Mexican Hairless Terrier

Breed overview

The Xoloitzcuintle (or Xoloitzquintle, Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo) is one of several breeds of hairless dog. It is found in standard, intermediate, and miniature sizes. The Xolo has both hairless and coated types, with the latter fully furred. Coated and hairless can be born in the same litter as a result of the same combination of genes. The hairless variant is known as the perro pelón mexicano or Mexican hairless dog. It is characterized by its wrinkles and dental abnormalities. In Nahuatl, from which its name originates, it is xōlōitzcuintli (singular) and xōlōitzcuintin (plural). The name comes from the Aztec god of fire and lightning Xolotl that, according to ancient narratives, is its creator and itzcuīntli , meaning 'dog' in the Nahuatl language.

Breed facts

• Ceramic sculptures of a hairless breed of dog have been found in burial sites in ancient West Mexico.
• In ancient times, dogs that looked like present-day Xolos were often sacrificed and then buried with their owners to act as guides to the soul on its journey to the underworld.
• Sixteenth-century Spanish accounts tell of large numbers of dogs being served at banquets.
• The Xoloitzcuintle (or Xoloitzquintle, Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo) is one of several breeds of hairless dog.
• The Xolo has both hairless and coated types, with the latter fully furred.

Size and appearance

The breed ranges in size from about 10 to 55 lb (5 to 23 kg). The height is 9 to 26 inches (23-67 cm). Similar in appearance to a Pharaoh Hound, with a sleek body, almond-shaped eyes, large bat-like ears, and a long neck, the Xolo is notable for its dominant trait of hairlessness. The Xolo is moderate in all aspects of its appearance, conveying an impression of strength, agility, and elegance. Xolo body proportions are rectangular, slightly longer in total body length than the height measured at the highest point of the withers (top of the shoulders). The breed occurs naturally in two varieties, hairless and coated. Hairless Xolos result from the presence of the dominant allele (HH or Hh) at the FOXI3 locus. Coated Xolo are the recessive expression, occurring only when two coated alleles (hh) are present. Breeding coated to coated will only produce coated pups because only the coated allele is present to be passed on.

• Coat length: hairless
• Coat length: short

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

• Coat length: hairless
• Coat length: short

Health and lifespan

Care planning: keep your dog's veterinary records, health-check dates and agreed care plan together. Add reminders for appointments and record changes you want to discuss at the next visit. Use the linked breed organizations and original references to explore their current health resources.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

Breed history

Ceramic sculptures of a hairless breed of dog have been found in burial sites in ancient West Mexico. In ancient times, dogs that looked like present-day Xolos were often sacrificed and then buried with their owners to act as guides to the soul on its journey to the underworld. They have been found in burial sites of both the Maya and the Toltec. Sixteenth-century Spanish accounts tell of large numbers of dogs being served at banquets. Aztec merchant feasts could have 80-100 turkeys and 20-40 dogs served as food. When these two meats were served in the same dish, the dog meat was at the bottom of the dish, possibly because it was held in lower regard.

Clubs and further reading

• Xoloitzcuintli Club of America
• Xoloitzcuintle - article and references

Sources

1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
3. Mexican Hairless Terrier generated breed portraitPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: OpenAI output usage rights. Palipaws. AI-generated breed portrait.
4. Xoloitzcuintle - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Xoloitzcuintle, revision 1364911074. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xoloitzcuintle&action=history
5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.