Peruvian Inca Orchid Dog Club of America FAQ

Q. Your dog has no hair - is it born that way?

A. This breed has 2 distinct varieties: hairless and coated. The hairless variety are born hairless. Some will have a little hair on the top of their head, their toes, and the end of their tail.

Q. What is that spot on the top of the dogs head?

A. That spot is lovingly referred to as the 'kiss spot'. It is a desirable marking to have on a PIO's head whether they be hairless or coated. Example: the dog has black hair on top of its head with some other color hair in the middle of the black hair or it could have a light colored hair on its head with a different color hair in it to form the 'kiss spot'. And yes, that is where we kiss them!

Q. Do the hairless come in different colors?

A. Yes they do. The majority of the adult dogs are black with pink spotting. The spotting can be as little as a few spots on their legs or as much as over the whole body. The Pink can also be combined with Rose, Gold, Tan, Mahogany, Chocolate, Black, Blue or Gray.

Q. What color are they when they are born?

A. Most hairless are born solid pink or solid black with some freckles. Over the next 2-4 months the freckles usually get bigger, more freckles appear, and then the freckles join together to form the body color that the pup will be as an adult.

Q. I heard they don't have teeth, is that true?

A. Hair and dentition are closely linked. When you have a hairless animal you will likely find teeth missing in varying degrees. That typically means they are missing several or all of their pre-molars ; and occasionally one or more of the canines and/or molars could also be missing.

Q. How does the dog chew if it does not have all its teeth?

A. They can chew very effectively with the teeth they have. Even if missing most of the molars they are still able to chew a chair leg! (I have first hand experience with that one).

©2001 Peruvian Inca Orchid Dog Club of America