorers and traders described these dogs for several centuries. However, few of them were brought alive to Europe and America.
These species were last seen in the 1800s and are most likely extinct. However, some surviving specimens (stuffed animals) exist in museums. These specimens show dogs almost identical to hairless breeds from the Americas. It is known that the Chinese were in regular contact with the coasts of East Africa and could well have had the ancestors of Chinese dogs there. However, there is no conclusive evidence for this theory.
Additionally, Abyssinia is an obsolete name for Ethiopia, a country with little or no contact with China. If such breeds were from the Abyssinian region, it is less likely that they are the ancestors of the Chinese cross dog. But in those times, Europeans often did not exactly name “something” or “someone” from Africa. Almost nothing is known about the origin of the African hairless dog. It is also possible that the Chinese brought the breed to the African continent and not the other way around.
In addition, the behavioral characteristics of the species are probably not described, which would be very useful in determining the relationship. A final reason to question the African origin of the Chinese Crested Dog is that it is highly resistant to diseases such as sickness. And this disease would be fatal for other breeds from Africa if they were brought to the West, for example, the Basenji.
Possible ancestors of the Chinese Crested Dog
Revisiting the possibility that the Chinese discovered America, recent genetic studies have led scientists to conclude that the Chinese Hound and the Xoloitzcuintle may be related. It is unclear whether this relationship results from true consanguinity or the development of the same genetic mutation that causes hair loss.
The Peruvian Inca Orchid, another ancient hairless breed from the Americas, is also thought to be related to the Xoloitzcuintle. Unlike the African hairless dog, records of these two breeds date back centuries to the early days of the Spanish conquest. Additionally, archeological studies suggest that both stones may be older than 3,000 years.
Another highly contested theory is that the Chinese reached American shores in the 1420s. However, they maintained no further contact after the initial visit. The Chinese sailors may have taken these unique hairless dogs on board their ships after visiting Peru or Mexico. However, it has not yet been proven that this person saw the Americas at that time. In addition, the wool varieties of the Peruvian Inca Orchid and the Xoloitzcuintle are very different from the Chinese Crested Downy dog.
At various points in history, there are records of hairless dogs from Thailand and Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. Since both countries have closer ties to China, it is more likely that the Chinese Crested Dog originated in one of these areas. However, little is known about these hairless species other than the fact that they are now probably extinct. Therefore, it is impossible to say precisely what kind of relationships these breeds may have with the Chinese Crested Dog.
Popularity and acceptance history of the Chinese Crested Dog
Wherever Chinese sailors acquired such dogs for the first time, they introduced them to the United States and Europe territories. The first pair, the Chinese cross dog, to appear in Europe came to England in the mid-1800s at a zoological exhibition. Artwork from the same period shows such dogs, indicating that the variety was well known in that area even before it was established.
In 1880, a New Yorker named Ida Garrett became interested in the breed and began keeping and exhibiting it. In 1885, the Chinese Hound was first shown at the Westminster Kennel Club and caused an incredible explosion of emotion. The species survived a brief period of dispersal during the rest of the century and almost completely disappeared due to the outbreak of the First World War.
Ida Garrett never stopped working with the breed, and in the 1990s, she met Debra Woods, who shared her passion for the Chinese Crested dog. The woman spoke in detail about her plan for raising breed representatives in the 1930s. Her Crest Haven cage was fully operational by the late 1950s. In 1959, a fancier founded the American Hairless Dog Club to act as a registry service for the breed. Debra will keep the studbook until she dies in 1969.
Jo Ann Orlik of New Jersey took over her job. Unfortunately, in 1965, the American Kennel Club (AKC) ended the registration of the Chinese Crested dogs due to a lack of sufficient numbers, national interest, and parent club for the breed. Before this period, the Chinese Hound was classified as “Miscellaneous.” When the AKC rejected these dogs, only 200 were registered. For several years it seemed that the genre might disappear altogether, despite the dedicated work of Ida Garrett and Debra Woods.
