Luckily, the Xoloitzcuintle has many names.
Mexican Hairless Dog, or Xolo, is significantly easier to pronounce than its full breed name.
The fact is: Wherever the Xoloitzcuintle goes and stands, it is remembered! Not only because of its extraordinary appearance, but also because of its impressive history and unique character.
If you are wondering what the Mexican hairless dog is all about, whether it is a torture breed, what the life expectancy and husbandry of the Xoloitzcuintle is like and whether it suits you, look forward to this article!
Xoloitzcuintle Wanted Poster
Let’s start with a brief overview of the Xoloitzcuintle, also known as the Xolo, Mexican Hairless Dog or Tepeizeuintli:
Size 25 to 60 cm (standard, intermediate and miniature size)Weight4 to 25 kgColorsBlack, black-greyish, slate-grey, dark grey, reddish, liver-colored, bronze-colored, golden-yellow, also spotted and tricolor possibleLife expectancy12 to 15 yearsOriginMexicocharacter/temperamentintelligent, affectionate, calm, adaptable, loyal, stubbornFCI groupGroup 5: Spitz and primitive type dogs, Section 6: Primitive type dogs, without working trial
Look
The Xoloitzcuintle has a unmistakable appearance, which immediately attracts everyone’s attention. Of course, the absence of hair is responsible for this.
But the Mexican hairless dog can not just fluff in the headbut also at the head or even wear a thick coat of fur all over their bodies.
So there are two varieties into which the Xolo is divided: the variety without hair and the variety with hair.
However, completely naked Xolos are more often desired.
Not only the fur of this dog breed can be colored, but also the skin of the naked specimens.
Often they occur Colors black, blackish grey, slate grey, dark grey, reddish, liver, bronze and golden yellow on.
Mottled skin and tricolor are also acceptable.
The Xolo’s body is well proportioned and muscular. His head is broad and elegant with a slight stop.
Two bright, almond-shaped eyes stand out, black, brown, maroon, amber or yellow.
A special feature is the smooth and soft skin of the Xolos. You can find out what attention she needs in the care below in the text.
They also attract attention big bat earswhich can reach a length of up to 10 cm.
The Xoloitzcuintle comes in three sizes:
- Standard size: 46 to 60 cm, guard dog
- Intermediate size: 36 to 45 cm, guard dog
- miniature size: 25 to 35 cm, companion dog
Interesting:
Even the hairless variety can show some isolated hairs on the forehead or on the tip of the tail.
The haired variant must have a short, dense coat that covers the entire body.
History & Origin of the Xoloitzcuintle
The Xoloitzcuintle is a very old breed of dog. Talking about its «usefulness» at the time almost breaks the heart of dog lovers:
The meat of the Mexican hairless dog was considered a delicacy or ceremonial dish. This almost led to the extinction of the breed.
The Xoloitzcuintle is not a fashion creation, but a breed of dog that has accompanied humans for 3500 years.
Nevertheless, the breed has experienced an upswing, because in today’s society it has become common to keep an eye out for special features.
The tongue-twisting name Xoloitzcuintle comes from the Aztec language Nahuatl and means translated: “hound of the god Xolotl”.
Nature, character and temperament of the Xoloitzcuintle
The Xolo is one calm, happy and extremely clever dog.
His essence is also called affectionate, dignified and adaptable described.
He loves his family and tends to be suspicious of strangers around him.
Nothing escapes the attentive senses of the Xoloitzcuintle, which is why it is excellent as a guard dog suitable.
However, there is also a temperamental one in every Xolo stubborn. Therefore, he is not necessarily suitable for dog beginners.
attitude & upbringing
The Xolo is known for its loyal and affectionate nature. He loves the close contact with his people and likes to accompany them through all situations in life.
So that you can use your Xolo for a few hours leave relaxed alone you should start training as a puppy.
It sounds paradoxical at first that the Xolo is known for its docile nature as well as for its stubbornness.
He doesn’t always make it easy for his master or mistress, although he is generally willing to work together (to his liking).
for one posture outdoors the Xolo is out of the question, even if it is much better protected from the weather than one might think when looking at it.
He prefers living in a house with a garden, but can also enjoy a city apartment.
One benefit of owning the Mexican Hairless Dog is undoubtedly its cleanliness. The lack of hair means that he does not bring dirt or vermin into the house.
Incidentally, this property also makes it suitable for Dog hair allergy sufferers interesting, although it should always be said that the allergens are not only in the fur, but also in the saliva and dander of the dog’s skin.
A Xoloitzcuintle for allergy sufferers:
Our recommendation for dog hair allergy sufferers who want a dog as a pet is always to get to know several dogs of the same breed.
This is the best way to find out which dogs you respond to and which don’t.
Health & Care
The Xoloitzcuintle doesn’t have a coat that needs grooming, but it needs its own skin special attention.
Although it is thicker and more robust than other dog breeds, Xolos with light skin are particularly vulnerable to the sun.
That means: Light-colored Xolos are prone to sunburn and will need to be rubbed with a special dog sunscreen in the summer.
Even so, you can regularly apply a suitable cream to keep the skin of your Xoloitzcuintle supple (but please don’t overdo it!).
He also needs conscientious claw care and a regular check for inflammation, such as claw bed inflammation, in the mouth and in the bat ears.
Contrary to what is assumed, the Xolo is not particularly sensitive to cold, but robust and also likes to be outdoors when the temperatures are low – but he is still happy about a warm dog coat when the temperatures are very low.
Unfortunately, the Xolo’s hairlessness affects its health.
The breed is considered torturous breeding because:
- hairlessness is due to a genetic defect
- this genetic defect has been inherited dominantly, which means that many offspring of two hairless dogs are not capable of surviving (lethal factor), the puppies die in the womb
- this risk is accepted during breeding and thereby the preservation of the breed, but also the optics before health
To possible Diseases To exclude the Xolos, it is particularly important to pay attention to responsible breeding!
The Life expectancy of the Xoloitzcuintle is around 12 to 15 years.
Weird fact:
The hairlessness of the Xoloitzcuintle is genetically often accompanied by the absence of teeth.
In the breed standard it is permissible if the teeth of the naked Xolos are not complete.
According to the breed standard, the hairy variant of the Mexican hairless dog must have a complete set of teeth.
Is the Xoloitzcuintle right for me?
While the Standard and Intermediate versions of the Xoloitzcuintle make the perfect guard dog, the miniature hairless Mexican is a pure companion dog.
So you should first consider the «purpose» for which you want to get a dog.
What’s your WHY?
If you yourself are a sporty and active person who likes to be out in nature, a Xolo is definitely an option for you.
He loves and needs variety and shared adventures. A pure couch potato does not suit this bright hairless dog.
You should know that the Xolo is a «one-man» dog. Even if he lives in a family association, his attention is often only focused on one person, namely the boss in the house.
Portrait of Xoloitzcuintle – video
Fun facts about the Xoloitzcuintle
We close our article about the Aztec Dog with a few fun facts about the breed:
- The Xolo is considered a “living hot water bottle”: In the past, people liked to take it to bed because its body heat was said to have healing properties.
- According to mythology, the Xoloitzcuintle is the Representative of the Aztec god Xolotl: According to this, one could only reach paradise after death by being accompanied by a Xolos
A really exciting dog, don’t you think? If you have any questions about the Xoloitzcuintle, please write us a comment under this post.
We look forward to sharing ideas!