Are you thinking of bringing home a Chinese crested puppy? Better yet, are you thinking of rescuing a Chinese crested dog? Or, perhaps you are like me and got thrown in at the deep end when my Mom suddenly decided to buy a 9-month-old pup that had been returned to his breeder. The American Kennel Club lists the Chinese crested as the 57th most registered breed in the US (based on 2010 registries) but many Americans are not used to seeing, let alone living with, this breed.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, it’s hard not to look at your new Chinese crested, whether a hairless or a powder puff, and think, “Is this dog normal?”
Weight
Dog breed books, websites and Chinese crested breeders will tell you that the average weight for a Chinese crested is from 10 to 12 pounds. But this is the weight of the ideal crested for showing. Many hairless dogs are lighter than 10 pounds and some powder puffs are more than 12 pounds. My Hugo, for example, tips the scales at a whopping 17 pounds. He’s not fat – he’s just big.
Unless the dog is showing ribs or has completely lost its waistline when viewed from above, the crested is at a good body weight, no matter what it happens to be.
Ear Shape
Most Chinese cresteds are born with floppy or “broken” ears. In order for dogs to have the bat-like ears of show champions, the ears have to be trained to stand up when the dogs are small puppies. This involves an extremely complex series of taping a soft cotton frame onto the puppy’s head.
But if your Chinese crested’s ears fall down due to the weight of ear hair or he has floppy ears, don’t worry. This is normal. But what is NOT normal is a closed off ear canal. This deformity appears in hairless cresteds more than powder puffs, according to “Chinese Cresteds: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual” (Barron’s Educational Series; 2007.)
Weird Noises
Generally, Chinese cresteds are far more vocal than many other dog breeds. The crested has a wide range of noises to treat his or her owner to. These include moaning, honking, grunting, snorting “haruumph” and singing (a sort of howl.)
Hugo makes noises while playing or begging for attention that I haven’t been able to find in any dog book. He bounces about and says, “NYANG! NYANG!” or “NING! NING! NING!” This is normal – for Hugo.
Grins
Also called smiling, this is when a crested pulls the lips back and reveals the teeth. Despite what it’s called, this maneuver looks more like a grimace or snarl than any display of happiness. The dog is often quiet or panting. But cresteds often pull this face when they are pleased about something – such as being given a biscuit.
After a few days, the Crested owner will be able to distinguish between a grin and a true snarl. However, this grin can be alarming when you first see it. But it is normal.
References
“Chinese Cresteds: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual.” Anna Morton. Barron’s Educational Series; 2007
Bare Paws Rescue. “Chinese Crested Breed Info.” http://www.barepawsrescue.org/breedinfo.html
AKC. “AKC Dog Registration Statistics.” 2011. http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm
Author’s personal experience