Of Hairless and Powder Puff Cresteds

I realized that so far the only dog photos I've posted have been of black dogs, and while it's true I have a weakness for black dogs, I thought I should start giving some equal time to dogs of a different hue.

Meet Fancy. She reminds me of nothing so much as some sort of garden sprite or canine gnome. In reality, however, she is a "powder puff" Chinese crested.

Now, if you're like me, you associate Chinese cresteds with those little naked dogs whose "hair" is limited to little leggings, a sort-of Mohawk do on their head, and a little pom-pom on the end of their tail. It turns out, however, that if it weren't for the hairier variety like Fancy, Chinese "hairless" cresteds wouldn't exist. According to Fancy's human mom, the hairless variety are the result of the mating of a hairless with a powder puff parent...at least when it comes to responsible breeders. Apparently, mating hairless Chinese cresteds to each other can result in offspring with skin problems.

So now you know.