With the Westminster Kennel Club dog show upon us, there will be a a new breed added to the list of 170 recognized purebreds on the AKC’s list:  The Xoloitzcuintli, a.k.a Mexican Hairless.

I found this strange considering the Xolo, as it’s called, is considered an ancient breed that can trace it’s lineage back 3,000 years to the Aztecs, Mayans and Toltec civilizations.

The reason for this in again, out again, in again status is that the dog had fallen out of popularity since coming into vogue in the 1940s and that the AKC dropped it from the club’s stud registry about 20 years later when the dog faded from popularity like so many other dog fads.  In fact, only about 1,000 Xolos exist in the United States today according to a New York Times article quoting stats compiled by the American Pet Products Association.

But that may change as the pendulum appears to be swinging back in the Xolos favor.  I mean, no hair, non-allergenic — I can see the appeal.  But the breed, as the article goes on to explain is definitely not for everyone:  the Xolo is not a little docile toy-type petr.  It has a strong prey drive, is strong-willed and is protective of it’s owner and will sometimes bit to defend them from threats real or imagined.

Read the entire Article HERE to learn more about the Xolo.