Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Xoloitzcuintli Breed Overview
- History of the Xoloitzcuintli Breed. Where Xoloitzcuintlis came from
- What the Xoloitzcuintli Looks Like
- How Much is the Xoloitzcuintli Puppy?
- Best Xoloitzcuintli Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Xoloitzcuintli
- Xoloitzcuintli Growth
- What Colors do Xoloitzcuintlis Have?
- How Long Xoloitzcuintlis Live
- Xoloitzcuintli Litter Size
- How Fast Xoloitzcuintlis Can Run
- Good Names for Xoloitzcuintlis
- How Popular are Xoloitzcuintlis with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Xoloitzcuintlis and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Xoloitzcuintli
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Xoloitzcuintlis
- Other Things to Know About Xoloitzcuintlis
Xoloitzcuintli Breed Overview
The Xoloitzcuintli is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Xoloitzcuintli stands 1 foot, 6 inches to 1 foot, 11 inches tall at the .
The Xoloitzcuintli belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Xoloitzcuintli, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that Xoloitzcuintlis belong to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Xoloitzcuintlis have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Xoloitzcuintli is generally described as:
- Alert
- Aloof
- Calm
- Cheerful
- Companionable
- Intelligent
- Protective
History of the Xoloitzcuintli Breed. Where Xoloitzcuintlis came from
The Xoloitzcuintli is an older breed that came about during the times of the Aztec and Mayan cultures.
In history, this dog was bred to offer companionship and guidance.
It is thought that the Xolo was capable of protecting people and also leading them safely to the underworld when the time came.
It is possible the legends of Annubis were intermingled with the breed of the Xoloitzcuintli.
The Xolo was highly regarded as a dog of great stature that was stoic and protective over its owners and property.
This was held in high esteem throughout the earliest times this dog breed existed.
Today the Xolo is protected and revered only to rule out the extinction of this already rare dog.
The Xoloitzcuintli is easily trainable and readily intelligent.
It can get bored easily and needs training and activities to run it out of energy.
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What the Xoloitzcuintli Looks Like
The Xoloitzcuintli (Xolo for short) is a Mexican hairless dog that can be small or medium-sized.
The Xolo is a relatively rare breed known to be almost entirely hairless.
There are other coated varieties of the Xoloitzcuintli, but their coats are super short.
Entirely hairless Xolos are hypoallergenic and do not require much grooming.
Because most Xolos are hairless, coat colors are more or less the color of their skin underneath.
Xoloitzuintlis can be black, brindle, bronze, copper, white, darker brown, and fawn.
Hairless Xolos should be monitored in direct sunlight and given light sweaters to wear during blazing days or kept inside and relaxed.
Xolos also cannot handle the winter chill very well and will need to double-up on a dog sweater for the colder days.
Xoloitzcuintli are very protective and loyal dogs that will guard their homes and families.
It is best to offer introductions early to have a well-rounded dog that can adapt to changing situations or environments.
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How Much is the Xoloitzcuintli Puppy?
The average price of a Xoloitzcuintli puppy is $1640. The price of a Xoloitzcuintli puppy ranges from $500 to $2000.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Xoloitzcuintli. These factors include what health records the Xoloitzcuintli puppy has, the lineage of the Xoloitzcuintli puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Xoloitzcuintli based on the many factors that determine the price of the Xoloitzcuintli puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Xoloitzcuintli puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Xoloitzcuintli breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Xoloitzcuintli Breeders
We have researched reputable Xoloitzcuintli breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Xoloitzcuintli breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
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Amoroso Xoloitzcuintli
Puppy Price: $1800.00
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MCXolos
Puppy Price: $4000
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Aimee Freston
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
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Springwind Xoloitzcuintli
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
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Krislyn
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Adopting or Rescuing the Xoloitzcuintli
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Xoloitzcuintlis included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Xoloitzcuintli named Vlad – Sanctuary – Sponsor My Care that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Xoloitzcuintlis like Vlad – Sanctuary – Sponsor My Care on pefinder.com.
Harlow is the name of another Xoloitzcuintli (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Xoloitzcuintlis that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Xoloitzcuintli Growth
New Xoloitzcuintli owners need to know about the growth of their Xoloitzcuintlis. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Xoloitzcuintli will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Xoloitzcuintli early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Xoloitzcuintli puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Xoloitzcuintli at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Xoloitzcuintli
What Colors do Xoloitzcuintlis Have?
Xoloitzcuintlis come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Black
- Brindle
How Long Xoloitzcuintlis Live
The lifespan of the Xoloitzcuintli is typically from 14 to 20 years.
Xoloitzcuintlis live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
Xoloitzcuintli Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 3 different Xoloitzcuintli birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Xoloitzcuintlis can have is 4 puppies. Also, the Xoloitzcuintli can have as few as 2 puppies per litter and as many as 8 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Xoloitzcuintli will have depends on factors such as the age of the Xoloitzcuintli, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Xoloitzcuintli will have and how the litter size of the Xoloitzcuintli compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Xoloitzcuintlis Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 54 different Xoloitzcuintlis, the average speed of the Xoloitzcuintli is 24.4 mph (39.3 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Xoloitzcuintli ran in a race is 28.97 mph (46.6 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Xoloitzcuintli is 14.78 mph (23.8 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Xoloitzcuintli compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Xoloitzcuintlis
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Xoloitzcuintli ranked by popularity:
- Bruno
- Gordo
- Sonny
- Harlow
- Vlad
- Harry
- Mako
- Dante
- Slinky
- Fella
How Popular are Xoloitzcuintlis with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Xoloitzcuintli.
The popularity of the Xoloitzcuintli averaged over the years is Number 136 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Xoloitzcuintlis and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Xoloitzcuintli is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Xoloitzcuintli puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Xoloitzcuintli breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Xoloitzcuintlis for:
- Patellar Luxation
- Cardiac Evaluation
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Opthalmologist
- OFA Hip Evaluation
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Xoloitzcuintlis here.
How to Take Care of Xoloitzcuintli
To take good care of your Xoloitzcuintli, you need to make sure that you groom your Xoloitzcuintli regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Xoloitzcuintli regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Xoloitzcuintli`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Xoloitzcuintli daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Xoloitzcuintli.
Also, you need to feed your Xoloitzcuintli high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Xoloitzcuintli from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Xoloitzcuintli and how much food to feed the Xoloitzcuintli at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Xoloitzcuintli has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Xoloitzcuintli needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Xoloitzcuintlis
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Xoloitzcuintli.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Xoloitzcuintli:
- Glen of Imaal Terrier (70 percent match with Xoloitzcuintli). Learn more about the Glen of Imaal Terrier here.
- Karelian Bear Dog (70 percent match with Xoloitzcuintli). Learn more about the Karelian Bear Dog here.
- Lhasapoo (71 percent match with Xoloitzcuintli). Learn more about the Lhasapoo here.
Other Things to Know About Xoloitzcuintlis
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Xoloitzcuintli that you need to know about the Xoloitzcuintli breed: