No other breed is attributed such a disparity of origin places and so far apart. As a very old breed, there are no records of the time it appeared but there are many theories.

Some say that the Chinese Crested is originally from Mexico, and that the Aztecs used them to worm their beds. According to this theory, the Mexican Hairless Dog and the Chihuahua are ancestors of the Chinese Crested.

However, the name seems to indicate that the breed is originally from China, but scientific studies seem to point that this breed is descendent from the “Canis Africanus” being the African hairless Terrier his ancestor. If so, the Chinese Crested has the African continent as his birth land.

It is believed that the Chinese Crested dog was a taken to Asia by the Chinese sailors that had trading stops on the east coast of the African continent. Once in China, it was renamed Chinese Crested. There, the breed can be traced back to the 12th /13th century.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that the breed could be found in Europe. There, the Chinese Crested was used as a companion dog. However, those who defend that the Chinese carried the dog to Asia, also say that the Chinese Crested was a good ratter in the ships. This trait is unusual in the breed nowadays.   

There are tow varieties of this breed that seen together don´t seem to be related whatsoever. The Hairless variety only has hair in the feet, head and tail. The Powderpuff has a long, straight and soft coat.

In fact, this is the only characteristic that sets this tow dogs apart, and strangely enough, both varieties appear in the same litter. For these different coats, the same rules are applied, as far as colors concern: all solid colors and combinations are allowed.

The Chinese Crested is an elegant Toy dog with a height of 23 to 33 cm and a weight between 2 and 5,5 Kg.

This breed is fine-boned, but not too fragile looking, and is taller than longer. The hairless variety often has missing teeth, which ins´t penalized in the show rings. In the Powderpuff this trait is to be faulted. This breed is known for sometimes looking like it´s smiling. 

These small and friendly dogs are great pets. They are very sociable dogs that go well with other pets and don´t suspect strangers. They need to be properly socialized or they tend to be anxious and nervous. Energetic and playful, the Chinese Crested is good with children, but due to it´s small size he can´t get injured in rough playing.

They love their family and have a tendency to attach themselves the most to one particular person. They are lapdogs, but if given too much lap while young they may have an unbalanced personality in adulthood. The Chinese Crested dogs demand a lot of attention.

Although intelligent and alert, they aren´t good watchdogs, since they don´t have much tendency to bark.

Chinese Crested Dogs like to climb and dig holes, but usually a session of games is enough to keep him exercised.

They live happily in an apartment and are relatively active dogs indoors. 

Do not overfeed this breed, as it has a tendency to gain weight.

The two varieties have different needs. The Hairless variety is prone to acne and sunburn. In the summertime, these dogs should use sunscreen and in wintertime they should wear clothes. Hairless dogs often lose many teeth as young adults, so they should eat dry food and shouldn’t be given bones. The Powderpuff needs to be brushed daily to prevent matting.

Because this breed sheds little to no hair, people with allergies that want a dog should have no problems with the Chinese Crested.