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Chinese Cresteds: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Chinese Crested personality and behavior. main page breed review faq health training adopting/buying links My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Chinese Crested, including these excerpts: "The Chinese Crested is fine-boned, elegant, and graceful -- and certainly unique-looking. High-spirited and happy, animated and agile, he is an adept climber and jumper who often grips his toys (or his owner's neck) tightly with his paws. This people-oriented "Velcro" dog depends emotionally on his owner and demands a lot of personal interaction, stroking, and rubbing. He doesn't like being left for long without companionship. Reserved with strangers, some lines or individuals are high-strung and/or timid with new people and new situations. Early and frequent socialization will help build a confident, stable temperament. Chinese Cresteds are playful with (though sometimes jealous of) other pets. Though independent and somewhat willful, he is also bright and responds well to the obedience training he needs to control his inquisitive activities. Use reward-based methods. Some will bark (or howl), and some are clever escape artists who can scale high fences or dig under them. Housebreaking is very difficult, especially when a male is not neutered, as this somewhat primitive breed is inclined to excessive marking of his territory (i.e. lifting his leg in your house)." History This breed was discovered by Chinese traders either in Mexico or Africa. There are two coat varieties: hairless and powderpuff. There is a lethal gene involved with the hairless mutation, so every surviving hairless dog carries one gene for hairless and one gene for puff. Both hairless and puff varieties show up in the same litter and can be interbred. Size 11-15 inches and 8-15 lbs

Chinese Cresteds What's good about 'em What's bad about 'em If you want a dog who... Is small, elegant, and exotic-looking Comes in hairless and coated varieties, and many colors Doesn't shed Is high-spirited, animated, and agile Makes a keen watchdog, but is not aggressive with strangers Is usually good with other pets A Chinese Crested may be right for you. If you don't want to deal with... The fragility of toy breeds (see below) High activity level "Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much Timidity or fearfulness in some lines, or when not socialized enough Stubborness (a mind of his own) Notorious housebreaking difficulties Tendencies to climb or dig to escape from confinement Barking With the hairless variety, a commitment to skin care With the powderpuff variety, a commitment to brushing and combing A Chinese Crested may not be right for you. If I were considering a Chinese Crested... My major concerns would be: Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed puppy without understanding how fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure or kill a Chinese Crested puppy by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he's curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Chinese Crested puppies can seriously injure or kill THEMSELVES by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Crested puppy and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what's going on around your small dog. Chinese Cresteds must always be kept indoors, in a safely fenced yard, or on-leash -- they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control. Chinese Crested puppies are NOT suited to children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Chinese Crested puppy who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Even Chinese Crested adults may feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and shyness (even defensive biting) may be the result. Separation anxiety. More than most other breeds, Chinese Cresteds need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours. They become anxious, which they express by destructive chewing and barking. If you work all day, this is not the breed for you. Providing enough socialization. Standoffish by nature, Chinese Cresteds need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution can become shyness or suspiciousness, which are difficult to live with. Mind of his own. Chinese Cresteds are not Golden Retrievers. They can be extremely stubborn and manipulative.You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say. To teach your Crested to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Chinese Crested Training Page discusses the program you need. Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Chinese Crested on my Top 10 List of "Hard to Housebreak." Consistent crate training is mandatory. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary. And some owners never do get their Chinese Cresteds fully housebroken. Territorial marking (unneutered males lifting their leg to pee in your house) is a common problem. Fence security. Many Chinese Cresteds climb like monkeys and dig like gophers. You may need higher fences than you might imagine for their small size. You may also need to sink wire into the ground along the fence line to thwart digging. Barking. Chinese Cresteds are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them so they don't turn into yapping nuisances. Skin care. Hairless Chinese Cresteds have delicate skin that must be frequently washed and moisturized. Grooming. Powderpuff Chinese Cresteds become a matted mess without frequent brushing and combing. If you can't commit to the brushing, you have to commit to frequent trimming to keep the coat short, neat, and healthy. Not all Chinese Cresteds are alike! There are energetic Cresteds, and placid Cresteds. Hard-headed Cresteds, and sweet-natured Cresteds. Serious Cresteds, and good-natured goofballs. Introverted Cresteds, and Cresteds who love everyone. If you acquire a Chinese Crested puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." If you're considering an adult Chinese Crested... There are plenty of adult Chinese Cresteds who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you. When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS. If you would like to link to this review, here is the HTML code: <a href="http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/chinesecresteds.html">Chinese Cresteds: What's Good About 'Em, What's Bad About 'Em</a> Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author.