A MATTER OF HAIR

Hairless route.

2009-02-28T08:53:00.001-08:00

My younger sister, Nuria, and her husband are vocational globe trotters. I always ask them the same thing: look for hairless dogs! Fortunately they love dogs and it does not seem to be a problem for them but their guides get tired of looking for these rare breeds. Let's see some examples.

This picture was taken two weeks ago at the historical city of Trinidad de Cuba, in the center of the island. The owner asked Nuria to take the animal with her "if you wish" because "he breeds continuously". Despite the subsistence economy of the inhabitants of the house, the animal looks healthy and its temperament was very friendly and outgoing. He is a cobby type and resembles a xolo but I have seen some street dogs in Perú looking so similar. In any case it seems very obvious that the natural types are prone to be short-legged and more fatter than our selected modern lines.

Photo by Luis Chico

The next picture was taken by a friend last spring in a beach at Ko Samet island (Rayong province), Thailand. The animal is not completely hairless and results very similar to some hairy hairless Chinese Cresteds without any grooming. I will ask Marcos for extra details about the animal but it seem an evidence that is very easy to find them in Southern Asia.

Photo by Marcos Ruiz Trujillo (m_traker@hotmail.com)

Coming back to South America, concretely to Perú, my sister found this Perro sin Pelo pequeño size in front of a café-bar in the little town of Machu Pichu. The animal was very used to people and it walked freely between the railway tracks. Its tail was cropped and the ears down but the owners had suited it with a little coat despite the high temperatures reached that day. I have to say that this dog was the only viringo that they found in the whole trip, even in Lima. It was an amazing fact because we thought that would be easier to find them almost everywhere.

Photo by Luis Chico

The last image pictures a pariah dog in Bali. My brother in law thought he was a hairless dog with irregular patches of hair. He is one of the hundred dogs that roam freely everywhere and suffer severe dermatological pathologies and other diseases. If you wish to make a donation or simply know more about The Bali Street Dog Fund, an Australia-based charity and Bali Adoption Rehabilitation Centre, B.A.R.C take a look at their websites. The dogs will be so grateful for it.

Photo by Luis Chico.

Hairless rats.

2009-02-20T03:06:00.000-08:00

Photo by Carles Toldrà (carlestoldra@gmail.com)

I bred Fancy Rats throughout almost a decade. My aim was to breed healthy hairless rats. I purchased my first female at Las Ramblas of Barcelona. A risky option. In this touristic point the animals are kept in very poor condition and within a few weeks my rat died. Luckyly, she had a litter before she passed away and I crossed two hairy kittens in order to obtain again hairless rats. Despite some comments I had read previously they are excellent mothers and my rats never canibalized their healthy kittens. They tend to be very calm and friendly but many people in my country still see them as illness transmissors or dirty animals.

Photo by Carles Toldrà (carlestoldra@gmail.com)

It is very difficult to find specific information about hairless rats but If you wish to learn more about Fancy rats in general, the next adresses may be very useful:

American Fancy Rat & Mouse http://www.afrma.org/

Fancy Rats http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/

National Fancy Rat Society http://www.nfrs.org/

Rat & Mouse Club of America http://www.rmca.org/

I do not breed rats anymore because my dogs requires all my energy and time but my friend Uli still keeps a handsome male, Herki, which enjoys a happy old age sorrounded by three hairless dogs and a sphinx cat. In the first picture Chuyia, a beautiful blue hooded hairless female born 17th march 2007.

Bussiness or goodwill?

2009-02-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

Photo by Mariana Bazo (Reuters Pictures)

Last autumn a still candidate Barack Obama was offered a Peruvian Hairless Dog by Claudia Gálvez, president of Amigos de los Perros sin Pelo del Perú. I would like to believe that she wants the best for the breed but saturating the media doesn't seem such a great idea. You should read an accurate article written by Sonja Kolijn and posted in her web site http://www.huacaviringo.com/worried.html.

I have always wanted a nice copper peruvian, if possible, a pequeño one. After a few negatives in Europe I decided to acquire the puppy in its native country. We share the same language and I thought it would be easy and practical, on the contrary, it turned into a nightmare...I lost my time, some money and worst, my illusion.

