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Chinese Crested

Chinese Crested Dog, Powder Puff

The Chinese Crested is a small, active and graceful companion dog from China; the FCI lists it among the hairless dogs. It comes in two varieties: the Hairless, with a smooth bare body and hair only on the head (the crest), the feet and the tail, and the Powder Puff, covered entirely with a veil of long soft hair. Males stand 28–33 cm and females 23–30 cm; PetMD gives a weight of 8–12 lb (3.6–5.4 kg). Any colour is allowed except merle, and its temperament is described as happy, never vicious.

The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to 30 minutes of exercise a day and grooming once a week; it suits a flat, and the breed usually lives over 12 years. PetMD describes a friendly dog that fits in with most families, including those with kids and other pets — every interaction with children should be supervised. The bare skin needs protection from the sun and the cold, the nails should be checked every week, and puppies need early, consistent socialisation.

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated:

Chinese Crested — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
small — The Royal Kennel Club S572
Adult weight
males 3.6–5.4 kg, females 3.6–5.4 kg — PetMD S574
Daily exercise
up to 30 minutes a day — The Royal Kennel Club S572
Brushing
once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S572
Lifespan
median 13.4 years — Dogs Trust S123; more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S572

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

  • family lifeS574
  • families with childrenS574
  • apartment livingS572
  • homes with other petsS574

Keep in mind:

  • bare skin — needs sun protectionS574
  • thin coat — feels the coldS574

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: up to 30 minutes a day — The Royal Kennel Club S572

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S572
  • Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S572

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: median 13.4 years — Dogs Trust S123
  • Lifespan: more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S572

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 8–12 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S572
  • Height at the withers: males 28–33 cm, females 23–30 cm — FCI S571
  • Adult weight: males 3.6–5.4 kg, females 3.6–5.4 kg — PetMD S574

Training

  • No. 61 in Stanley Coren's ranking of working and obedience intelligence. — Wikipedia S35
  • FCI standard no. 288, group 9 (companion and toy dogs); origin: China. — FCI S570

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Chinese Crested need?

According to our sources, the Chinese Crested needs this much exercise: up to 30 minutes a day — The Royal Kennel Club S572.

How long does a Chinese Crested live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Chinese Crested is: median 13.4 years — Dogs Trust S123; more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S572. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.

How big does a Chinese Crested get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Chinese Crested, according to our sources: Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S572; Adult weight: males 3.6–5.4 kg, females 3.6–5.4 kg — PetMD S574.

How much grooming does a Chinese Crested need?

Coat and grooming of the Chinese Crested, according to our sources: Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S572; Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S572.

Who is the Chinese Crested a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Chinese Crested as a good fit for: family life — PetMD S574; families with children — PetMD S574; apartment living — The Royal Kennel Club S572; homes with other pets — PetMD S574. Keep in mind: bare skin — needs sun protection — PetMD S574; thin coat — feels the cold — PetMD S574.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 3,000 from month 3
Young dogmonth 923,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)23,000 steps
Seniormonth 121 (10.1 years)22,300 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 30 minutes, so 3,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands more slowly than the mixed breed of the free plan (0.7× its speed).
  • Becomes a senior in month 121 (10.1 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing once a week.
  • Care: trimming the nails once a week — a task for the child.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S123S572S574

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • The bare skin of the hairless variety needs protection from the sun and from the cold. — PetMD S574
  • Luxating patellas, where the kneecap temporarily slips out of place, occur in the breed. — PetMD S574
  • Primary lens luxation, a painful inherited eye condition in which the lens slips out of place and which can cause blindness, occurs in the breed; a DNA test is available for breeding dogs. — The Royal Kennel Club S572
  • Progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited eye disease that can slowly lead to blindness, can occur in the breed. — The Royal Kennel Club S572

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Further tests for best practice

  • DNA test for primary lens luxation (PLL), an inherited eye disease in which the lens slips out of place — The Royal Kennel Club S572
  • DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) — The Royal Kennel Club S572

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S123Dogs Trust (UK) — Life expectancy for 155 breeds and crossbred group (table of McMillan et al. 2024 data) (PDF)https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/downloads/life-expectancy-breeds-table-2024.pdf
  11. S570FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — CHINESE CRESTED DOG (288)https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/CHINESE-CRESTED-DOG-288.html
  12. S571FCI — FCI-Standard N° 288 Chinese Crested Dog, English (PDF; date of publication of the official valid standard 08.09.2026)https://fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/288g09-en.pdf
  13. S572The Royal Kennel Club — Breeds A to Z — Chinese Crestedhttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/toy/chinese-crested/
  14. S574PetMD — Erica Vasquez, reviewed by Jennifer Coates, DVM (updated Jul. 20, 2023) — Chinese Crestedhttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/chinese-crested
  15. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  16. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  17. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  18. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  19. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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