Dog, Anyone?

Have you ever heard that having a puppy is like having another child? Unless you have a Chinese Crested. Then it's more like having another teenager. Enjoy a tidbit of an email my sister Elizabeth sent:

Annie,

I couldn't resist sending this to you. I told you that I was looking at an exotic animal website. In addition to the wallabies, birds, zebu, etc., they also had some dogs, including Chinese Crested. On their site, they had this dog info to help inform potential buyers before they bought. Sure glad they did. Tell me when you want me to order one for you.

"Where the weather is dry you must keep the hairless dogs moisturized. One should bathe your dogs about every week or so during the summer, which includes a daily feet and belly rinse, and every 2 weeks during the winter. You can use a gentle oatmeal based Moisturizing Body lotion for the hairless.

"Some Cresteds, like people, are born with fair skin and some are born with better skin. Most of the Crested will go through a "teenage" period. This means that you may start to see more black heads and pimples to surface on the skin. This is normal, but some dogs will have no problem and others will have serious problems. Pimples may start around the age when their hormones are changing. With the Chinese Crested this can happen as early as 5 months of age to the age of a year old. The best secret is to keep them clean. During their acne period a nice daily wipe with a warm damp face cloth is sometimes the best remedy. If the problem persist (and it can last for a few months) or gets worst, you may try a lotion like Benzol or a gentle scrub like Noxzema. Remember to keep the skin clean. Talk to your vet and they might suggest a mild antibiotics, too."

Call me heartless, but any dog that goes through puberty and has acne breakouts on their nasty skin is a dog I don't want. But, to each his own. Tell me what you think!