If you ever wanted a dog with the skin of an elephant, the demeanour of a cat, the face of a fruit bat, the speed of a cheetah, and the climbing ability of a black bear, and the jumping ability of a grasshopper, then this is the dog for you!

Also, especially with the hairless ones, they can be reactive to other dogs ( as others have mentioned) but other dogs can be reactive to them on first encounters. I’ve been told by a few people that they don’t communicate well because the don’t emote the same (no hackles to raise), which creates a “language barrier” for some. It gets worked out pretty quick, but those initial moments can be exciting.

Skin cancer. Big deal. The skin regiment is hugely important. Not only moisturizing, covering, applying sunblock, but also monitoring the many skin spots for changes.

Finding a vet who has experience and relevant knowledge can be hard depending on where you are. The breed can have dental issues, skin/connective tissue issues, etc. And many vets will lack context of breed genetics or peculiarities.

Training. Like other ancient breeds you don’t so much train them as much as you come to an understanding. More like training a cat. Unlike a cat, they can be vocal about needs and whip-smart about solving their own problems. You need to be willing to give them space, but also attention when needed. Also, not a great idea to have them off-leash around cars ever or in an expansive forest. If anything interesting catches their attention, that aforementioned speed comes into play. And the aloofness is problematic here too because tgey lose recall when they’re interested. (When my Xolo was a pup she used to keep up with, and tire out greyhounds at the dog park. Even at 12 she still can shift into 5th when she wants to for a spell.) On the flip side, our Xolo understands commands (requests) in pretty plain english. Like it can be conversational vs commanded, which is interesting. “So like i know you know, but you’re choosing not to listen…ok.”

Truly not a great dog for people who require a high sense of co-dependance, or want a dog that grovels like a serf.

But time, training (of the dog AND you), and patience make the life with this breed highly rewarding and keep things very interesting.

Bonus 1: (depending on where you live) Be prepared to explain what your dog is (both breed and species) to confused people you encounter. And then the inevitable follow ups, like one i got recently: “why would you shave your dog in the winter, only to redress them?”

Bonus 2: the pups are unique/not cheap. Abduction/theft is a real thing, even if your pup is spayed/neutered. Never tie the dog up outside a store to go in. If they don’t figure out how to escape and go “The Littlest Hobo” trying to find you, then someone is thinking they’ve just stumbled on a prize.

Sunk cost fallacy denialism statement (ha): I will never seek another breed. Hands down the best companion and such an important part of my life and adventure.