This Friday, the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in California will host the 25th annual World's Ugliest Dog contest. The winner usually has something in common with many Californian genital areas: Hairlessness. Many of these hair-free dogs are Chinese Cresteds who descend from ones bred by famous stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee. Lee liked to describe her pets as "naked dogs, for a naked lady."
Lee was gifted her first Crested by her sister, June Havoc, and, through the years, she worked to secure the legacy of her favorite hairless dog, who she called Fu Manchu.
Non-hirsute dogs are used in some cultures as one might use a water bottle — they're pressed to aching body parts to ease pain. Just like so many hairless California genitals!
Actually, not all Chinese Cresteds are hairless. In any litter, there's a one-in-three chance that a puppy will be born hairy. This variety is called "Powder Puff."
I happen to think this breed is quite cute, with or without their fur coats. When I was an associate producer at Animal Planet's Too Cute, I was lucky enough to work with two Crested puppies, Bella and her furry brother, Buttons. Nothing ugly about these two.