The Chinese crested dog is a hairless breed of dog. In actuality, full coat and hairless puppies are born in the same litter. The hairless variety shown here, is born with soft tufts of long fur on its paws, the tip of its tail and a full crest on its head and ears. The dogs with full head to tail coats are known as Powderpuffs. The Chinese crested is a small breed, 10-13 pounds. They are not affected by most of the congenital diseases which afflicts other small breed dogs, but it is prone to poor dental health, progressive retinal atrophy, patellar luxation from shallow knee joints which allows the kneecap to pop out of place, and canine multiple system degeneration, which is a movement disorder.  The average lifespan of the Chinese crested dog is 12-14 years.