Xoloitzcuintli, Hairless Breed Profile
Among the dogs that accompanied early man when he first crossed the Bering Strait and came to live in the Americas were the ancestors of the Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo, as it is called, for obvious reasons. So the Xolo is among the most ancient breeds, and it is interesting because it developed through evolution rather than through selective breeding. The Xolo comes in two varieties, coated and hairless, and three sizes, toy, miniature and standard. It gets its distinctive and unpronouncable name from a combination of an Aztec god and the Aztec word for dog, and the breed has long been prized in Central America and Mexico as having the ability to heal, probably because the hairless variety has such warm, smooth skin, and also having supernatural ability to protect homes from evil. Representations of the breed appear in ancient Aztec artifacts, attesting to the breed's continued purity in its natural state, as the contemporary Xolo closely resembles the ancient Xolos depicted. The American Kennel Club describes this breed's temperament as "calm, tranquil, aloof and attentive," which underscores its healing ability, since dogs are known to help lower blood pressure and calm anxiety: clearly this breed does these two things well. Famed Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo featured the Xolo in their paintings, and the breed is prized in Mexico as a link to the country's legendary past. The Xolo does make an excellent pet and companion, and is a beautiful, racy, elegant dog.