Chinese crested?

They are very prone to health problems.  Most hairless have missing teeth, along with skin problems.  They are not a carefree type of dog.  Even though they don't have much hair, their skin needs lots of work.  They even need sunscreen applied as they are very prone to sunburn.  My friend had one and he got sunburned....poor guy.  Even one of the guys in my training class said "wow!  That dog got burned!"

The hairless are a ton of work. Keeping a hairless means learning to become an amateur groomer, unless you have enough money for a weekly grooming shop visit.

Their hair and skin is like ours - they need to stay very clean or there will be serious consequences like skin infections. This means bathing once a week or more.

To keep "the look", you'll have to shave down the extra hair. There may be extra patches on that baby's back, legs, and neck, and for sure you'd have to shave the tail and face - Cresteds have hair on their faces like terriers - some people leave it but then you have the same problems as all hairy-faced dogs - food and tear stains. The tail needs to be shaved for sanitary reasons - what's annoying on a Westie is potentially a health risk for a dog with sensitive skin.

Teeth need to be brushed regardless of what kind of feeding program you use. My Crested is on grain free kibble and raw meaty bones, but I still brush a couple times a week even though her teeth look OK. Sometimes her breath seems a teeny bit off and that's what started me brushing.

Even with all the best care, you will probably still have to deal with acne. There's a whole regimen that helps keep outbreaks from turning into serious problems. Life with a Crestie means keeping up with all the latest scrubs, lotions, and ointments - not to mention the best suncreens that won't make your dog break out AGAIN! I didn't realize this, but a lot of Cresteds are allergic to lanolin - the only time Zhi had a serious outbreak was when I used a lanolin-based lotion on her. Ooops.

On top of this, Cresteds are not your typical ornamental dog. They are less like a Tzu and more like a terrier. Zhi is as active and wacky as any Jack Russell I've ever known, though she's probably at the top of the scale.

Definitely do some research on this breed before getting one based on appearances.

ColleenC

They are very prone to health problems.  Most hairless have missing teeth, along with skin problems.  They are not a carefree type of dog.  Even though they don't have much hair, their skin needs lots of work.  They even need sunscreen applied as they are very prone to sunburn.

 

 I disagree. As a Crested breeder I can tell you these dogs are very healthy, easy to care for, and a wonderful addition to just about any home. They don't have the major issues like a lot of other purebreds. The only thing to be worried about is skin care. If the dog will be out in the sun it should have sunblock on (though my female doesn't need any because she has black skin.) As for warmth, if YOU need a jacket, so does your Crested. They are NOT outside dogs, but they do love to play outdoors a little each day. However, they are perfectly content to spend their whole lives inside. Because of their small size they are ideal for apartment life.

Grooming is easy. A bath every few days to once a week, comb what hair they have once in a while, and you can choose to shave or not to shave. And honestly, it's REALLY easy to do. As for shaving the tail; we don't do that. It's not needed for most of the Cresteds I've seen because the owners take good care of them. Grooming a crested isn't any tougher than grooming any other long-haired toy breed.

Not all Cresteds lose their teeth. My Lucan and Lilly are both hairless and they BOTH have all their teeth. Some will lose their teeth, and this is perfectly acceptable by AKC standards; it's not considered a fault nor a defect. Now, the powderpuffs should have all their teeth no matter what. It's only the hairless variety that's permitted to lose teeth. 

If you choose a pup with a good, healthy line you will not run into any major problems!

I wouldn't say that they're super-prone to health problems, they seem about on par with most of the toy breeds, to be honest. Luxating patellas, liver shunts, and cleft palettes all occur, even in good lines. Bou and Summer's breeder also showed cresteds, but has gotten out of them because of the difficulties she's had with them- good lines with healthy individual dogs who unfortunately are not healthy producers. There are also some dogs that are not great in temperament- spooky and shy, although the ones I've met have all been rescues and I've never met a dog that was too horrible who was socialized properly as a pup.

 The hairless definately take a fair amount of grooming- to keep them looking their best is a LOT of work. The puffs vary on attention needed- I occasionally groom one who has a really awful cottony coat and she just mats up horribly just by going out on a windy day! (I see her about every 3 months or so, she's 8 and her owner was thrilled when I moved back to TX. I see her pretty much for 'evening up' when she's looking motheaten from too many knots cut out of her coat, but she's good for dematting for me, apparently not so good for her owner.) 

 They can be such neat dogs, though! Brookcove's Zhi sounds like a real character.

 

I adopted a HL Chinese Crested from an animal shelter,  she was in very bad condition but she is much better now but I would love to ask you some questions if you don't mind? 

I agree with you,  they are not hard to care for.  If anything they are easier.  I love to dress her so that just makes her even more enjoyable!!!  I have 3 Yorkies and she is much easier to care for than they are. 

questions:

the problem she is having now is thin hair on her head and legs and black heads and white heads,  do you have any suggestions on what would help these problems?

I see all these pictures of HL crested with the slick no stubble body,  how is this done? 

Good nutriion and loving attention has made a big difference in her looks and her personality.  She has settled down and become a wonderfully loving baby.  I just want to help her even more if I can.  I never really considered owning a crested until she came into my life but now my dream is to someday own a powder puff crested or a hl crested from puppy stage to adult.  I just believe that would be wonderful.  I know that after very thing my Lacey has been through and she is still wonderful,  to raise a puppy would really be a gracious gift!