I wrote several times to the Kennel Club Peruano in order to get some adresses of reputed breeders, they never answered. Without any doubt this is not the way to promote the breed and gives a poor first impression of the institution. If we talk about the breeders, most of them do not answer the mails. We wrote to a very well known breeder and judge last summer and we are still waiting for an answer. When they do answer, they talk with their sweet Peruvian accent and promise you whatever...lying does not seem to be a problem.

Please, take a look at the pictures above. It is supossed to be the same puppy at two different stages of growth. The third one from left to right in the first picture. As you can notice the little girl shrinks , loses her blonde hair and changes her colour miraculously on the second picture. "Antes se pilla a un mentiroso que a un cojo" Spanish saying.

It is absolutely necessary to work together. If we do not understand this fact, we are affecting the preservation and development of the breed.

Is this a show quality dog?

The relation between owner and breeder.

2009-02-18T03:32:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Manel Enciso (manel@castafiore.com)

There are two women very important in my dog life: Teresa Moreu and Mme. Claire Chagneaud. I talked about Teresa in a recent post due to her relevance and I probably often will do. Our first encounter was at her new house, La Cantera and I can not forget her strong voice and dozens of dogs barking und jumping around her. Specially the Japanese Chins. She let me adopt two bitches from her kennel, Una Furtiva Lacrima della Castafiore, now a succesful therapy dog, and La Gioconda della Castafiore, with tremendous generousity and her professional advices never failed. She was my mentor and ever encouraged me to professionalize my hairless dog passion.

Photo courtesy of Mme. Claire Chagneaud

I met Claire almost two years ago, she bred my medium PSPP female, Clytemnestre du Temple d'Apphrodite. I chosed them because it is a family owned kennel and all their puppies grow up happy with her lovely daughters in a familiar context. I received proper information about the breed and valuable advice. I consider that we have developed a beautiful friendship and we share a similar point of view about the breed. Most of breeders tend to criticize their colleagues but she ever has been very respectful with them. Even when my dog evidenced a maloclussion and a french colleague tried to discredit her she demonstrated great professionality. I really appreciate her opinions and when I purchased my last dog, Flor del Ngorongoro, my final decision was influenced by her knowledge of the breed.

I am convinced that this kind of relation is possible and , most of all, desirable. It will enrich your life and your dog will benefit from its breeder previous experience.

A little history.

2009-02-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Manel Enciso (manel@castafiore.com).

The presence and visibility of Chinese cresteds in Spain is strongly related to one name, Teresa Moreu Rañé and her kennel Della Castafiore. She began to compite with apricot miniature poodles but after a while she had the oportunity to acquire some dogs bred by kennel de Mayoli. Her first champion was Himalaya de Mayoli. Later she added new lines such as Moonswift or Woodlyn to improve the gene pool. Teresa's dogs have earned multiple awards and she has merited international recognition and success. MultiCh Patience Della Castafiore is probably her most popular dog and even a Spanish television program, Campeonísimos, issued by Cuatro TV, recorded her daily routine.

Photos courtesy of Manel Enciso (manel@castafiore.com)
1. Ch. Samzara Classy Lady.

2. Himalaya de Mayoli.
3. Ch. Woodlyn Le Nozze di Figaro.
4. Desdemona Della Castafiore.

Unfortunately, Teresa passed away in june 2008. Nowadays her friend Manel is trying to keep the dream alive. Their last litter won the Best breeder Class at Exposición Internacional de Barcelona 2008 and Lady Macbeth Della Castafiore is very promising. At the bottom picture "Betty" poses for the camera at Gibraltar International Dog Show 2008.

Photo of Manel Enciso (manel@castafiore.com)

World Dog Show 2008.

