Picardy Spaniel vs Mexican Hairless - Breed Comparison

The Picardy Spaniel hails from France and has always been used as a gundog, having been crossed with different British hunting dogs.

While this dog breed is related to the Blue Picardy Spaniel, the Picardy is the older of the two breeds. It has always been sought after by the French nobility for its hunting skills and the fact that its weather resistant coat allowed it to hunt in all kinds of weather conditions.

The dog’s popularity waned in the early 20th century. The UKC have recognized the Picardy Spaniel as a Gun Dog and the breed has also been accepted within the FCI as a Pointing dog group.

Who can believe that the origin of these dogs which hail from Mexico, goes back more than 3,500 years?

Known as the Xoloitzcuintli dog or Xolo for short, they comes in different sizes – toy-, miniature and standard which means there are different sizes. Both coated- and hairless dogs can be found in the same litter.

There was a time when the dog nearly became extinct buts its numbers have recovered. This is no doubt because there was a time when the natives ate the dog’s flesh.

The Picardy Spaniel is larger than other spaniels. It is described as a medium sized dog, standing at 56 – 61cm in height and weighing between 20 and 25 kilograms. The body of the spaniel is squarely built and muscular body. The dog has long floppy ears and the coat which is shortish in areas except for feathering around the legs and belly can vary in colour from red to chestnut brown to sandy and chocolate. The tail is long and feathered.

Temperament:

The Picardy Spaniel is a docile breed of dog and makes a great family pet, loving being playful with the children in the home and getting on well with other dogs. He is gentle but sociable and intelligent too and is easy to train and socialize.

Although he has been used as a hunting dog he can slot into life in the city or the countryside. He can be indoors or outdoors and still be happy, so long as his family members are close by.

He is an active dog though, and won’t be content to be sitting around for too long, loving nothing more than to be chasing a ball or going for a walk with you.

The Mexican Hairless is truly an ancient dog breed of the Americans. He stands at 35 – 58cm if he is the standard variety whereas the miniature will stand at up to 35cm. Weight can vary too, but with the standard variety, you're talking about 16 to 22kg.

It has faced times of nearly being extinct but it’s numbers have recovered, and the dog is often sought after for those who suffer with dog-hair allergies. You could say that this dog’s most notable characteristic is its lack of hair and the soft skin.

Some of them have small tufts of hair on the hair, mostly around the top of the head. The skin can be various shades of gray to bronze and a yellowish color too. His body is slightly longer than its height and he is slim and well muscled. The tail is long and thin and is sometimes carried high. You can expect 2 – 5 puppies from these dogs.

Temperament:

Anyone acquiring a Xolo will discover that this is an intelligent dog breed and that just like with other dogs, you’ll be able to have him trained and socialized easily. Then he is obedient and a pleasure to have around.

He is active too and will require games with balls and ropes as well as a daily walk. The Xoloitzcuintli is noted for its calm demeanor. The puppies are a lot noisier than the adults and very energetic and this continues till they are about 2 years of age when they are considered to be adult.

Well raised Xolos form strong bonds with their human family, becoming loyal and devoted.

The Picardy Spaniel is a docile dog who forms strong bonds with his human family.

He doesn’t gel easily with strangers though, but socialization and training will at least make him well behaved among strangers.

A well-mannered Picardy Spaniel is a joy in the home, and this gentle dog is guaranteed to make you the most wonderfully loyal and loving pet and companion.

The Xolo is one of those dogs who don’t get ill easily. He is also intelligent and fairly easy to train. Add to that the fact that he is also a low maintenance dog as he doesn’t have a coat that needs brushing and grooming.

Give your Xolo lots of attention because in exchange for the good care you give him, you’re going to get a loyal, devoted pet who loves to be with you constantly.

Without any major health issues, your Picardy can reach 14 years of age and possibly even older. A couple of common dog conditions to be on the watch for include:

Ear Infections:

Your beautiful Picardy Spaniel has floppy ears and this opens up the tendency to suffer with ear infections. The inside of the ears are moist and hot and you as the dog owner can try to keep the inside of the ear clean and dry.

He is a dog that loves water too, and swimming encourages dampness. If you prefer not to work on the inside of the ears, dog groomers or your vet can clean the ears for you. An ear infection can be painful for your pet and it will require veterinary intervention.

Obesity:

These are dogs which can pick up weight quite easily. Dogs which are overweight are more prone to developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease, not to mention joint problems.

Other problems to look out for include cancer, bloat, dental disease and parasites.

The Xoloitzcuintli is a hardy dog in terms of health and can live to a ripe old age in dog years – some have been known to reach 18, 19 and 20 years of age. Without a coat, this dog is susceptible to sunburn so care must be taken when outdoors.

Hairless dogs tend to battle with skin problems such as pimples. Skin allergies can cause itching and scratching and these can lead to bacterial infections. It is interesting to note that the genes that bring about hairlessness also produce troublesome teeth, so that dental disease is quite rife with these dogs.

Grooming:

Your Picardy has a thick coat which sheds and the coat should be brushed at least twice a week to prevent matting. The ears of the Picardy Spaniel require special attention. Because they are long they will need to be cleaned and kept dry otherwise an ear infection can develop.

At the same time, check your pet over for ticks and fleas, check his eyes, keep the nails trimmed, and check inside his mouth for rotting teeth which can be the source of many health problems if left untreated.

Feeding your Picardy:

If you have a puppy, you will need to provide 4 bowls of food in a 24 hour period. Check on the directions provided on the food packaging to see how much to feed your puppy.

By the time your Picardy is one year of age, he can move over to 2 bowls of food a day. Only the highest quality commercially manufactured food will be good enough for your dog. Food and its quality impacts the health and longevity of your pet.

Apart from dry kibble, try and provide some home-made food, keeping it as simple as possible. Dogs thrive on simple, consistent foods. Chopped up boiled chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots added to the kibble now and then will thrill your pet. Occasionally you can also add in some raw meat.

Avoid feeding your dog things like coffee, chocolates, popcorn, nuts and onions as all these will just upset your dog's digestive system. The secret is to keep things simple and nutritious.

Make sure your pet always has access to fresh, cool water.

You’ve got to remember with this dog breed that he doesn’t have a coat so he can burn easily when out in the sun. If you know you’ll be in the sun for long, you’ll have to apply special sunscreen.

You can wipe down your Xolo or bath him from time to time, though not to often so as to strip the natural oils from the dog’s body. The nails will need to be trimmed regularly, as long nails can be a danger as they can hook on things and cause pain and bleeding.

Provide your hairless pet with a nice, soft bed to lie on.

Take him to the vet when he appears to be ill and see that you get his vaccinations done to prevent deadly illnesses such as rabies and parvo.

Check his eyes and ears for infections.

Brush his teeth to remove plaque. Never use human toothpaste. Take a look at the different canine toothpastes available.

Never leave your pet in a hot car with no windows open.

Provide your Xoloitzcuintli dog with high quality dog food so as to enhance health and longevity. Keep food simple for your pet to avoid digestive problems. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and cooked potato, carrots and spinach can be chopped up and added to his dry kibble from time to time. Also a little bit of raw meat added in occasionally can also be excellent. Avoid feeding your pet foods such as onions, avocados, nuts, chocolate, coffee and raisins.

Make sure this dog has access to cool, fresh water night and day.