You Met Belmont
Standard Size Xoloitzcuintle (Hairless)
The Xoloitzcuintle otherwise known as a Xolo or Mexican Hairless is a rare primitive breed, there are thought to be under 30,000 of them worldwide.
How do you say it?
show-low-eats-queent-lee OR show-low for short
About Belmont
Belmont's official name is:
FR. JCH. SK. JR CH. EU JW 2022 BIS AUST CH. Belmont Kitlali De Citlalicue (imp Cze) TK.S. ET. {ETD CGC CCF1 PKD-T}
What do all the letters stand for?
FR. JCH: Junior Champion of France
SK. JR CH: Junior Champion of Slovakia
BIS: Shows that he has won a Best in Show
AUST CH: Australian Champion
(imp Cze): Shows he was imported from the Czech Republic
TK.S: Earned his Trick Dog Starter Title
ET: Endurance Test Title
ETD: Earned his Expert Trick Dog Title
CGC: Earned his Canine Good Citizen Title
CCF1: Earned his Canine Conditioning Fitness 1 title
PKD-T: Parkour Dog in Training
De Citlalicue: The name of the Breeders Kennel
Belmont Kitlali: His actual name
Belmont arrived in Australia just after his first birthday in 2021 from the Czech Republic. Dogs imported to Australia from countries that have Rabies have to go through a long process to prepare them for export, there are a lot of vet visits, tests, and paperwork. Dogs are unable to leave their home countries until around 11-12 months of age.
When Belmont arrived in Australia, he was transported from the airport to the Quarantine facility in Melbourne for a 10-day stay that is similar to a boarding kennel. When he was released he was flown to us here in Sydney to start his new life.
All photos on this page are of Belmont.
History of breed
More than 3,000 years old, The Xolo is one of the world’s most ancient breeds. Most purebred dogs have been designed for a specific purpose; the Xolo was not. It is unique in the fact that it is a product of natural selection, created and molded by environmental adaptation, rather than selective breeding. The Xolo’s traits of type are traits of self-preservation. Xolos come in 3 sizes, the mini/toy, the intermediate and the standard.
It is generally believed that the earliest Xolos resulted from a hairless mutation of native Indian breeds. The primitive Xolo needed to be tough and adaptable and this mutation must have offered the first hairless dogs a crucial advantage to survival. To thrive under harsh conditions, the Xolo had to be versatile; it needed stamina, hunting ability, guarding instinct, and most of all, a tractable nature. Without that, the Xolo would have presented no practical advantage to man, and would have likely been dispatched to a more useful fate in the cooking pot.
The Mystical & Healing Xolo
Highly prized for their curative and mystical powers, the Xolo’s breed purity has been maintained throughout the ages. Ancient clay representations bear witness to the fact that the breed has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Modern day Xolos bear striking resemblance to these primeval artifacts. The Xolo is truly a living link to the glory of these ancient cultures.
The name Xoloitzcuintle is derived from the name of the Aztec Indian god Xolotl and Itzcuintli, the Aztec word for dog.
The Xolo’s reputation as a healer persists to this day. According to legend, sleeping with a hairless dog would bring relief from a variety of ailments within four days. Xolos were recommended for curing toothache, colic, rheumatism, arthritis, back pain, and just about everything from paralysis to broken bones. No doubt, the soothing warmth which radiated from a sleeping Xolo, provided some relief to the sufferer.
The Underworld
Esteemed as guards and protectors, Xolos were believed to safeguard the home from evil spirits as well as intruders. In ancient times Xolos were often sacrificed and buried with their masters, in order to guide the soul on its journey to the underworld. Xolos were also used as a food source throughout Mexico, Central, and South America. Many believed that eating the meat of a Xolo would offer a form of spiritual protection. Dogs were considered a great delicacy and consumed for sacrificial rites, marriage ceremonies, and funerals. Different coloured Xolos were regarded as having special meaning for these rituals and ceremonies.
What they're like
The Xolo being a primitive breed means they can be aloof to strangers, you may have experienced this when you met Belmont OR he could have thought you were pretty interesting and showed a bit of interest in you.
Whilst there are breed characteristics, there will always be outliers that don't fit the mould, we can only say how Belmont is.
Belmont is a very affectionate dog to his family and the people he knows - this is said to be typical of the breed. Those within the breed say Xolos bond hard with one person in the family, however, this has not been our experience.
The Xolo is known as a Village watchdog and whilst known as a fairly silent dog in terms of not being a yapper (well, not the standard size), Belmont is territorial and will let us know when people are on the property.
They are a very intelligent but manipulative breed. They want to do things with you not for you and it can take a bit of work to get them to see the value you hold so they will do things for you so if you're looking for a border collie type dog, this is not your dog. That's not to say they can't learn or they're hard to live with, it just means you need to think outside of the box sometimes.
This is a breed that must have rules and boundaries - too much freedom can make them entitled and they can get pushy and problematic so they're not generally recommended for a novice dog owner. I would recommend every new Xolo owner work regularly with a trainer to work on any potential issues as they come up.
They are a sensitive breed, so a balance of firm but fair interactions with them is needed. They can manipulate you to make you think you hurt their feelings, they know how to play humans very well.
Caring for a Xolo
A hairless Xolo needs good skin care as their skin which is actually a hide is a little different, it is prone to clogged pores, pimples, and wounds because they're easier to injure without hair.
Belmont is washed weekly with a cleanser, exfoliated every couple of weeks, and moisturised whenever his skin is dry. Their ear tips can dry out and crack so it's important to monitor them.
Their nails grow very fast and weekly if not bi-weekly nail trimming will keep them at a reasonable length.
Belmont has dark skin pigment so does not need sunscreen but he is more prone to overheating and getting cold because that is what dog hair does - it insulates a dog.
We dremel (electric sand) the nails of our dogs who play with Belmont so they do not scratch him badly, this takes the edges off. Superficial scratches are not an issue and moisturise out. Deeper scratches will take a couple of weeks to heal up.
We do not feed Belmont kibble (dry food), we feed a balanced fresh food diet to support good overall health, skin & gut health + supplements to support his health & skin.
If you're interested to talk to a breeder, you can find details here: https://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/community/xoloitzcuintle.asp
