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.

2019

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

from all the pets and other critters here at Bad Dog Ranch

May the Lord bless you and keep you;
 the Lord make His face shine upon you;
 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

-Numbers 6:24-26

Pop Culture Frenzy, Round 75

Welcome once again to Pop Culture Frenzy.  Today's question is pop governmental in nature.

The TSA has a new policy regarding the dogs working for them.
What is it?
Cyndi?

They're going to ban pointy eared

dogs because they scare children.

Hostmaster:  sadly, true.  Well, almost true.  According to TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein, there is no official document documenting this.  However, the tenderhearted folks running the TSA are worried that children are distressed by dogs with ears that stand up.

Nobody is supposed to bother a working dog.  

What is going on?  Are children in airports

trying to pet a dog while he's sniffing

 for explosives or what?

Interesting decision.

 It's not traumatizing enough

 to be felt up by TSA personnel.

  Let's not ban the TSA's inappropriate

 touching of children.  

We must save the children

 from observing dogs with prick ears.

  You can't make this stuff up.

Who is teaching children to be afraid of dogs anyway?

You can't help but notice that some voices are telling 

children to be afraid of police.  These are police dogs.

Please. 

 Don't get Cyndi started on evil white cops!  

How did they determine that children

 are afraid of pointy eared dogs?  

Hostmaster:  it is unclear.  It's almost as though some fed folk were brain storming at a staff meeting and just up and decided children fear pointy ears.  The Rudolph effect, perhaps.

Usually they at least come up with a

 bogus study to back up their goofy proclamations. 

 Hey!  They are streamlining government!

Everybody knows that Dobermans have

 their ears cut so they stand up so they look more scary.

That may be, but do we have to go along and be scared?

This ear thing is the canine version

 of "toxic masculinity."

What will they do about German Shepherds 

and Belgian Shepherds?

  Deny them a job because of their appearance?

Gee, aren't there like, laws against that sort of thing?

Not for dogs.  Come on!  

Children shouldn't have to be exposed to scary things.

Wait.  Scary, like ears?  

I try not to say mean things but

 I've always thought there was something wrong with you.

You have pointy ears!

hahahaha

  You are funnier than usual today, Cyndi.

She's never funny.  

Anyway, I'm confused.  I thought everybody said

pit bulls were the bad dogs. 

  

Molly honey, pit bulls have floppy ears

 but sometimes have their ears trimmed 

and propped. It's like with Dobermans. 

If you try to understand this, you will hurt your head.

She has pointed ears!

She's a collie.

 You are so stupid; you are afraid of Lassie.

Of course Cyndi is scared of Lassie.
  She's a sheep.

That's enough of this round. 

Round 75
Fluffy/Molly 37  
Bryan/Cyndi   35

Yes.  Fear the pointed ears!!

O Come O Come Emmanuel

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let all men know your forbearance.  The Lord is at hand.  Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:4-7

Pop Culture Frenzy, Round 74

Welcome once again to Pop Culture Frenzy.  Let's proceed to our question.

Lou Ferrigno has been hospitalized for something involving his bicep.  What happened?
Molly?

Who's Lou Ferrigno?

Hostmaster:  he's a body builder best known for his role in the Incredible Hulk.  It was a TV show in the 1970's.  Bill Bixby played a scientist who messed up an experiment that caused him to morph into an angry green muscle man. 

Cockles and muscles, alive alive, oh!

Ever notice that when Bixby changed

into Ferrigno his shirt got torn but 

his pants didn't?

Maybe that's how he hurt his bicep.

All that shirt tearing caused the

 tendon to snap from overuse.  Then it

zipped up inside his arm like a window shade.

Hostmaster:  incorrect.

Cyndi?

Steroids.

Hostmaster:  incorrect.  Meh.  You guys will never guess this one.  He had a bad reaction to a pneumonia vaccine.  He claims it was improperly administered.

Will he morph into Bill Bixby?

It's surprising that this sort of thing

doesn't happen more often.  People

get flu shots at the grocery store.

The cashier is nice but do you really want

to trust her with a hypodermic needle?

This round is over.

Round 74

Fluffy/Molly   37

Bryan/Cyndi    34

Read about Ferrigno's bad luck here.