Mexican Hairless Dog

As the name suggests, this dog is native to Mexico. It is a rather rare species. Its size may range from about 10-50 pounds. It is also known as “Xolo”. These dogs are considered as sacred dogs among the Aztecs. They are also quite often mistaken as the mythical creature “Chupacabra” of Mexico. Some even believe that these dogs have magical healing powers. It has a long sleek body and a fairly broad skull. Thin, long, bat like ears are also one of its characteristic features. It has got quite a long neck accompanied by almond shaped eyes. However, one of its most important features would be the hairlessness. This is mainly due to the genetic mutation that appeared in the species about a thousand years ago. It tail is low set and long. Its body is rectangular and long.

These dogs show no signs of hair on their body but may have a few short strands of hair on their heads, tip of their tails and on their toes. Their skin is usually soft and smooth. Some Mexican hairless dogs, as a contradiction to their names may have a coated body. This variety represents the original appearance of the dog, that is, before the genetic mutation took place. This breed of dog may appear in all colors, marked, solid, spotted or splashed. The most common of the colors however are different shades of black, red and blue.

On the basis of their sizes, breeders have standardized into- Toy, miniature and standard. The size of Toy ranges from 10 to 13 inches of height and 12 pounds in weight. Miniature ranges from 13 up to 18 inches in height and 25 pounds in weight. Standard grows up to a height of about 18-24 inches and weighs about 45 pounds. The Mexican hairless dog is moderate considering all its aspects with respect to its appearance, strength, conveying, elegance and agility.

Adult dogs are very lively by nature and also quite calm, easy going and laid back. They are very affectionate, well natured, loyal, alert, intelligent, and merry and they make great pets. These dogs also make very good watch dogs as they are known to be reserved towards strangers. Puppies however are known to be quite noisy. They require extensive training and socialization due to their temperament traits. They have a very strong guardian instinct. These dogs climb and jump fences to chase even the smallest of animals and hence they make a good escape artist.

They never back down from a fight and this exceptional ability makes them good guard dogs. These dogs have got very sensitive skin and as they do not have any fur to protect them, they cannot handle very cold or hot climatic conditions. They can be considered as indoor dogs. They require regular bathing and grooming. However, over bathing will do more harm than good. They require minimal exercise. These dogs when properly looked after live a long healthy life aging up to 15 to 20 years.