small breed
Chinese Crested
Two varieties: the Hairless, with skin over most of the body and hair on the head, feet and tail, and the Powderpuff, fully coated in a soft double coat. Both come from the same gene - the hairless trait is dominant and lethal when doubled, so every Hairless carries one copy and Powderpuffs are the ones with none. Breeding two Hairless together is why the pairing is avoided. Source: AKC breed standard.
Two dogs in one breed, and both varieties turn up in the same litter: the Hairless, with skin instead of a coat, and the fully coated Powderpuff. Underneath the striking looks is something ordinary and rather lovely - affectionate, playful, attentive and thoroughly attached to their people. The catches are real: the Hairless needs sunscreen, moisturizer and clothing as daily care, and the gene behind the skin also brings serious dental disease.
Pup Height
11-13 in
Pup Weight
8-12 lb
Pup Lifespan
13-18 years
Your pup, at a glance
What’s Life With This Pup Really Like?
The maximum, and partly practical - a hairless dog seeks out warmth, and the warmest thing available is you. They will be under the blanket within a minute.
Good with gentle, older children. A Chinese Crested is light-boned and easily hurt by rough handling, which makes toddlers a poor match for the dog's sake rather than theirs.
Good. They are sociable with other dogs and generally fine with cats, with no territorial streak to manage.
Moderate. They alert at the door and can get worked up when excited, without being one of the genuinely noisy toy breeds.
Moderate. Bursts of real athleticism between long stretches of lying on somebody.
Very low in both varieties - the Hairless has almost nothing to shed and the Powderpuff's coat sheds minimally.
Lively and surprisingly agile. They climb, jump and do well at agility, and they are more of an athlete than their appearance suggests.
Minimal.
Good. Quick, willing and sensitive, which makes reward-based work effective and harshness counterproductive.
Moderate. They will announce a visitor and have nothing behind it, which is the usual toy-breed arrangement.
Moderate to high, whichever variety - skin care for the Hairless, brushing for the Powderpuff, and daily teeth for both.
Good in the right conditions. Apartments and small homes suit them; cold, strong sun and long days alone do not.
Lifestyle fit
Could This Be Your Best Breed?
A Chinese Crested belongs indoors and warm - apartment or house, both work - with someone who is home most of the day and will take the skin or coat care seriously. They are easy to train, cost $1,300 to $2,300 a year, and often reach their late teens. Skip this one if the house runs cold, the workday runs long, or you wanted a small dog who looks after their own skin.
Living Space
Apartment or house, indoors, warm. The Hairless has no coat to speak of and cannot be left outside in cold or in strong sun - this is a dog whose living space is essentially 'inside, with you'.
Pup Experience
Fine for a first-time owner willing to take the skin care seriously. They are easy to train and easy to live with; the learning curve is dermatological rather than behavioral.
Daily Pup Time
Thirty to forty-five minutes of walking and play. Skin care for a Hairless is a few minutes daily; a Powderpuff needs proper brushing several times a week.
Allergies & Coat
The Chinese Crested has almost no coat to shed, and scores 1/10 for drooling. No dog is truly hypoallergenic. The allergens come from dander and saliva, so a dog with no hair at all still produces them.
Quirks & challenges
The Not-So-Easy Stuff
Skin Is Daily Work
The Hairless needs sunscreen, moisturizer and warmth. Acne, sunburn and dryness are the routine problems, not rare ones.
Serious Dental Disease
The hairless gene affects teeth too - missing, pointed and lost early. Daily brushing and regular cleanings are non-negotiable.
They Cannot Regulate Temperature
Cold below about fifty degrees, sunburn above. Clothing and shade are function, not costume.
Separation Anxiety
Bred to be a companion and genuinely distressed by long absences. Not a dog for an empty house.
Two Coats, One Litter
Powderpuffs need real brushing several times a week. Choosing a Hairless does not mean the litter was low-maintenance.
Fragile and Cat-Like
Light-boned and a determined climber. They get onto counters and hurt themselves coming down.
The good, the bad & the hairy
Health, Care & Costs
Understanding the health risks and ongoing costs of a Chinese Crested helps you plan for a happy, healthy life together.
13-18 years
$50-$80
per groom (bath, skin treatment or full brush-out, nails, ears), every 4-8 weeks ($350-$800/year)
$1,300-$2,300/year
all-in (food, routine vet, grooming, insurance, incidentals)
Health Risks
Conditions this breed is prone to.
The most significant health issue in the breed, and it is genetic rather than neglect - the same gene that produces hairlessness also affects tooth development, so Hairless dogs commonly have missing teeth, pointed 'tusk' shapes, and early loss. Daily brushing and regular professional cleanings under anesthesia are a lifelong requirement, not an optional extra.
Acne, blackheads, sunburn, dryness and allergic reactions all affect exposed skin. Most is managed with routine washing, moisturizer and a dog-safe sunscreen, but it is daily maintenance and neglected skin becomes an infection.
The retina degenerates gradually until the dog is blind, usually starting with night vision. There is no treatment and there is a DNA test, so tested parents remove the risk entirely.
The kneecap slips out of its groove, producing a skipping gait and sometimes needing surgery. Common across toy breeds.
The blood supply to the head of the femur fails, so the bone dies and the hip joint collapses. It appears in young small-breed dogs, causes progressive lameness, and is usually treated surgically.
The breed carries higher rates of allergies and autoimmune skin disease than most, which compounds the ordinary skin care. Worth raising with a vet early rather than treating each flare in isolation.
Insurance & Health Coverage
Dental is the recurring cost and the one most likely to fall outside a policy. Genetically poor teeth in a dog who lives to sixteen means cleanings under anesthesia every year or two and extractions along the way, and most insurers treat routine dental as excluded regardless of the cause. Read that section of the wording specifically before you buy a policy.
Skin care is ongoing rather than catastrophic - sunscreen, moisturizer, medicated washes - and it adds up over a long life without ever producing a large claim.
The expensive surprises are orthopedic: Legg-Calve-Perthes and patellar luxation both usually end in surgery, both appear young, and both become exclusions the moment a limp is noted. Insure before that first appointment. Progressive retinal atrophy is congenital, uncovered by any policy, and DNA testable in the parents.
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Care needs
The Daily Routine
Grooming
Two entirely different routines. A Hairless needs the skin washed regularly, moisturized, and protected with a dog-safe sunscreen before any time outdoors, plus the hair on head, feet and tail kept tidy. A Powderpuff needs thorough brushing three or four times a week to prevent matting in the soft undercoat. Both need daily tooth brushing and regular nail trims.
Exercise
Thirty to forty-five minutes daily. They are more athletic than they look and do well at agility, but the outings need to work around temperature - shade and sunscreen in summer, a coat in winter.
Food & Weight
Two measured meals. A Chinese Crested is a light-boned dog and extra weight loads knees and hips that are already breed weak points. Softer food may be needed as dental problems progress.
Similar breeds
If This Isn’t Quite the One
American Hairless Terrier
The other hairless breed on this site, and a useful contrast - the American Hairless comes from a different gene with none of the dental consequences, and is a terrier rather than a lapdog. Same sunscreen routine, very different temperament.
Bolognese
Another dedicated companion breed with the same devotion, the same dislike of being left alone, and a similarly low-shedding coat. The Bolognese needs no skin care; the Crested is more athletic and considerably more unusual to look at.
Xoloitzcuintli
The ancient Mexican hairless, and a far more self-possessed dog. Xolos come in three sizes up to 55 lb, are reserved with strangers rather than clingy, and carry the same sun and skin care.