In Quechua, the language of the Incas, the Peruvian Inca Orchid Dog’s name translates to “dog without vestments,” or naked dog, but to Incan nobility,  the color of their dog served as an outer testament of worth.  Today, the skin of a hairless variety can be of any color, and in the coated dogs, all colors are acceptable including black, brown, gray, pink, tan and white, but in the time of the Incas, selective breeding was exercised vigorously with regards to color. Because the nobility prized light colored dogs, there existed a rivalry among the nobles for creating the palest hues. In this regard, it may have been the commoners who got things right. Since they used the dogs as a form of barter, they bred the best quality dogs they could, color or no color.

Image from the AKC’s website shared with consent