Mexican Hairless Dog
Appearance
The dog breed ranges in size from about 10 pounds/4 kg to 50 pounds/20 kg.
Similar in appearance to a Pharaoh Hound, with a sleek body, almond-shaped eyes, large bat-like ears, and a long neck, the Xolo is notable for its dominant trait of hairlessness. The dominant hairless trait originated in this breed as a spontaneous mutation thousands of years ago. The recessive expression of the trait will produce a coated variety, which is genetically inseparable from the hairless. Most litters contain both hairless and coated puppies. The coated variety, covered with a short, flat dense coat represents the original form of the dog, prior to the occurrence of the spontaneous hairless mutation. The hairless variety is completely hairless on the body. Some dogs exhibit a few short hairs on the top of the head, the toes and tip of the tail. Most hairless dogs are black or blue in color. According to standard genetic ratios, one out of every four puppies should be born coated. The allele responsible for the Xolo's hairlessness also affects the dog's dentition: Xolos typically have an incomplete set of teeth.
The Mexican Hairless Dog is moderate in all aspects of its appearance, conveying, strength, agility and elegance. Xolo body proportions are rectangular, slightly longer in total body length than the height measured at the highest point of the withers. The breed occurs naturally in two varieties, hairless and coated. Hairless Xolos are the dominant expression of the heterozygous Hh hairless trait. Coated Xolos (hh) are the recessive expression. Breeding hairless to coated or hairless to hairless may produce pups of either or both varieties. Breeding coated to coated will only produce coated pups because they are recessive to the hairless trait and do not carry the dominant H gene.
Both varieties occur in all colors, solid, marked, splashed or spotted. The most common colors are various shades of black, blue, and red.
The dog breed occurs in a range of sizes, which breeders have standardized into Toy (ten to 13 inches in height, weighing approximately 12 pounds) Miniature (13 to 18 inches in height, weighing approximately 25 pounds) and Standard (18 to 24 inches in height, weighing approximately 45 pounds). The Xolo has been mistaken for the mythical Chupacabra of Mexico.
Temperament
Adult Xolos are noted for their calm demeanor but puppies can be quite noisy and unruly. The dog breed has definite primitive temperament traits and requires extensive socialization and training from eight weeks to a year of age. Xolo temperament can be compared to a typical Working breed, with strong guardian instincts. Their primitive heritage also encourages predatory behavior. Xolos can be escape artists, climbing and jumping fences to chase small animals. They possess exceptional guard dog ability and will not back down from a fight. Therefore, basic obedience training and continued socialization is needed until adulthood.
Health
As their breeding has followed natural selection for thousands of years, rather than alteration of the natural form per varying human tastes, the breed is generally not prone to health and structure problems as many other dog breeds may be, if they have been well-bred. Xolos are not suited for outdoor life in temperate and northern climates and should be considered an indoor dog. They need bathing, light grooming and skin care as with other dogs of similar physical type, including skin care proper for un-coated varieties. "For the Hairless: Most skin problems arise from poor breeding, neglect, or over-bathing and over-lotioning, stripping natural protections and clogging pores. A well-bred, hairless Xolo will have very fine soft skin, yet hardy". Lighter colored Xolos will need protection from strong sun.
