Mexican Hairless Dogs
Hairless Mexican Hairless may be black, charcoal, lighter gray, bronze, liver or red. Solid colors are preferred, but some do have spots without pigment, which need sun block. Coated dogs can be any color, or combination of colors. Hairless Mexican Hairless may have hair on head, feet, nape and/or tail. Some will be completely hairless. Coated Mexican Hairless have short, course hair that sheds minimally. They are also hypo-allergenic.
The Mexican Hairless dog is one of the oldest breeds in the world, and in danger of becoming extinct. Rumour has it that these dogs are sometimes seen wandering along the waterfront in Hong Kong, and efforts are now being made to protect the breed in its native Mexico. Unlike the Chinese Crested, this breed is totally hairless except for a tuft of short, coarse, and not very dense hair on the skull. The Mexican Hairless is a quiet, reserved little dog, growling only under provocation, and is similar in build to a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. It is described as gay and intelligent, yet at the same time, dignified and un aggresive.
First of all, a dog without hair is subject to temperature changes and should be protected from either extreme cold or heat. It will sunburn easily and needs to be kept out of the sunlight. It will become cold quickly and needs to wear an outer coat when it goes outside. The size of the dog is another health consideration for the small toy variety of this breed has a delicate bone structure. Children should be supervised and not allowed to play roughly. Also the dog needs to be protected from jumping off of surfaces which are high for its small leg bones will fracture easily.
The breed ranges in size from about 10 pounds (4 kg) to 50 pounds (20 kg), with an average body temperature of 40 °C. Similar in appearance to a Pharaoh Hound, with a sleek body, almond-shaped eyes, large bat-like ears, and a long antelope neck, the Xolo is notable for its dominant trait of hairlessness. Many members of this breed are also missing several teeth. There is also a “coated” Xolo with a very short coat of hair, and individual dogs may exhibit varying degrees of head and body coats.
Their great advantage is the lack of hair, which means no fleas and an ideal choice for those allergic to dog hair, while their care is not difficult. To maintain a xolo’s skin soft, this must be sloshed from time to time with a cream or a body oil. And when bathed, the dog dries in just one or two minutes!. Xolo has been on the danger of extinction, but great efforts have been made for its rescue, and now the dog can be found not only in pockets in rural Mexico, but also in the US and Peru. Even so, as Xoloitzcuintle is not currently recognized by the American Kennel Cub, they remain a rare breed in the US.