Around the same time Debra Woods was running her operation, stripper and entertainer Gypsy Rosa Lee discovered the Chinese Hound. Her sister adopted a Chinese crossbreed dog from an animal shelter in Connecticut and later gave it to Lee. Rosa became interested in the breed and eventually became its breeder. She included this fantastic animal in her shows. She is to be thanked more than anyone else for promoting diversity throughout the country and worldwide.
It is a testament to the quality of work done by Debra Woods and Gypsy Rose Lee. Almost all breed members worldwide can be traced back to one or both lines of these breeders. In 1979, enthusiasts formed the Chinese Crested Club of America (CCCA). Through the club, people wanted to promote the breed and protect it. Their main goal was to increase the representative population across the country and win back the right to register them with the AKC. Members of the organization received the files kept by Jo Ann Orlik. The CCCA worked tirelessly to regain its status in the AKC, and in 1991, it added variety to the “toy group.” The United Kennel Club (UKC) followed AKC’s lead in 1995.
Characteristics of the Chinese Crested Dog
The Chinese Cheetah, as well as the Xoloitzcuintle and Peruvian Inca orchids, have long been used in genetic research because of their unique genetic trait, hair loss. These dogs are instrumental in such research as most inherited traits are difficult to identify immediately. In a very simplified form, each feature is caused by a pair of genes, one from each parent. The researchers concluded that the state of hair loss found in these three breeds is a dominant trait, so only one hairless gene is needed to create hairless dogs.
A dog must have two copies of the dust pad gene to have hair. However, having two copies of the naked gene is prenatally lethal. Individuals with this inheritance often die during the intrauterine stage. It means that Chinese hairless dogs are overexpressed for hairless dogs – they have one hairless gene and one hairless gene.
Due to inheritance rules, when two hairless Chinese cross dogs are crossed, one out of four puppies will be homozygous for bald and die forever, two will be heterozygous for hairless, and one will have the powdery mildew gene. In a letter, there will always be about one down version for every two hairless ones.
The appearance of the Chinese Crested dog in films and competitions
While many Chinese dog lovers will tell you how beautiful their pets are, most observers find them the ugliest of all the other hairless breeds. This breed has consistently won ugly dog competitions and almost certainly holds the record for most titles. Perhaps the most famous champion of such events is the dog named “Sam.” He was crowned the “ugliest dog in the world” title three times in a row, from 2003 to 2005. Unfortunately, the pet died before he could defend his title for the fourth time.
Their unique and unusual appearance, often seen as “ugliness,” have made Chinese crested dogs a regular part of Hollywood movies in recent years. This breed has appeared in films such as Cats and Dogs, Cats Vs. Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore, Hundred and Two Dalmatians, Hotel for Dogs, Marmaduke, New York Moments and How to miss a boyfriend in ti days “, and the TV show “Ugly Betty.”
Today, members of the breed, especially the hairless variety, have become popular in making designer dogs. Most commonly, the Chinese Crested is with Chihuahuas, leading to Chi-Chi.
The current state of the Chinese Crested Dog
Despite the reaction, many people experience when seeing a Chinese Crested for the first time, the breed is gaining a loyal following wherever it is. Although most people consider their appearance ugly, these dogs have a unique charm that attracts fans of the variety. As a result, the popularity of the Chinese Crested dog has steadily increased since the 1970s, especially among those breeders who want to acquire a unique pet. In recent years, such dogs have even become quite fashionable.
In 2022, the Chinese Crested dog was ranked 51st out of 167 in the comprehensive list regarding AKC registration. This situation contributes to the increase in livestock diversity. But less than 50 years ago, eliminated it from the AKC registry due to its rarity. Such pets are a great surprise to the audience, appearing now and then in agility and obedience. However, most Chinese cross dogs in the United States are companion animals. Such dogs would almost certainly choose this position over other pursuits.