Xoloitzcuintle Grooming

The Xoloitzcuintle (or "Xolo" for short) is also called the Mexican Hairless Dog--but in fact, these dogs aren't always hairless. A less common coat type has a short, smooth coat. Regardless of coat type, though, Mexican Hairless Dog grooming doesn't take much work.

Here are basic grooming instructions for both coated and hairless Xolos:

COATED: These dogs have short, low-shedding coats that don't require much care. Brush the dog once or twice a week with a bristle brush or grooming glove, moving in the direction of hair growth. Bathe the dog every 2-3 months, and be sure to use shampoo made for dogs; the human kind has a different pH and can irritate the dog's skin.

HAIRLESS: These dogs don't don't have hair (other than small tufts of it on top of their heads sometimes), so they need different grooming methods than conventional coated dogs. Owners say to care for the dog's skin as you would your own: clean it with a wet, soapy rag every 2-3 days; a full bath is necessary every couple of weeks, using gentle soap. Follow the bath with some hypoallergenic lotion--and make sure to apply sunscreen when taking the dog out on sunny days!

According to Hairless Xolo owners, finding the right balance for skin care is important. Too much cleaning, lotions, etc., can cause acne--and too little care will dry the skin.

Your Xolo will also need maintenance in other areas. Brush the dog's teeth 2-3 times per week; clean the ears and trim the nails monthly.

See below for more info on Xoloitzcuintle haircuts.

It's obvious that neither coat variant of the Xoloitzcuintle needs haircuts.

Even so, the hairless variety might have a tuft of hair on its head that can be styled to look "punkish." Simply apply a bit of hair gel to the tuft to spike it up--and in no time you'll hear, "Look! There goes a Mexican Hairless Dog with a Mohawk!"

And the coated variety simply doesn't have enough hair to sport any style other than its natural one.