Thank you,  I look forward to hearing from you.

Linda

 Some of the slick, no stubble bodies are true hairless dogs. Others are shaved with a razor, or an electric razor. Some are Nair'd, or Magic'd, or Veet'd. For a dog with skin issues? It's better that you don't, honestly.

 

Mud masks help, with the yuckies, and so do sugar scrubs.

 I figured I would add in on this, as I have been around a lot of Cresteds- well bred, poorly bred and rescues but am not involved with them.

  If you like the hairless look, you want to look for a "true hairless". Show breeders have been selecting for extreme fetahering on the head, legs and tails for the past decade or so and this has led to "hairless" dogs who aren't really hairless any more. The vast majority of show Cresteds are shaved down and Nair'd on a regular basis to keep them looking hairless. When their coats are allowed to grow in, many are indistinguishable from puffs. Breeders call these dogs "hairy hairless". True hairless dogs have far less feathering but don't need to be shaved to be hairless ;)

  The skin issues largely seem genetic, as some dogs are horribly prone to acne and others are not. The hairless ones will certainly sunburn, just like people. They smell rather funky if they aren't bathed regulary, different from a normal dog smell.

 Temperament wise I have seen a wide range in these guys - I've met a ot of nice ones and a lot of very nasty ones. The biggest temperament issues seem to be fear based such as shyness, reactivity and fear aggression. Meet the parents and if they aren't the sort of dog you'd want, pass on the puppy.

  For health, as mentioned luxating patellas (knees that "pop" in and out of place) does seem to be fairly common in the breed even with well bred dogs. Watch for dogs who skip while running, as it is an almost sure sign of patella problems. Ideally, the breeder will have the parents examined for it but that isn't a guarantee the puppies won't develop it. The breed does have PRA as well, which is a genetic eye disorder that leads to total blindness. The parents can be DNA tested for one form of this through Optigen but there are at leats two forms of the disease in the breed (the otehr does not yet have a DNA test). The parents (and grandparents) should have current CERF numbers indicating that at the time tested, they show no symptoms of PRA.

 All breeds and mixes have potential genetic health issues, so I am not suggesting that as reasons not to get a Crested. But it is good to be educated on what those possible problems are.

AgileGSD

They smell rather funky if they aren't bathed regulary, different from a normal dog smell.

 

 

Cause they SWEAT!!! 

 

Also, GREAT post. Very good warnings. My Crested, though she came from a terrible place, has a fantastic temperament. I'm told (by Crested folk, who knew her as a pup) that she could easily have gone the other way, if I hadn't started the crazy socialization right away. She has a luxating patella, that will probably need surgery, in the future. She has icky skin, and she has some body hair (not much, a sparse strip down her back, and socks too high). She isn't what I wanted (was looking for true hairless, pink spotted male to show), buuuuut she's just about perfect

This may have already been mentioned.  But for the skin issues, I'd suggest some gentle exfoliation during weekly baths/grooming sessions.  I've also heard of crestie owners having luck with bathtime skin masks of plain yogurt and honey to draw out blackheads.  Also, an application of witch hazel and listerine on the affected zones daily/every other day (away from eyes always) can work.

For the stray hairs, cresteds do need to be groomed to have those 'ideal' furnishings.  If she's a true hairless, the stray hairs can be groomed but the furnishings may never be very thick.

My hairy hairless is quite different from a puff. She has a littermat that is a puff and his coat is lively all over and pretty low maintenance. If I try to let Zhi grow out like him, she has great hair in the furnishing area, but her back, flanks, and legs look like she's suffering from a terrible bad hair day no matter what I do. The hair is thin, breaks off, matts in mere hours or instantly if she has the wear jammies or a coat, and is wiry/curly/cottony compared to her furnishings which are correct. So I do shave for practical reasons, but I'll admit I like the look. I can't imagine Zhi without her Farah Fawcett 'do!

 SOME hairies do look almost like Puffs, though. They're completely covered in body hair, and if you don't have your hands on the dog, to inspect for undercoat, you can't tell.

 

Ena's body hairs are a totally different texture than her furnishings, too (though she has THREE textures of hair in her furnishings, I never said she was correct, LOL). 

jennie_c_d

 SOME hairies do look almost like Puffs, though. They're completely covered in body hair, and if you don't have your hands on the dog, to inspect for undercoat, you can't tell.

  I have seen more and more show ones like this. I have had to laugh at being told a dog was a "hairless" when the ungroomed dog in front of me obviously was covered in hair and looked nearly identical to his puff littermate.  The emperor has no clothes (or in this case - the emperor isn't naked ;))? I remember seeing Cresteds when they were first recognized and didn't need to be shaved. Then the "hairy hairless" were dogs who had a strip of hair running down their back. And now, some CH "hairless? Pretty for sure but not remotely correct for the breed.

 Thank you! OMG Mine has a strip (not of coat, but of sparse hair) down her back, and is not considered a true hairless. It's insane. True, true hairless are SO hard to come by.

I agree with the trend toward hairier, and hairier "hairless" cresties.  I don't like it.  I really admire the trues and some of the moderates (Chloe is a moderate hairless).  It's just they aren't rewarded in the conformation ring.

I would LOVE to one day show/own a real true quality hairless.