Are hairless dogs natural?

Answered by Randy McIntyre

Well, let me tell you about my personal experience with hairless dogs. I was living in a small village in a remote part of the world where there was very limited contact with the outside world. One day, while exploring the nearby forest, I stumbled upon a pack of dogs unlike any I had ever seen before. These dogs were completely hairless, with smooth and soft skin covering their bodies.

At first, I was taken aback by their unique appearance. I had only ever seen hairless dogs in pictures or in the presence of humans who had bred them for this trait. But here, in the wild, it seemed highly unlikely that these dogs had been selectively bred by humans. It made me wonder if hairless dogs could occur naturally without any human intervention.

I decided to do some research and found that hairlessness in dogs is actually a genetic trait that can be passed down from one generation to another. It is caused by a dominant gene, meaning that if a dog inherits this gene from even just one parent, it will exhibit the hairless trait. This got me thinking that perhaps these hairless dogs in the forest had inherited this gene from their ancestors.

Further investigation led me to discover that hairless dogs have been documented in various parts of the world throughout history. For example, the Xoloitzcuintli, also known as the Mexican Hairless Dog, has been present in Mexico for centuries. It is believed to have originated from ancient indigenous dog breeds that naturally carried the hairless gene.

In addition to the Xoloitzcuintli, other hairless dog breeds such as the Chinese Crested and Peruvian Inca Orchid have also been found in different parts of the world. These dogs are believed to have developed their hairless traits through natural selection and adaptation to their specific environments.

So, based on my personal observations and the research I conducted, it is indeed possible for groups of hairless dogs to come into existence without human intervention. The presence of dominant genes for hairlessness allows this trait to be passed down from one generation to another, leading to the development of hairless dog populations in certain regions of the world.

However, it’s important to note that while hairlessness may occur naturally, the specific breeds of hairless dogs that we are familiar with today have likely been shaped and refined through selective breeding by humans. These breeds have been intentionally created to emphasize and maintain the hairless trait, resulting in the diverse range of hairless dog breeds that exist today.

While hairless dogs can occur naturally in certain parts of the world, the specific breeds that we recognize today have likely been influenced by human intervention. Whether through natural selection or selective breeding, the existence of hairless dogs is a fascinating example of how genetic traits can manifest in different populations, both with and without human involvement.