We will be in touch soon to confirm.
Breed guide · Dogs
Her brother was born in a full coat. She was born bare, so I plan her day around the shade.
Last updated 14 October 2026
We will be in touch soon to confirm.
What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Bare skin, a flowing crest on the head, and silky tufts on the feet and tail.
What's going onA hairless Crested's skin meets the sun directly, with nothing in between. Keep them in the shade, from May to September walk before sunrise and after dark, and steer them away from that sunny window, however much they love it. When they must be out in the sun, a dog-safe sunscreen your vet recommends protects that bare skin.
At home
A Crested in a full, soft coat, sometimes from the same litter as a hairless brother or sister.
What's going onThe Powderpuff is the same breed with a coat. It mats if it is left, so brush it several times a week, and look at the skin underneath as you go.
At home
From room to room, outside the bathroom door, and on your lap the moment you sit.
What's going onCresteds were kept for company, so being near you is the whole point for them. Teach short spells alone while they are a puppy, and if they are distressed when you go out, contact your vet.
At home
A limp, a back leg held up, or a dog who suddenly stops wanting to jump.
What's going onLegg-Calve-Perthes disease (a hip condition where the top of the thigh bone breaks down) and a slipping kneecap are both on their record from puppyhood. A limp is never nothing: contact your vet.
At home
A spot, a sore patch or a bump that was not there last week.
What's going onSkin infections can start in a Crested's first months. Once a week, run your hands over them and look for anything new. Take a photo so you can compare.
At home
Bad breath, a baby tooth that will not budge, or chewing on one side.
What's going onTeeth are the first thing to watch in a Crested at every age. Brush their teeth daily, a few seconds at first, and watch for baby teeth that stay put.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their past
Built for: Kept for company, close to a person.
In Dubai: Often alone through the working day.
Their coat
Built for: Almost none at all.
In Dubai: Bare skin under one of the strongest suns there is.
Their favourite spot
Built for: Your lap.
In Dubai: A sunny window, which their skin cannot take.
Their need to be close comes from that gap, and so does much of the care their skin needs.
You cannot change their skin. You can keep them out of the sun and close to you, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on a Chinese Crested's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They were kept for company. Time alone is a skill, and it is easiest to learn as a puppy.
Every age, starting in the first week
Why
They were kept for company. Time alone is a skill, and it is easiest to learn as a puppy.
What to do
From their first week, leave them in a safe room with a chew and a soft blanket for a few minutes while you are home, then longer. Come and go without a fuss.
Separation distress is treatable, and home fixes can make it worse.
Any age: a move, a new job or a new baby can set it off
Why
Separation distress is treatable, and home fixes can make it worse.
What to do
Film them for twenty minutes after you leave. If you see howling, pacing, scratching at the door or accidents, stay calm, skip the anti-bark gadgets, and show the film to a vet.
Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their health record, and extra weight loads small knees.
Every age, and check the amount again after neutering
Why
Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their health record, and extra weight loads small knees.
What to do
Weigh their daily food on kitchen scales and take treats out of that amount. Show the affection with a game rather than a bite of your dinner. A Body Condition Score (a check on whether they are the right weight) is in your plan from their puppy visits.
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (a hip condition where the top of the thigh bone breaks down) and Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) are on their record from puppyhood.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (a hip condition where the top of the thigh bone breaks down) and Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) are on their record from puppyhood.
What to do
Give them steps up to the sofa and bed, and put rugs down on marble. Lift them with one hand under the chest and one under the back end, never by the front legs. An orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) is in your plan from six months to four years.
A collar presses on a small neck, and straps can rub bare skin raw.
Every age, most of all while they are growing
Why
A collar presses on a small neck, and straps can rub bare skin raw.
What to do
Use a soft, well-fitted harness and clip the lead to it. After walks, look under the straps for red or sore patches, and refit it as they grow.
Dental disease tops the list for a Crested at every stage of life.
Every age, for life
Why
Dental disease tops the list for a Crested at every stage of life.
What to do
Brush daily with a dog toothpaste, starting with a few seconds and a reward. Watch for baby teeth that do not fall out, and tell your vet if they start chewing on one side. Professional dental cleaning is in your plan from six months to four years.
Skin infections are on their record from puppyhood, and a dog who enjoys being handled is easy to look over.
Every age, most of all up to 4 years
Why
Skin infections are on their record from puppyhood, and a dog who enjoys being handled is easy to look over.
What to do
Every day, touch their paws, ears, mouth and skin for a few seconds, with a reward. A Powderpuff needs the brush added too, several times a week, a small patch at a time.
A Crested carried everywhere never learns what is safe.
Every age, most of all puppies
Why
A Crested carried everywhere never learns what is safe.
What to do
Walk them on their own feet in shaded, cool places. Let them meet calm dogs and people at their own pace, and give them space rather than scooping them up.
Their bare skin takes the sun directly, and the pavement heats up before you feel it.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Their bare skin takes the sun directly, and the pavement heats up before you feel it.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds: if you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Keep them out of sunny windows and off the balcony in the day.
Skin infections come and go on their record, returning from 7 years, and skin cancer appears on it from 10.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
Skin infections come and go on their record, returning from 7 years, and skin cancer appears on it from 10.
What to do
Once a week, run your hands over them and look for spots, sore patches or new lumps. Photograph anything new, weigh them once a month, and log both in the app.
Five of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Hairless or Powderpuff
Chinese Cresteds come in two kinds, often born in the same litter. The hairless has bare skin with silky hair on the head, feet and tail. The Powderpuff has a full, soft coat. Same breed, very different care.
Colours
Cresteds come in any colour or mix of colours, so no two look quite alike, hairless or Powderpuff. Whatever their colour, their skin needs the same weekly look.
The first six months
Vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first, with a look at their teeth for any baby teeth that stay put. Start toothbrushing and short spells alone from the first week.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Find them a shady spot away from sunny windows, steps up to the sofa, rugs on the marble and a soft harness. Add a toothbrush and dog toothpaste, and a brush if yours is a Powderpuff.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Slipping kneecaps and a hip condition are on their record from puppyhood, and dental disease at every age. Ask the breeder what is known about both parents, and meet the mother if you can.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll keep choosing the sunny window. You keep choosing the shade, and if a patch of their skin changes, contact your vet.
Before they were yours.
The beginning
Nobody is sure where the Chinese Crested began, and despite the name, there is no proof the breed came from China.
What they still carryA small, people-loving dog with bare skin.
The 1880s
A New York journalist, Ida Garrett, took up hairless dogs in the 1880s and wrote about them for decades.
What they still carryA rare breed that a handful of people refused to lose.
From the 1920s
Ida Garrett helped Debra Woods of Florida, who bred and showed the dogs and kept the breed's records.
What they still carryA breed that survived because someone kept its records.
1981 and 1991
The Kennel Club in the UK recognised the breed in 1981, and the American Kennel Club in 1991, in both coats.
What they still carryTwo coats in one breed, hairless and Powderpuff.
Today
A companion in flats and villas, with bare skin under one of the strongest suns there is.
What they still carryA wish to be pressed against you for most of the day.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Crested suits you, so might these.
ChihuahuaThe same kind of dog: a tiny companion, bolder and much warier of strangers.
HavaneseAnother toy companion who loves people, with a silky, low-shedding coat to brush.
MaltipooThe same affectionate, lively temperament, in a slightly bigger poodle cross with a coat that needs regular grooming.
MalteseA similar tiny size and the same low shedding, with a long white coat that needs daily brushing.
