The Care and Feeding of Chinese Cresteds

Food:

Canidae, Wellness, Pennicol, or Timberwolf. I also like ProPlan for sensitive stomachs and skin. It does seem to work if you have skin issues or sensitive stomach issue.

A good quality food is the most important thing for food. I feed dry because it is better for keeping teeth clean. I put warm water on the food before serving and often add Biotin and Salmon Oil. Both available at the health food store. I use 1/8tps of Biotin and 1-3 teaspoons of Salmon oil. Both are very safe. I also feed a supplement called ShowStopper, http://www.4dogs.us/supplements.html , if you have a dog that is a picky eater this will definitely help all my dogs gobble it down.

Feed the following amounts:

Feed AM & PM - can be adjusted for weight. I start with 1/3 cup each meal, but for small dogs this should be decreased to ¼ cup and this is a level cup not heaping. You do not want your Crested to get fat so monitor their food intake.

I feed a raw diet to some of my Cresteds. Be very careful when feeding raw as bacteria is always a concern.

Hairless Skin:

I use only Fragrance free, hypoallergenic dog shampoos. Do not use human shampoos because they do not have the right PH for dogs and can irritate skin. The two shampoos I like the best are:

Nature’s Specialities, Hyp”Aloe”Genic Shampoo, http://www.naturespecialties.com/NSProductsCategory.html .

Another really good dog shampoo is Absolutely Natural which can be ordered online at www.absolutelynatural.com . I have had very good luck with this, but have had trouble finding it locally.

Only use dog hair conditioner on the hair. Do not use on the skin as it can clog pores and is not necessary. Both of these companies have good conditioner to use.

For the skin I use Aloe which can be applied as often as you like.

I also make a skin ointment out of aloe which I apply after the bath.

I apply this after a bath to disinfect the skin. Seem to work very well and makes their skin very soft.

Cresteds can have a bout of juvenile acne which usually clears up on its own. Consult your Veterinarian for a severe problem.

Sun exposure: your Crested puppy will tan if allowed sun exposure. White areas may burn so limited sun exposure until skin adjusts. Remember these are toy dogs that should be in the house most of the time. They should not be left out for extended periods of time alone. I do not use sun screen, but if you are going to be outside with your Crested for an extended period of time you can use a fragrance free no tear sunscreen. If you use a sunscreen make sure you wash it off in the evening to prevent clogged pores.

Coat/Hair:

All Cresteds have varying amounts of body hair. This is normal and expected. They also have hair that grows on their face. If you want them to look like the Cresteds in the show ring…they will need to be groomed. I recommend taking them to a groomer every 4 weeks for a shave. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you take them to a groomer DON’T forget they still need their weekly or bi-weekly baths.

If you decide to groom yourself, you will need to get your Crested use to hearing Clippers. Do this first and only start with a small portion of the body until they are adjusted.

I like Forfex BaByliss Pro cordless clippers for the face and trimming around the legs. I like the Oster Fast Feed Adjustable clippers Model 23-51F, It has a wine colored body and can be purchased at Sally’s Beauty Supplies around the country (Make sure you only use this on the closest setting and practice on a small part of the body until you feel comfortable enough to work on the legs and face). Both of these clippers can be found online as well. To keep the skin free of hair in-between major grooming you can use a Braun face shaver (the same type used for Men’s beards), but don’t use this on long hair as it will pull and hurt your Cresteds. Use one of the clippers first to remove longer hair beyond a stubble.

Toys & chews:

Your crested loves to play with toys so make sure she has many of them. Rawhides should only be given when you can observe your dogs can chew off parts and may choke. Do not give Greenies, because they can break off and choke you Crested. I give the soft gummy style nyla-bones which they can have with them all the time.

Crate and quiet time:

Your Crested puppy should be crate trained and learn to sleep in a crate at night. Until you know your Crested is completely housebroken I would keep her/him in a crate at night and when you are not home. There are many good training books which can help you with this.

Housebreaking:

Be very consistent about house training as Cresteds can be very hard to housebreak. Keeping your Crested in a crate when your are not able to watch it and taking the puppy out at regular intervals is very important to housebreaking. There are many good training books which can help you with this.

Training:

Cresteds should be obedience trained and should NOT be trusted off leash outside until they are. I recommend taking obedience classes as soon as possible after 6 months of age, but be very careful with your Crested around big dogs in the class. If two large dogs get in to a disagreement most of the time both live. If a small and a big dog get into a disagreement the small dog will loose, often will get injured and sometimes can be killed…not to scare you. Please, just be careful.

I do not put my Cresteds into a kennel for boarding. They can often get depressed. If you can find a friend to watch them when you are gone, that is best.

If you have questions about Chinese Cresteds let me know: