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Chinese Crested

The breeds · companion

AKC Toy · UKC Companion · FCI standard 288

Chinese Crested.

FCI 288 utilization: companion dog (Group 9, Section 4 hairless breeds, without working trial). AKC: a toy dog, fine-boned, elegant and graceful, a loving companion, playful and entertaining. UKC: fine-boned, elegant, graceful toy-type dog; gay, alert, playful companion. FCI history: owned by families of the Han Dynasty, developed as guardians of treasure houses and, in a larger heavier form, as hunting dogs. RKC: the Han Dynasty larger types were used for hunting, and the breed is another example of the miniaturisation of a sporting breed. FCI also names two types: Deer type (racy, fine-boned) and Cobby type (heavier in body and bone). Wikipedia: the modern breed's origins are unlikely to be China; a shared hairless mutation with the Xoloitzcuintli suggests a shared origin, Mexico or Africa..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

13.4YRMedian lifespan13 to 13.8, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
8–13LBWeight, all linesbreed 8 to 13 lb.
0.5HRSExercise, every dayRKC: up to 30 minutes per day. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. Wikipedia: powderpuffs enjoy daily outdoor exercise but are not a high-energy breed.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The lines

Within one breed the line can matter more than the breed. Where the lines differ, the page says which one a value belongs to.

hairless

Hairless variety: hair only on the head (crest), tail (plume) and feet (socks); soft smooth skin elsewhere. Born in the same litter as powderpuffs.

powderpuff

Powderpuff variety: completely covered with a double, soft, silky coat (long thin guard hairs over a short silky undercoat).

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 11 to 13 in · bitches 9.1 to 13 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

The FCI female range runs below the AKC and UKC ideal; both stand. Center blank, the ideals are ranges.

Weight

8 to 13 lb

Breed clubAKC

AKC page header is a summary, not the standard; the span covers the AKC page and Wikipedia.

Coat

hairless lineHairless. AKC and UKC: hair only on the head (crest, beginning at the stop), the tail (plume, the end two-thirds) and the feet (socks, toes to front pasterns and rear hocks); soft, silky texture; wherever the body is hairless the skin is soft and smooth; ear and face hair may be trimmed. FCI 288: smooth hairless body with hair on feet, head and tail only; skin fine-grained, smooth and warm to the touch; the hairless variety has the primitive trait of forward-pointing canines and is not penalized for absence of full dentition (AKC and UKC agree). Wikipedia: the hairless skin can be susceptible to acne, dryness and sunburn; burning can occur in regions with strong UV radiation, especially in lighter-skinned dogs, and many owners apply baby sunscreen; some Cresteds are allergic to lanolin; all hairless Cresteds are heterozygous for the hairless gene.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

AKC, UKC and FCI agree on the pattern of hair; sun and skin care is editorial (Wikipedia).

powderpuff linePowderpuff. AKC and UKC: completely covered with a double, soft, silky coat, long thin guard hairs over a short silky undercoat; straight, moderate density and length; tail fully covered; ear and face hair may be trimmed; missing teeth are faulted in the Powderpuff. FCI 288: undercoat with a soft veil of long hair, 'veil coat a feature'; drop ears permissible. Wikipedia: long soft coat, usually shaved around the snout; the coat does not grow continuously. Color: AKC and UKC any color or combination, FCI any color except merle.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

Three registries agree.

Shedding

Shedding 1 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

powderpuff line3 of 5 · AKC and UKC: the Powderpuff is completely covered with a double, soft and silky coat, with long thin guard hairs over a short silky undercoat; straight, of moderate density and length; excessively heavy, kinky or curly coat is penalized. FCI 288: coated Powder Puff is an undercoat with a soft veil of long hair.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1990

Derived from the coat description (medium double coat = 3 on the ruled scale). No hairless-line value is given: the ruled scale is for haired coats; the sun and skin statements are in the coat row.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

13.4 years (13 to 13.8)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

McMillan et al. 2024 / Dogs Trust. UK population. Teng 2022 (VetCompass) does not include the breed.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 30 minutes per day. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. Wikipedia: powderpuffs enjoy daily outdoor exercise but are not a high-energy breed.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC is a UK registry band, not a study; mapped by the library rule.

Energy

3 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

2 of 5 · RKC: grooming once a week; coat length short; sheds (RKC lists shedding as yes). AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5, shedding level 1 of 5. UKC and AKC: grooming is minimal, only what is needed to present a clean and neat appearance. Wikipedia: little to no shedding; the powderpuff's double coat needs frequent brushing and a weekly bath to prevent matting, and many owners shave a pony cut; the hairless variety's skin needs care like human skin, with moisturiser and oil-free cream against dryness and acne.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped by library rule. The RKC 'sheds: yes' and Wikipedia 'little to no shedding' do not agree and both stand.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 288 utilization: companion dog (Group 9, Section 4 hairless breeds, without working trial). AKC: a toy dog, fine-boned, elegant and graceful, a loving companion, playful and entertaining. UKC: fine-boned, elegant, graceful toy-type dog; gay, alert, playful companion. FCI history: owned by families of the Han Dynasty, developed as guardians of treasure houses and, in a larger heavier form, as hunting dogs. RKC: the Han Dynasty larger types were used for hunting, and the breed is another example of the miniaturisation of a sporting breed. FCI also names two types: Deer type (racy, fine-boned) and Cobby type (heavier in body and bone). Wikipedia: the modern breed's origins are unlikely to be China; a shared hairless mutation with the Xoloitzcuintli suggests a shared origin, Mexico or Africa.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 288, 2026

FCI, AKC, UKC, RKC and Wikipedia. The hunting use is historical, for a larger type; no source states hunting work today.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

0.7% · OFA current all-data (accessed Oct 9 2026): 0.7% dysplastic of 145 evaluations (normal 99.3%; mild 0.7, moderate 0.0, severe 0.0)

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA rank 218. OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, with normal results over-represented; the true population rate is likely higher. OFA all-data is undated.

Most common disorders

Wikipedia: eye problems are a concern, with a higher incidence of primary lens luxation than most breeds (ADAMTS17 mutation) and at least two forms of progressive retinal atrophy; dry eye; canine multiple system degeneration; patellar luxation; hairless dogs often lack premolars and can have poor dentition. AKC national breed club recommended tests: patella evaluation, cardiac exam, ophthalmologist evaluation, PLL DNA test, PRA-rcd3 DNA test.

EditorialWikipedia

Wikipedia summary; no VetCompass paper or club survey was read. The AKC test list is the national breed club's own.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 4; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 1; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 4; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 8 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Chinese Crested Dog, Crested, Powderpuff

Every breed, read the same way.

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