A coated Xolo owned by @azuwyn courtesy of the AKC

The Xoloitzcuintli is a uniquely New World breed famous for being hairless, an aspect underscored by the breed being one of the earliest breeds to be added to the AKC’s studbook in 1887 under the name, “Mexican Hairless.” This is only part of the breed’s story because there is also a coated variety that manifests itself in a short, sleek, and tight-fitting coat.

Xolos are heterozygous which means they have both the gene for hairlessness, as well as the gene for hair. When crosses between hairless dogs occur, they’re statistically likely to produce 25% homozygous hairless dogs, 50% heterozygous dogs and 25% homozygous coated dogs. Hairless dogs who have two genes for hairlessness die before birth and are reabsorbed in the womb.

Read more about the hairless gene here.

Photo of “Taha” who was October’s “Cover Dog” in National Purebred Dog Day’s 2017 calendar. Only a few copies remain that you can still buy here.  Photo by Houndstooth Studio by Alex Cearns.