There are so many varieties of dog breeds to choose from. All breeds have their own particular characteristics, but there is one in particular that stands out; the Chinese crested. The Chinese Crested has caused more division of opinion than any other breed. Few are indifferent to him, but he is usually loved or hated. (Fogle, 1995, p.539) The Crested has often been considered inappropriate due to its physical appearance, but over the years it has managed to survive and grow in popularity. The origin of the Chinese Crested is unknown, but it is believed that it began in Africa and evolved from the African Hairless Terrier. During the time of the Chinese plagues, it is believed that Chinese merchant ships stopped along the coasts of Africa on their routes and brought these dogs aboard their ships to hunt vermin. ("www.akc.org") From there, dogs spread throughout the world. The Crested is thought to have traveled to North America in the early 1800s. ("web-dvm.net")The Crested has been known by several names depending on where it was found. In China it was known as the Chinese Hairless Dog, the Chinese Edible Dog, the Chinese Ship Dog, and the Chinese Royal Hairless Dog. In Egypt it was called Pyramid, or Giza Hairless, and in Türkiye they were known as Turkish Hairless. (American Kennel Club, 2006, p.462) They were also known as “Fever Dog” because it was believed that simply touching their skin would cure fevers. (Fogle, 1995, p.539) Today the breed is known as Chinese Crested. The Chinese Crested is not always hairless. In fact, this breed can be of two types; hairless and powder puff. The hairless should have hair only on the head, tail and feet and the powder puff has hair all over its body. Their coats can be a variety of different colors; solid, mixed or stained anywhere. When you see them together, at first, the hairless and the powder puff look like different breeds. But after becoming more familiar with the breed, it's easy to see that they are almost exactly the same, except for their fur. (American Kennel Club, 2006, p.463) Due to its small size, the Chinese Crested is part of the toy breed category. They are usually 11-13 inches tall. They usually weigh between 10 and 13 pounds. And their life expectancy is usually between 10 and 12 years.