Itty Bitty Neekid Puppers...

 They're a primitive breed. If they are not socialized, they do get VERY weird! They can be trouble to housetrain. They can be difficult to train, because, honestly, they don't think quite like a "regular" dog. They're super smart, always thinking, and always figuring stuff out. They're atheletic, agile, escape artists. Chain link is no match for a Crested. Crates? Pfft! Baby gates are sailed over. They are extremely prone to dental issues. The teeth are shallowly rooted (read: fall out) and tartar builds FAST in their mouths. Poorly bred Cresteds generally have icky skin. The Powderpuff variety requires regular combing out, and generally pets are trimmed. Most Cresteds require some trimming. I shave Ena's face, and some sparse hair down her back. She is considered a true hairless.

On the other side, a well socialized, trained Crested is a DREAM to live with. She is high maintenance, in the grooming department, because her skin is naturally icky. I keep up with it,with an obsession, and she looks awesome. She is a social butterfly, the sweetest dog I know. She plays well with dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs, snakes, rabbits, guinea pigs, human children... She's turned dogs who "hate dogs" on to playing with her, because she reads them so well and backs off when they need it. She *is* super smart, so she's a BLAST to train, if she's not driving me up the wall.  She's extremely active, and can keep up with anybody. They definitely aren't for everybody, but if you fall for them, you'll have a houseful (I'm working in that direction!).

Wow, there THAT difficult?(when not trained)

LOL! Thanks Jennie, I like the hairy hairless and the true hairless, I'm not into having to comb out more fur then I have to(note, lazy with brush).....I figured they'd have a lot of skin issues, but there teeth are bad too? Wow. Do they have to get soft food if there teeth go bad?

 Toofless dogs can eat kibble, just fine. They are a breed with issues, like all breeds, LOL. They're closer to their wild roots than, say, a Laborador. They're more like a Greyhound or.... well, pick a primative breed you've spent time with.

I do a *lot* for Ena's teeth (and it helps that she has an almost perfect bite!), and she still has  a smidge of tartar at a year. She retained baby teeth (common in a lot of lines) that had to be removed. I brush her teeth twice a week, feed raw, and offer free access to chewies. 

They do tend to be reserved. Even Ena Bean, who has been in my grooming shop, every day, at  multiple classes every week, at the beach, at the bank, shopping, at the park, at  friends' houses.... is a little reserved around new people. She'll go say hi, but she comes right back to me. 

As far as training... I am a fairly novice trainer. I've worked Emma a lot, and only just started working with other peoples' dogs. Ena will be a year old on Monday. She's house trained, socialized, and obedience trained through rally novice. She can do the advanced exersizes, but I don't work her off lead, yet. She can do novice obedience heel patterns and stays. With as much work as she's had, a more biddable breed (like a GSD, Lab, BC type dog that was bred to work with people) would be far more advanced. I have friends with similar training experience who got obedience titles on younger dogs.... It's work, but it's ridiculously rewarding. 

Thanks for the info! I don't mind brushing teeth, or working hard on training. Heck, Sam is not the typical Lab he doesn't 'get' it until a week or more of trying. So I'm used to having them not be obedient and such, I like a challenge too. i'm a novice too - I only work with my dogs...How bad are they to house train? Like, can't leave them unattended ever or takes over a year to get it?

 Ena came from a puppy mill, so experience may vary, but.... she was around 11 months when it clicked. I still don't leave her unattended. Emma had a similar background (born in a shelter, stayed in the kennel til I adopted her), and I didn't leave her in the house til she was 4!  I crate Ena if I'm not home. If I'm here, I just take everybody out on a schedule. Cresteds thrive on schedule. If she has to go in between, she'll come and stare at me

Sam'sa getting me scedule-trained(LOL), he HAS to be let out once an hour to pee and survey)sp) the yard. Half the time Taz wont go with us because he's been in the house sense day 1.....Sam's still getting used to it....I dont mind the scedules, I like them too, plus I'm getting a bC before I get anyother breed, they like scedules too/

Like many toy breeds, Cresteds can be horrifyingly frustrating to house train.  I can't recommend them if you are still living at home, or in a rental home (ie, after high school).  That's right, two years down the road you are likely to STILL be training.  You also retrain every time you move (as I've found out).  She's not stupid, just small.  There's the space right around where we are, and the whole wide rest of the world, which all looks hige and nicely out of the way.  It may be in OUR living area, but to HER three 12 X 14 rooms are wide open spaces.

Zhi's very much as Jennie describes.  I love her to pieces but she drives me nuts, too. Zhi went through three homes before she was ten weeks old because she was a nutcase - just hyper and crazy.  I loved it but she also was really hard to train - it was hard to get her attention long enough - "HEY over here - FOOD, yummy treats!  Hellllooooo?"  I finally had to cut out her meals entirely and hand feed her through the day and make her work for food, to get her to come in for a landing and learn basic manners.

And, if you are thinking of a hairless to avoid grooming work - think the opposite.  Taking care of the skin and teeth alone more than makes up for the lack of combing out.  They really must be bathed once a week or more depending on what kind of regime works best with the particular skin of your dog.  I lucked out with Zhi and got terriic easy care skin, but along with it came "incorrect" lotsa hair, which either needs twice daily combing (because it's a horrible mix of curly wiry hair and fine straight typical hair) or else shaving and weekly maintainence of that, too.  I do keep her face shaved otherwise she gets her beard in everything and her eyes stay pretty goopy (she gets in the sheep and duck feed, arrrggggh).

