Though possibly associated with China since the 13th century, some believe the Hairless mutation originated in Africa, and others believe it may be a cross of the Chihuahua and Mexican Hairless Dog, which it resembles. It is sometimes said that this breed (among others, such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback) belongs to a different species from most dogs, namely Canis africanus; but it is not firmly established either that such a species exists or that the Chinese Crested originated in Africa.
Although there is an anecdotal history of hairless dogs in many seaports (apart from the hairlessness, it is unclear how closely these dogs resemble the modern Chinese Crested), European visitors in the 1700s remarked in particular on hairless dogs in Chinese port cities, as well as dogs owned by Chinese sailors plying the African trade route. Paintings of the breed (and later, photographs) reached Europe in the 1800s.[3]
Early Chinese Cresteds may have been valued as ratters (ratcatchers), both on ships and in agricultural communities, though such traits are rarely evident in the breed today. The breed has also been called the Chinese Edible Dog, the Chinese Hairless Dog, the Chinese Ship Dog and the Chinese Royal Dog.
2007-02-20 12:27:24
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answer #1
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answered by Kate 6
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