Westminster: Chinese Crested Dog

From the High Seas to Madison Square Garden

Photographs by Natalie Siebers

While wandering around the benches at Westminster on Monday, I came across the area where the Chinese Crested dogs were getting ready for their Best in Breed competition. I chatted with the handler of BenE — AKA GCH CH Kulana’s Stand By Me — and decided to follow him into the ring. Photographer Natalie Siebers joined me and got some great shots of the Cresteds competing.

Check out this earlier post to see some fun “before” and “after” grooming pictures of BenE.

Here’s what the American Kennel Club has to say about Chinese Crested Dogs:

The Chinese Crested is an alert dog that enjoys human companionship. They are funny little dogs that like to please their owners, and upon finding something that amuses you, are likely to do it again to get your attention. Chinese Cresteds are said to be “cat-like” and enjoy sitting in high places, the back of a couch or arm of a chair. Their activity level is medium to high but they enjoy quiet times with their family and adjust well to apartment living.

These dogs come in two varieties: hairless and “powderpuff.”

Both can be born in the same litter and they compete against one another in dog shows. BenE is a Powderpuff. Most of his competitors were of the hairless variety.

Chinese Cresteds are descended from hairless dogs that originally arose in Africa.

The AKC has this fun fact about the breed: “The Crested is believed to have accompanied Chinese sailors on the high seas, hunting vermin during and in between times of plague; today the breed can still be found in port cities worldwide.”

BenE took the title Best in Breed.

Unfortunately he lost in the Toy Group competition to a Pekingese named Chuckie.