If you travel to northern Peru to explore the archaeological sites, keep an eye out for a famous resident of the four-legged kind – the Peruvian hairless dog. As the name suggests, this breed is devoid of hair except for small amounts on its head, feet, and the tip of its tail.
The Peruvian hairless dog is often associated with the Incas, but ceramics from the Moche and Chimu cultures dating back to approximately 800 AD depict this breed. Its exact origin is unknown, but it seems to have always been used for companionship. The Incas are known to have used them has bed warmers. The body temperature of these canines is higher than other breeds so they’re supposed to be ideal for snuggling on a cool night.
The gene dictating hairlessness also affects their number of teeth. The hairless dog lacks molars and often premolars - the same teeth located at the back of your mouth and used for grinding. If you’ve ever watched a dog chewing on a bone, you may have noticed that they work the bone at the back of their mouth. The Peruvian hairless dog doesn’t have that ability so their diet is limited. Out in the wild, they hunt small lizards; prey any bigger would pose a mastication problem. It looks like Llaipi and Al-Aec, residents of Huaca de Luna (Temple of the Moon) near Trujillo, are well taken care of – the reverence for this ancient breed continues.
The hairless dog received national attention in November when the Peruvian government offered a 4-month old puppy named “Machu Picchu” (nicknamed “Ears”) to our new president elect and his family. Despite being naked, warm to the touch, and devoid of some teeth, they make ideal pets for people with allergies. Malia Obama is allergic to dogs. Throw some clothes on the little guy (he seems a little underdressed if you ask me), and maybe we’ll see him strutting his stuff on the White House lawn, conjuring thoughts of Peru in all that see him.
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