At a glance

Key facts

The essentials to compare before deciding whether this breed fits your home and routine.

Size
Toy
Lifespan
12 to 14 years
Energy
Medium
Temperament
Alert, affectionate, playful and surprisingly athletic
Good with children
Better suited to homes with older, careful children
Exercise
About 30 to 45 minutes a day, sheltered from sun and cold
Trainability
Moderate
Grooming
Daily skin care for the hairless variety, or coat brushing for powderpuffs
Estimated monthly cost, GBP
£80 to £140 per month

Despite the name, the breed’s road to Britain probably ran through African hairless dogs carried on Chinese trading ships rather than through China itself, and Crested breeders today still argue amicably about the exact history. What is certain is that a single litter can contain two entirely different looking puppies, a hairless dog with skin exposed everywhere except a crest, tail plume and socks of hair, and a fully coated powderpuff with a soft double coat and no bare skin at all. Both are the same breed, sharing the same standard, temperament and health background.

Numbers are modest but the breed is not desperately hard to find, and both varieties turn up in most litters, so buyers can generally choose which coat type they want to manage. What differs enormously between the two is daily care. A hairless Crested is closer to owning a dog with the skin maintenance needs of its own kind than to any conventional coated breed, while a powderpuff asks for the grooming routine of a small, silky coated companion.

Living with the breed

Temperament varies little between the two coat types, and both are lively, people focused dogs that settle readily into a household routine. The breed is more athletic than its slight frame suggests, and a Crested that decides to leap onto a worktop or scale a garden fence often succeeds on the first attempt, so supervision around furniture and boundaries pays off early. Hairless individuals feel the cold keenly and often need a coat or jumper for winter walks and a warm spot indoors away from draughts, while direct summer sun calls for shade and sun cream on exposed skin rather than a long spell outside at midday. Children who understand that hairless skin marks and scratches easily tend to suit the breed better than very young or boisterous children, and supervision around rough handling matters more here than with most toy breeds. Both varieties are usually sociable with other dogs and reasonably alert watchdogs without being constant barkers.

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Daily exercise

About 30 to 45 minutes of exercise a day suits most adults, timed to avoid the hottest and coldest parts of the day for hairless individuals in particular. The breed’s genuine athleticism means it enjoys more than a gentle stroll, and many Cresteds take well to agility or flyball style games adapted to a small body, which channels its energy usefully. Walks in summer benefit from early morning or evening timing and some form of sun protection on hairless skin, while winter walks are shorter and often finished in a coat. Powderpuffs tolerate a wider range of weather comfortably, since their double coat offers some natural protection that hairless littermates simply do not have.

Training and mental work

Training responds well to a food motivated, upbeat approach, and the breed is generally quick to learn once it trusts its handler, though a stubborn streak surfaces occasionally in individuals that feel pushed too hard. Socialisation from puppyhood helps keep the breed’s natural alertness from tipping into wariness of strangers or excessive barking at passers by. Mental stimulation matters given the breed’s intelligence and activity level, and puzzle feeders, short training sessions and supervised exploration of new environments keep a Crested engaged. Recall in open spaces benefits from early, consistent practice, since the breed’s curiosity and agility can carry it further and faster than its size suggests it is capable of.

Grooming and shedding

The two varieties need almost opposite grooming routines. Hairless skin benefits from a gentle moisturiser to prevent dryness and from sun cream formulated for dogs on any exposed areas during summer walks, and regular but not excessive bathing keeps the skin free of the blackheads and mild acne the breed is prone to. Powderpuffs need the routine of a fine, silky coated dog instead, with brushing several times a week to prevent matting behind the ears, under the legs and around the collar. Both varieties share a documented dental quirk connected to the hairless gene, which can produce a mouth with fewer or oddly shaped teeth even in coated littermates who carry the gene without showing the hairless trait. Regular dental checks and consistent tooth brushing from puppyhood matter more in this breed than in most, and a vet familiar with the breed’s dental pattern is a genuine asset. Nails need trimming on the usual schedule for a low shedding, low mileage toy breed.

Health and costs

A well kept Chinese Crested commonly lives twelve to fourteen years. Patellar luxation is worth discussing with any breeder, as it is across most toy breeds, and a vet can assess knee stability at a routine check. Hairless skin exposed to repeated sun without protection carries a higher long term risk of sun damage, which is one reason consistent shade and sun cream matter beyond simple comfort. Eye health is worth asking about generally, and a breeder who has had puppies checked is a good sign. Keeping the dog at a lean weight supports both joints and general skin condition. Monthly costs typically run from about £80 to £140, covering food, insurance, veterinary care and either skin products or coat maintenance depending on which variety is kept, with dental treatment a realistic extra cost to budget for over the dog’s lifetime.

Verdict

The Chinese Crested suits an owner drawn to an unusual, affectionate small dog and willing to commit to either a skin care routine or a grooming routine depending on the puppy chosen, along with careful management of sun and cold.

Owners wanting a low maintenance toy breed, a household with very young children, or anyone unwilling to think about sun protection and dental care should look elsewhere. Chosen with its particular needs understood, the breed offers a genuinely characterful and devoted companion.