Does anyone have a Xoloitzcuintli Mexican hairless or w/hair, aka Xolo Dog?

[dogs4life]

Anyone here have one? Can you tell me about your dog...temperament, activity level, social tendencies, playfulness, etc. Thanks!

I was doing some research on primative dogs for someone else on the forum and came across the Xoloitzcuintli. I had an huge OMG moment That is Montana! Jeff got her at the LA pound when she was a puppy (7 months) and they told him she was a pitbull or pitbull mix. I wonder if she was discarded by a Xoloitzcuintli breeder in LA county who was favoring the hairless variety since most Mexican Clubs do not allow the haired type

I will post pictures soon, but I always thought her personality was unlike the pitbull type and she runs way too much for a pit. She has the classic pink tongue with black splotches, bald tummy and multicolored skin. She also "smiles" which I saw in the Xoloitzcuintli photos, they smile a lot.

Anyways, I've never heard of this breed before so I'm just wondering what you know.

Here are links I have found:

http://www.thepetdirectory.us/Xoloitzcuintli.htm
http://www.xolos-mexico.com/index.html
http://www.fci.be/nomenclatures_deta...en&file=group5 (Group 5 - Spitz and Primitive types - Mexican Primitive Section) There is a PDF of Standards in English
http://www.katchme.com/dogs/xolos/xolonutshell.htm

[Dogsareme]

Well I have never owned one, but I did stay with a lady who owns one before. It was a very sweet dog. Really a one person dog it seemed, was not so interested in me as it was it's owner. The dog liked to run agility, she was not fast but she enjoyed it. She was pretty independent, if she no longer felt like running agility she would stop and go where ever she wanted to.. usually the house. And she got cold easy..... she was hairless
Otherwise I really do not know much about the breed... this was just what I observed if it is some of there traits or not I don't know.

[dogs4life]

Dogsareme, that sounds kinda like Monty. Monty get cold too, even though she has hair she shivers and will not go in water unless she is overheated. She won't even step on wet grass, I call her my California Dog....but now if looks like I can call her my Mexican dog. Oh yeah, she sinks too, cannot swim, Jeff has to put a life jacket on her because he almost lost her when they went boating. He had no idea some dogs cannot stay afloat.

Montana is not fast, last time we ran her with the bike she was going 12 MPH, not like our foster McNab/Lab mix who was trotting at 16MPH. But she does run for a long time, seems to really enjoy it and is a steady runner not really a sprinter.

She doesn't put on weight like other breeds I have owned, it's like she is programed to stay one weight or something. Although she is loosing weight lately due to her illness but she is not food driven, she is a little aloof unless it's a good piece of chicken or something.

She IS a one person dog, Jeff is her guy. It's taken me 3 years now to bond with her. I've never had that much trouble bonding with a dog before. I was shocked it took so long since I'm the one walking her, feeding her and staying home with her. But as soon as Jeff comes home, she is all over him. She loves to sit on him and lay next to him all the time. She always positions herself so she has access to him at all times.

Montana loves other people, she greets everyone and welcomes anyone into the house. She will not play with anyone except Jeff. She is not particularly playful.

[dogs4life]

Ok, so I tricked the old girl into posing for some chicken. She hates the camera so I had to set up the computer to take pictures, I guess the computer does not count as a phobia for her

I forgot to add that she has lost weight lately, she was very muscular and lean. She has lost about 1/2 her muscle mass in the last year.

So the pictures are in my gallery and I'll put thumbnails down below. Love to hear your thoughts.