 And I'm sitting here, whining because I can't wash Ena for TEN WHOLE DAYS!!! i'm going to have to use a washcloth, dipped in VERY diluted shampoo, then a washcloth with rinse water, repeatedly, to get the oilies off her back, or we'll suffer the consequiences. It's like not washing your face. I still don't know how I'd handle a coated dog, though. I honestly think I'd break down and shave it, because I'm lazy

Also, Ena is unbelievably mouthy. She spins in circles. She "picks" things (toys, clothes, her skin, MY skin) by flea chewing at them. She's ridiculously touchy. She'll move my clothes so she can be touching my skin. She  stares holes in my head, if I'm not looking at her. Oh, and she and Zhi share one really charming habit. They'll BOTH (and I know this, because Becca and I have discussed how amusing it is, and scary) knock you down, then run around, laughing at you. They get you in the back of the knees, with both front  paws, full force.

Chinese Cresteds also have a hare foot. This means that they have an extra joint  in the foot. It's *really* cool to watch them use their "hands". They hold stuff with their paws. Ena uses her paws in tug games. They wrap their arms around things, and won't let go. They can climb virtually anything. They can NOT be left unattended in a backyard or an ex pen. For Ena, she won't be unattended for long. She'll find me. That would be really dangerous, if, say, I'd left and gone across a highway.

Don't forget leaping up and biting the back of hubby's head when he's first getting up.  Seriously, until she draws blood sometimes.  I'm like, "Why don't you just stop it?" and he says, "Im not awake yet."

It's hilarious how decorative they are but they are just not snuggly lay around dogs.

 

Alot of information has been pretty well covered here.  Chloe fits into ALOT of these characteristics.  I have been lucky with housetraining though.  At 8 months, she's much more trustworthy, and will tap me when she needs to go.  She can't be trusted loose yet.  But I keep her in the same room as me and make sure she gets a potty opportunity every 2 hrs.

 Chloe is very vocal.  Not barking really.  But in other ways, a play with me squeal, a get me outta this crate yodel, a I can't see you whine.  She lets me know how she's feeling, but this probably wouldn't be the best in an apartment.

 Chloe is also more of a people-dog.  She's not friendly per se, but she would much rather approach a person than another dog.  She's not really a fan of other dogs at all.  This might just be her though.  She LOVES kids.  Especially little girls.  When kids are at the training class, she wants to snuggle with them rather than anything else.

 Her focus is really poor right now.  She spins excitedly alot, so I'm putting that on a cue to help control it.  

She MUST be touching me often.  She sleeps in my bed (and hates getting up early in the morning) and must touch an arm or drape herself over my neck.  She's pretty velcro. 

 She's a moderate hairless.  She needs clothes in the winter, and sun shirts/sun block in the summer.  This is an added expense.  I know a boutique owner who custom makes clothes at a good price.  So if you know a seamstress, you're ahead of the game.

I must add, my mother's crestie, who I babysit sometimes is the worst about the knocking down thing.  She always does it when I'm going downstairs.  I don't trip b/c I anticipate it, but jeez, it's like she's rushing me along.  Let's go outside, yayyyyy!!!

They are very expressive, very charming dogs. 

I don't excpect to not groom....I just think the powderpuffs look like an oversized hairy rat. I like the nekid rats! LOL! (kidding)

I knew about all the clothes, and I think Moonlight is in NC too? So you know how are winters are(normally non-exsistant).

I didn;t know they had to be bathed weekly....Hmm...

And the pushing thinkgy would scare the crap outta me! I'm already paranoid about being alone, then having a dog trip me would make it worse.....

Thanks for the info guys! I know I wont be getting one for a while(probably 8 or 10 years), but I have an steal vault for a brain when it comes to animals.....Thanks!

 I forgot about the vocalizing!! I love how much she talks, but it's actually scared some people (who think she's growling when she greets them with a "HI IM SO GLAD TO SEE YOU";).

I have Ena's clothes made for her, too. They're sighthound shaped (long and skinny, with a deep chest), so regular clothes don't fit her well at all. The lampshade collar didn't work when she was licking her spay sutures, so I had a Bite Not collar, with a harness strap, overnighted (for a grand total of $60) to keep her from hurting herself while I attend a funeral today. They're sensitive to anesthesia, so procedures must be kept short (forget combining dental with spaying), and they're sensitive to certain vaccines and medications. Certain materials (like a regular, nylon collar) will rub Ena raw in a matter of minutes. They're supposedly allergic to wool. Honestly, I think it just rubs them and bothers their skin. 

They're definitely not your everyday dog. High maintenance, dramatic, tomboy princess seems to describe most of the Cresteds I know, LOL. 

misstrouble

I knew about all the clothes, and I think Moonlight is in NC too? So you know how are winters are(normally non-exsistant).

I live in South Georgia. I'm less than an hour from Florida. Ena wears clothes, every day. And she wears a different shirt daily, because they get dirty with her skin oils and everybody touching her. I'm a little OCD because we had an issue with acne, when she was a baby, but they do need protection just like you do (you wouldn't walk around nekkid in strong sun, wind, or cool air, neither should the dog). 

I agree with jennie.  I live in NC (wish we could get one substantial snow), but Chloe wears clothes in any situation that I would wear them.  And more for when I'd wear a jacket.  She makes it clear to me when she needs them though.  And when it's cold at night, she's expert at burrowing under the covers, .

 I don't know if you've met a Crestie before, but that would probably also be a good experience.  If you're ever near Lenior or Hickory, let me know and you can meet Chloe.