Chinese Crested

Originally bred in China, as its name suggests, as early as the 1500s, the Chinese bred the Chinese Crested from African hairless dogs, working to further miniaturize these dogs, as the Chinese favored the tiniest of Toys. The breed was used on ships for centuries, to hunt and eliminate the vermin that carried diseases. The unique-looking breed appeared in the United States in the late 1800s, championed by Mrs. Ida Garrett and later, with Mrs. Garrett, by Mrs. Debra Woods, and was finally fully accepted into the AKC as a Toy breed in 1991. Though the two types of Chinese Crested, the Hairless and the Powderpuff varieties, may seem to be different, they are almost exactly the same except for their coats. The Hairless should have hair on its head, feet and tail, while the Powderpuff is born fully coated. Another interesting fact about the Hairless variety is that, unlike other dogs, it actually has sweat glands.