It appears on ceramics of the Vicus, Mochica, Chancay and Chimú, dated by the FCI standard to between 300 BC and 1460. In Peru, the Peruvian Hairless Dog (Perro sin Pelo del Perú) is also called Viringo. Its bare skin is not the result of grooming but a genetic change that also affects its teeth.
| FCI | Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types), Section 6 Primitive type, Standard No. 310, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Peru |
| Size (height at the withers) | three sizes: small 25 to 40 cm, medium 41 to 50 cm, large 51 to 65 cm |
| Weight | small 4 to 8 kg, medium 8 to 12 kg, large 12 to 30 kg |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | hairless variety without hair, except a few hairs on head, legs, tail and sometimes back; coated variety with smooth, short, close-fitting hair |
| Colours in the standard | skin of hairless variety from black, slate, elephant black and blue black through all greys, bronze, copper and dark brown to light blond, no more than 20 per cent depigmented; coated variety any colour except merle |
A dog from before the Incas
The canine expert Ermanno Maniero wrote the first standard; the FCI lists the breed under No. 310 with Spanish as the original language. Since the 2021 version, the coated variety has also been recognised for showing and breeding to strengthen genetic diversity.
Affectionate and watchful
The standard says it is noble and affectionate towards its people indoors, as well as lively and attentive. It may distrust strangers and is considered a good watchdog. It needs daily exercise, play and closeness, but no elite sporting programme.
One mutation, two consequences
Hairlessness is caused by a duplication of seven base pairs in FOXI3, a gene regulating hair and teeth. The Peruvian Hairless Dog, Chinese Crested and Mexican hairless dog, the Xoloitzcuintle, carry the same mutation (Drögemüller et al. 2008). Hairless dogs are heterozygous. No homozygous dogs have been found in any of these breeds; they probably die in the womb (Parker et al. 2017). With two hairless parents, this theoretically affects a quarter of embryos. The standard forbids pairing two coated dogs; coated dogs may be paired only with hairless ones.
Missing teeth in the standard
The standard says the hairless variety’s dentition is almost always incomplete; missing teeth are accepted, while the coated variety must have a complete set. Skulls of hairless dogs from a historical breeding experiment showed missing permanent canines and premolars, sometimes incisors too, and molars with missing cusps (Kupczik et al. 2017). Because a trait inevitably associated with tooth loss is deliberately propagated here, we classify the breed under extreme breeding (breeds whose standard causes health problems).
Skin rather than fur in daily life
According to the standard, bare skin releases heat directly, without protection from hair. In winter it needs a coat; in summer, shade and sun protection agreed with your veterinary practice. A reliable lifespan figure is lacking.
If you still want one
Ask to see both parents’ teeth and skin, ask how the pairing is planned and budget for skin care and clothing as ongoing costs.
Less suitable if
you want a robust companion for every weather or consider missing teeth unimportant.
Before deciding, try the breed quiz; our book offers more detail: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). If the slender, primitive type chiefly appeals, look at coated primitive breeds such as the Basenji, the Cirneco dell’Etna or the Ibizan Hound; the Dog Breed Encyclopedia brings all breeds together. Shelters and rescue organisations also seek homes for sighthound and primitive-type crossbreeds. For the first weeks, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack.
Further reading
- Puppy checklist: essentials and the first 3 days
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is the wrong advice
- An older dog, new rules: giving your senior their best years
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 310 Perro sin pelo del Perú (Peruanischer Nackthund) (fci.be, English version dated 26.10.2021, valid standard published 15.09.2021, no German version) and FCI breed page No. 310; Drögemüller C et al., A mutation in hairless dogs implicates FOXI3 in ectodermal development, Science 2008; Parker HG et al., The bald and the beautiful: hairlessness in domestic dog breeds, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 2017; Kupczik K et al., The dental phenotype of hairless dogs with FOXI3 haploinsufficiency, Scientific Reports 2017; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed not included).
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