Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-20
MYTH GIVES
THE REASON
MEXICAN HAIRLESS DOG WAS
VICTIM OF FIRE
Strange Little Canine of Southern
Republic Subject Of Much Con-
troversy Because Of Lack
Of Covering

w hairlessw
W Since this question was pro-
pounded in The Herald sport section last
week hundreds Of persons have volun-
teered various solutions to this mystery,
and many we'll known doggie men have
come forward with numerous reasons as
to why there is no hair on Mexican dog
where the hair ought to grow and does
grow In every other breed Of dogs
Wise Ones Puzzled
Darwin, Huxley and Spencer In all their
excursions into the theory of evolution
have never been able to account for the
Mexican hairless dog. Wise savants have
pondered on this deep problem in vain
Now comes Theodore McKenna, one of
the most widely known dog breeders ard
trainers in the world. and he tells
breathless world the real secret concern
ing the cause of the Mexican dogs SIM
ilaritv to David B. Hills pate.
According to McKenna the Mexican
hairless dog bears a prouder pedigree
than most other breeds, and records show
that this strange little creature extends
back into the very dawn of history, thou
ands of years before the Caucasian es-
tatl:shed his system of civilization in the
new world.
Heretofore authorities on dogs have
fatty stated their ignorance concerning
the Mexican hairless dog, claiming that
little is known as to the origin Of this
breed or as to its history since that
period Elroy Foote refers to the Chinese
crested dog. so called from having a
crest of hair running along the top of the
head from front to back In addition to
this, he says, the dog has tuft of hair
at the end of his TAIL but otherwise
with the exception of a few scattering
hairs around the head and just above the
feet, the dog is perfectly hairless, the
skin being more or less mottled in some
specimens.
There is another hairless dog, said to
come from China, considerably smaller
than the one mentioned above. weighing
from eight to ten pounds, and without
any hair at all. The head is like an apple
headed toy terrier. with large bat ears
standing out from the head, a very fine
TAIL and the skin of uniform dark
color. Other hairless dogs are referred
to as being native to Africa, Brazil,
Buenos Ayres. Turkey. India and China.
But there is only one Mexican hairless
dog. He is in a class all by himself and
is easily distinguishable from other So
called hairless dogs.
Not Caused by Heat
Elroy Foote says: Whether these va
rious strains of hairless dogs found in
the various hot climates are of common
origin whether they have been distrib-
uted from some one country to the
others, or whether they are the result
of the so-calied law of evolution we can
only conjecture Whether in some quar-
ter of the globe breed of dogs has al
ways existed none of which had hair,
because they did not need it, or whether
they were once clothed with hair which
gradually disappeared because they did
not need it, who san say? If strain Of
pugs or fox terriers were colonized in
central Africa and bred there twenty-five,
fifty or 100 years, would their hair grad
ualy disappear? Such a supposition
seems to be hardly plausible, since the
wild dogs of India, many of whom live
almost under the equator, are thickly
coated with hair, as are nearly all other
quadrupeds in hot countries.
why, then, should one breed of small
dogs exist entirely hairless? Will some
Tyndall kindly investigate apd give US
the why ana the wherefore?
Faneied by Epicures
"In Mexico, among the natives these
dogs are used externally for the treatment
of rheumatism and internally to assuage
the pangs of hunger. There would neces-
sarily be more virtue in their warm little
bodies as a natural substitute for the
hot-water bags than as ar article of
diet, at least judging from our civilized
standpoint.
1.-THE hairless dog is a pet and house
dog only, and as such has some good
Qualities that his hairy brethren have
not. He is naturally cleanly, popularity
not possessed by any other native Mex
ican nor leaves hair about on furniture
or clothes, does rot have fleas or any odor
other than that of the soap with which
one can keep his skin as sweet and pleas
ant to the touch as ones own.
ls..kI~ 1f~~k.k l..
hue than when older, many of the white
spots becoming by degrees smaller and
beautifully less and some entirely dis
appearing"
Puppies an Edible DeIcacy
Theodore McKenna, whose beautiful
puppy, Biddle, is the cynosure of all eyes
in Los Angeles. has made a special study
of the Mexican hairless dog, and is quail
flied to explain the mystery surrounding
that marvellous animal.
He says: "Clavigero describes a large
hairless dog found among the Mexicans
by the Spanish conquerors, whose pup
pies were esteemed as an edible delicacy
and others are reported to have occurred
in ancient Peru and on various Of the
West Indian islands.
.Relics of the Mexican hairless dogs
are found in the vast stone buildings of
the Aztecs and Toltecs Of the Nahua
nation, most of them being minor statu-
ettes carvings, amulets and ornaments
in stone, besides many elaborately carved
gold ornaments in the shape of this dog.
Much Of the ancient, richly colored
pottery is beautifully ornamented with
elaborate signs and figures of the Mexi-
can hairless dog abound in gorgeous pro-
fusion. Although each of the separate
ancient tribes and nations possesses it's
distinctive and individual ware, the pic
lures of the Mexican hairless dog appear
on all without exception.
'sAll these relics bear mute testimony
to the customs, habits and religious rites
OF the native races, showing the high es-
TEEN held by the Mexican hairless dog in
the estimation of the people of that time.
"Prof Carl Lumholtz, the eminent
ethnologist, is said to have witnessed this
among the primitive Huichols, or Virar-
fkos. a little-known tribe of Indians in
the state of Jalisco.
Saved by the Ark
''The age of the species of hairless dog
in Mexico Is indicated by the fact that
mention of it is frequently mingled with
the carefully preserved traditions of the
TTnfcho1s which include version Of a