THE HAIRLESS DOG 



FEW breeds of dog have received less 

 attention from breeders than the 

 hairless dog of Northern Mexico, 

 sometimes called the Chihuahua 

 dog. It is presumably descended from 

 (^ne of the Central American wolves. 

 Fitzinger^ considered it a distinct species, 

 but without much evidence. The breed 

 is comparatively rare even in Mexico. 

 The hairless condition is strictly an 

 abnormal one, and is said to be asso- 

 ciated with defective teeth. The dogs 

 are extremely sensitive to changes of 

 temperature, as well as to flies. To the 

 touch thev feel verv warm, which mav 



account for their reputation in Mexico 

 for curing rheumatism. 



The accompanying photographs are 

 furnished by Arthur Stockdale of Mexico 

 Cit}^ who writes that hairless dogs 

 breed readih^ with normal dogs, and 

 that half of the offspring are haired, 

 half hairless. The sharp contrast be- 

 tween the two pups shown in the 

 photograph indicates that the hairless 

 condition may be a unit difference. 



Fig. 1 shows the mother, a typical' 

 hairless dog. In Fig. 2 are two of her 

 pups, litter brothers, sired by a mongrel 

 dog who was normallv haired. 





A MEXICAN HAIRLESS DOG 



This bitch, presenting all the typical characteristics of the hairless breed, was bred to a normal 

 haired dog. Her pups are shown in the following picture. (Fig. 21.) 



^ Fitzinger, L. J. Untersuchungen fiber die Abstammung des Hundes. Sitziingsher, math.- 

 nat. cl. K. Akad. Wiss. liv., pp. 396-457. Wien, 1866. See also the sn me author, ziz'i?, Ivi, pp. 

 494-9, Die Rassen des zahmen Hundes. 



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