Ecuadorian Hairless Dog

The Ecuadorian Hairless Dog (in Spanish: perro calvo dorado Ecuatoriano) is a breed of hairless dog originated from the Santa Elena Peninsula in Ecuador. It is now considered the rarest of the hairless dog breeds.[1]

A male Ecuadorian Hairless Dog

This breed is characterized by an almost total absence of hair on the body and head. It has long legs and reaches a height of 15-18 inches. One of the curiosities of the Ecuadorian Hairless Dog is the absence of premolar teeth.

History

The Ecuadorian Hairless Dog is a descendant of the Peruvian Inca Orchid;[2] having its origins in the neighboring country, it is not considered an official breed, but only a variant of the Peruvian breed, represented in Inca pre-Columbian art from 300 B.C. There exist numerous figurines from Valdivia demonstrating a domestication of these animals as early as 4500 B.C. The Ecuadorian bald golden dog differs from the hairless dog of Peru, because the Ecuadorian has a shorter tail and does not have premolars; the golden one is also different because of its coat that turns into gold during sunset.

During the Spanish period, its numbers were greatly reduced. It is now confined to the coast of the Gulf of Guayaquil and it is currently one of the rarest dog breeds in the world.

References
  1. "Hairless dogs". The canine information library. Retrieved October 22, 2012. One of the most naked-skinned and also rarest of all hairless dog breeds. It has a golden-colored skin and long legs. Some authors say it may be a cross between the Peruvian Hairless dog and the Mexican Xoloitzcuinli.
  2. Parker, Heidi G.; Harris, Alexander; Dreger, Dayna L.; Davis, Brian W.; Ostrander, Elaine A. (2017-02-05). "The bald and the beautiful: hairlessness in domestic dog breeds". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 372 (1713). doi:10.1098/rstb.2015.0488. ISSN 0962-8436. PMC 5182420. PMID 27994129.

Bibliography
  • Erwin Patzelt (1989). Fauna of Ecuador. Banco Central del Ecuador. ISBN 9789978720059.
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