2009-02-15T06:53:00.000-08:00

Photos by Carles Toldrà (carlestoldra@gmail.com)

I went to Stokholm last june to attend the World Dog Show 2008. I wanted to see as many xolos and peruvians as I could. I had the opportunity to meet some breeders like Sonja Kolijn (De Huaca Viringo) or Mr. Rafael Giménez (Itzcuintlan Xoloitzcuintles), a living legend and a charming personality. His snake leather jacket in combination with a seventies shirt was very funny. I am so sorry that his magnificient Ch.Tenango (bred by Ms. Guadalupe Arena Escoffie) did not win the Best of Breed, he deserved. I asked to Mr. Giménez to write a solid book about xolos simply because nobody have been in the breed for so many years. Sonja resembles a runaway model and to see her in the ring with her absolute white outfits and her gorgueous dogs its an unforgettable image. She has an excellent web site recently updated and in my humble opinion she is one of the leading breeders in Europe. It will be very interesting to see which lines will be added to her kennel. Until now she has worked with Zero G and d'Renzo y Beatriz with great success.

I did not had the opportunity to greet Païvi Votkin but we have corresponded via mail last Christmas. It seemed to me a very strong personality with a peculiar point of view about selecting future owners but I respect inmensely her work. Some of my favourite dogs are bred by Päivi as "Milky", Wanhan Wuoren Zero-G-Milkyway or "Kiara", Wanhan Wuoren Kuukivenkoru and above all she owns Vicus del Nari Walac. It was a pleasure to see him as a veteran at Stockholmsmässan. If you wish to see some pictures or you want to know the results you may take a look at Svenska urhundsklubben, Urcanis or World Dog Show 2008 official web sites.

Finally I recomend you visiting Stokholm, I completely fell in love with the city and its wide range of scenarios. The old quarter of Gamla Stan or Skansen at Djurgården are absolutely marvellous.

03.00 A.M, Photo by Carles Toldrà (carlestoldra@gmail.com)

A lifetime passion.

2009-02-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

Photos courtesy of Ms. Uli Ledeboer (uliled@gmail.com).
1. Photo by Pere Tordera, published in El 9 Estiu, Monday, July 1.
2. Unknown.

The woman in the pictures above is my dear friend Uli Ledeboer, she is crazy about hairless dogs and she was a pioneer in Spain more than twenty years ago. She imported a few dogs from very well know lines like Razzmatazz or Bloomsbury. Can you imagine those singular creatures in the catalan little town of Torelló? In those days Spanish people had a peculiar concept about owning a dog. Most of them considered animals to be a simple tool for guarding the house or working. In the left picture she holds Bloomsbury Kaardi and Bloomsbury Honey Pie.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Joachim Weinberg
1. Me'Too and Bel'la.

One of her best friends is Mr. Joachim Weinberg, a very famous judge and former breeder of Chinese cresteds. If you have the opportunity, read his book Alle maine Hunde und ein bisschen mehr edited by Books on Demand Gmbh. There is only a German edition but it is full of anecdotes and curious pictures. You can purchase via Amazon.

Early cresteds.

2009-02-13T06:53:00.001-08:00

I've found some pictures of "0ld type" chinese cresteds. They were published in a German magazine and we do not know the author nor the pedigree of the dogs. Any information is welcomed.

If you wish to see more examples you may consult http://www.chinesecrested.no/en/. Annika Farstad is the editor of this superbous web page and you'll find almost everything desired.

Another place to visit is Naháci, a czech site. They have scanned some editorials of the late nineties, take a look at Z Médíi http://www.nahaci.cz/stranky/ztisku.htm. Unfortunately, there isn't an english version of the articles. Libuše Brychtová is the woman behind this project.

Or a lack of it...........

2009-02-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Pninah and Frendors Joy Korrantoh Pio, Photo by Carles Toldrà

The first time I saw a hairless dog it was four years ago. It seemed to me an astonishing creature and from that moment I realized that I wanted to own one of them. The little girl was called Pninah and my veterinarian was babysitting her and her mate Tuts, a medium size xoloitzcuintli, most commonly known as xolo.

It's quite difficult to express the sensation I felt the first time I touch Pninah.....Dog and hair seems to be a reasonable idea, isn't it? but those amazing creatures have very scarce hair over their bodies or at least, they did a few decades ago. But this is entire debate.

The first thing thay you notice when you touch a true hairless Chinese Crested is the warm sensation and a very soft skin. Xolos and Viringos have a more "rubberish" texture but it all depends on the animal skin colour and dog day care.