Hairless dogs: the perfect pet?

Although I've always been a "cat person," while I was traveling in Peru this summer, I encountered a dog (see photo on left) that made me want to switch sides. It was unlike any canine I’d seen--completely furless with skin a deep, smoky shade of brown. Desert dust lined the folds in its skin. Topping its head was a shaggy Mohawk, the same faded-bronze color as when somebody with really dark hair does a lousy job of dying their hair blond. The dog was terrifying to behold, yet I felt the urge to hug its sun-warmed hide.

The dog was, I would later learn, a Peruvian Hairless. According to RareBreeds.com:
Many theories abound to the origin of this breed, but they are believed to have been around since A.D. 750 when they appeared in the settlements of the Moche people of Peru. They could have been used for trade between Mexico and Peru for textiles and other necessities. Spanish conquerors also boasted the fact that they were used as food. The Inca Indians put great value in the hairless dogs, although both coated and hairless can be in the same litter, in their language of Quechua they were called "Ca-Allepo" which translates into "dogs without vestments". The Inca nobility kept the hairless dogs in their homes as pets and bed warmers, they were not permitted to mix with the coated dogs that the Indians kept for use as hunters.

While they aren’t pretty, Peruvian Hairless have other advantages. Wikipedia describes them as “smart, quick learners, and are loyal and good with children.” They are also cleaner, less stinky, and don’t get fleas or other parasites. According to Peruvian folklore, hugging them can help alleviate stomach pain and other ailments. The Peruvian Inca Orchid Club of America also says they make great pets for allergy sufferers, though About.com notes that they are hypoallergenic not hyperallergenic. (That “po” means that severe allergy sufferers may still have problems.) The Nearly Hairless Club, a compendium of hairless pet information, says they’re ability to run made them great Incan mail carriers. Alas their hairlessness requires that special attention be paid to temperature, time spent in the sun, and other obvious problems which might stem from bare skin.

Hairless dogs in general have been getting quite a bit of attention lately due to the widespread blogging of Sam, the official 2005 World’s Ugliest Dog. Sam is a Chinese Crested with some serious health problems and a rather doting owner.The Chinese Crested also can be born with a full coat of hair; these pups are referred to as PowderPuffs.

But, as my searching for Peruvian Hairless has revealed, there’s a whole world of hairless pets for animal-lovers with allergies or simply a preference for unusual creatures--from hairless mice to hairless chickens and pretty much everything in between. Enjoy!