Peruvian Inca Orchid

The Peruvian Inca Orchid is Peru's hairless dog — a sighthound-built breed found in three sizes, and a declared national patrimony.

History

Hairless dogs appear in Moche, Chimu and Chancay pottery from well over a thousand years ago, and the breed is depicted alongside the peoples of coastal Peru long before the Inca. Spanish accounts record them in noble households. Peru declared the breed part of its national heritage in 2001 and keeps them at several archaeological sites.

Temperament

The breed is known for being lively, affectionate with its own people and markedly reserved with strangers, alert and sensitive to noise.

Care and training

The hairless variety needs sun protection and warmth rather than grooming; a coated variety occurs in the same litters and needs very little. Exercise needs are real — the build is a sighthound's. Training must be gentle; it is a sensitive breed.

Health

Known concerns are the dental irregularities linked to the hairless gene and skin conditions, plus the sighthound sensitivity to anaesthesia. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.