Breed Profile: Xoloitzcuintli

The Xoloitzcuintli originated in Mexico and is commonly known as the Mexican Hairless.  This is an ancient breed that is now serving as guard and companion.  They come in three sizes and two coat varieties.







The history of the Xolo is a bit murky.  Some say it was named for the god of fire, lightening and the dead and was responsible for guiding souls to the underworld.  Some say it was named after a religious cult.  Still others say the Xolo was first bred by the Aztecs for food, bed warmers and as communicators to the gods.  Some believe that Xolos are the missing link between pariahs and sight hounds.

Some Xoloitzcuintili Facts

- height:  (toy)10-12 inches at the shoulder, (miniature)14-18 inches, (standard) 18-23 inches

- weight:  (toy) 6-12 pounds, (miniature) 13-25 pounds, (standard) 30-55 pounds

- hairless with smooth soft skin, often with a mohawk and a small amount of hair on a rat tail.  There is also a variety with a short flat coat.  Both varieties come in a wide range of colors:  black, slate, charcoal, liver, reddish-gray, brindle, bronze, dark brown, palomino, tan, white, black and white -pink and coffee stains are common accents.

- eye color ranges from yellow to black

- they are born pink.  When they are about a year old, their skin changes to their grown up color.

- average life span:  15-17 years

Xolo Manifesto

-  I am probably smarter than you but I won't hold it against you

-  if you want a dog that loves everybody, get a Golden

Xolos are described as calm, intelligent, alert, cheerful and loyal.  They are suspicious of strangers and make good watchdogs.  They have a strong prey drive.  Therefore, they may chase smaller pets.

The hairless variety can develop acne, dry skin and sunburn.

They need exercise to burn energy that may otherwise be put to use getting into mischief.  The smart Xolo is easy to train and easily bored.  Drill style training is not advised.

Mexican Hairless are not a common sight.  The dog's appearance is so unusual that some people mistook one lady's dog for a statue.  Read about it here.











Hat tip to the American Kennel Club

Seeds of Winter

There was a new face at the bird feeder last week.

Up until a couple days ago when we got some snow, you wouldn't have known it was January.  Therefore, bird traffic patterns have been rather atypical.

This rooster hung around for over an hour.  He cock-a-doodled a few times but his gals did not join him.  They opted not to cross the road.

Why?  We may never know.

My Look Back at 2018

Some things I noticed.

Dogs of the milquetoast type tend to have the most menacing growl.  (Happily, Clover only uses it at play.)

Some serious and independent dogs are the ones in most need of a hug.  (Lily seems comfortable with the fact that we are on to her.)

It is hard to find part time work when you have to be home before dark.

Robert Shaw is still my favorite actor.

For the very first time in my life, I got excited over the grand opening of a store.












You get more writing done when you set a goal rather than wait for the muse to strike.  Since I've been writing a minimum of 1,000 words a day, the chapters are piling up.

Now that Henry is five years old, he lifts his leg to pee.

Finally, and most significantly, it's been a strange year largely for reasons I don't care to explain.  An important thing I've learned is I must accept that God has a better plan than I could ever come up with.  It's a blow to my notions of self reliance, which is evidently just what I needed.