Wrinkles are an interesting aspect of a Xoloitzcuintl, and offer insights to a dog’s state of arousal, age, and even show worthiness —— as long as individuals know a few things:

•  When a Xolo exhibits distinctive brow wrinkles, the dog is being attentive;

           •  Wrinkled skin can be present in Xoloitzcuintlis less than a year old,  but in adults, the skin on the neck should be smooth, dry, and without wrinkles:

Week old Xoloitzcuintle with his mother; Photo by Alexey Kuznetsov/Adobe

Xolo youngster by © N Po | Dreamstime

Adult Xoloitzcuintli by © Irinayeryomina |Dreamtime

And finally, while moderate head wrinkles are allowed,  loose or wrinkled skin on a Xolo’s body is a fault in a show ring. In fact, in a Canine Chronicle survey sent to Xolo experts inquiring about their breed’s priorities, among the top ten list of virtues was a long neck blending smoothly into shoulders without wrinkles, while a list of faults the experts ranked from most serious to least serious had loose or wrinkled skin on the body placed at #14. As an aside,  among the top twenty attributes were brow wrinkles when at attention.